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Waiting is HARD

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jennifer.quail View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jennifer.quail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2019 at 9:00am
If you keep doing this CONTEST for years and aren't reliably making the top ten at least two times out of three, you're the fool. The fee here's astronomical. This is a fun thing if you have money, but if you do this for real, you should be hesitating at even paying submission fees, never mind coughing up almost fifty dollars. 

Eight months is long for a short. If you slush pile a real book publisher (which you can do for most genre; only literary fiction really REQUIRES an agent) figure a year on average. And maybe I'm more patient than most, even with slush I've never not gotten a personal response rather than a generic form letter, whether it's an accept or reject. The book publishers (Daw and Pyr in particular) were most detailed and actually read the whole thing, which given it was 85k words, was nice of them. So I'm maybe more patient with pros and probably give the semi-pros more leeway than I otherwise might if I were used to paying for responses.

As for "having to write"? Whether it's good or bad, I'll probably do ninety percent in the last few hours. I always do for everything. So a few hours one way or another doesn't matter.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (10) Thanks(10)   Quote steph9289 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2019 at 9:08am
I don't do this contest for the prize money. I get exactly what I want out of this contest. $160 a year is worth it to me to do all four contests. I do it to strengthen my writing, build a collection of stories, and to interact with like-minded people. If that's not why you are here, then maybe you are the fool. 
#amrevising
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (8) Thanks(8)   Quote sootfoot5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2019 at 12:19pm
Originally posted by jennifer.quail jennifer.quail wrote:

The fee here's astronomical. 



Since you feel that way then, please, don't sign up again.  You won't be missed.  

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (3) Thanks(3)   Quote topangarose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2019 at 4:42pm
Originally posted by steph9289 steph9289 wrote:

A couple years ago, they were late with announcing PROMPTS during Short Story. And they were nice enough to tack it on the end, extending the deadline. And though these things have happened (and they are definitely frustrating and inconvenient), I never feel angry at NYCM the way I feel angry at FW.

At least NYCM isn't petty. They don't say inflammatory things about their paying contestants in the way FW was doing not so long ago.


 Good point Steph! That FW thing was awful! WW did the same thing after their group comp last year. I will never go back there either, because of that, even after winning an entry into their single writer comp. I just threw it away after reading their responses to very real questions and critiques.

Was Never really too angry with NYC here, either, although a lot frustrated over time. Arrrg. I don't remember the prompts being late.This comp has been so valuable to me over the years it's still hands down above the rest whatever it's flaws! For many people it's not really about winning this thing whatever the cost. There's more valuable assets than that.



Edited by topangarose - 18 Feb 2019 at 4:49pm
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LaurieH View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote LaurieH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2019 at 8:32pm
Originally posted by sootfoot5 sootfoot5 wrote:



Since you feel that way then, please, don't sign up again.  You won't be missed.  


Wow.

This was totally uncalled for. Mean spirited much?


ETA:

I had no idea that one such sentence could affect me in such a way. It was so upsetting; so cruel; so...unnecessary that I threw up. And it wasn't even directed at me.

Bravo.


Edited by LaurieH - 18 Feb 2019 at 8:47pm
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alisandra View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote alisandra Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2019 at 9:42pm
This contest seems amazingly reliable when compared to some others I've taken part in, but I can see how frustrating it would be to not know whether or not you're going to be writing during a small time frame and having to essentially put your life on hold while waiting to find out. Most contests are a one-off deal - you submit by the deadline, and then you wait. So this one's a little different.

I just started trying to get serious about my writing and submitting some of my stuff a few months ago. It's definitely been a good exercise in waiting... patiently or not. :)


Edited by alisandra - 18 Feb 2019 at 9:50pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote thesaura73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2019 at 10:26pm
I would miss Jennifer! I feel it's too bad things get personal so fast when people are just stating their opinions. We don't need to agree on everything. I realize I'm a newbie but one person can be OK with a small delay in the assumed deadline with or without knowing the history of more egregious delays. I don't think anyone who chooses to participate long or short is a fool, either. Everyone has their own reasons for participating (or not!). 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (5) Thanks(5)   Quote sootfoot5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2019 at 11:51pm
Originally posted by thesaura73 thesaura73 wrote:

I feel it's too bad things get personal so fast when people are just stating their opinions. We don't need to agree on everything. . 

I would feel the same way if people were just stating their opinions.  But when they state their opinions as fact, then I get mad.  There is already too much misinformation going around about this competition as there is.  And there are too many newbies who don't know what's going on, who need assistance, who get confused by people giving misinformation. 

But I will take a page from my own book, as they say, and correct my prior statement -- don't sign up, Jennifer, if you are going to gripe about the fee, as I don't believe many people will miss you.  

Is that better?  

No, probably not.  Well, it is my opinion and not a fact.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote thesaura73 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Feb 2019 at 12:03am
I see your point! We can't control whether people state their opinions as fact or otherwise though...And I totally understand your opinion, too! I just feel some people word their opinions more strongly than others and it's not necessarily something to confront (of course, this is coming from one of the most non-confrontational people ever!) LOL Really don't feel anyone here meant harm. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (7) Thanks(7)   Quote steph9289 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Feb 2019 at 12:26am
Well, I hope we can at least all agree that calling the fee "astronomical" was a bit hyperbolic. LOL

If a person doesn't get anything out of this contest and continues to make that known in a less-than-pleasant way that makes multiple people uncomfortable, then perhaps this isn't the right place for that person.
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