Clarkesworld Magazine - Issue 33 by www.clarkesworldmagazine.com & Nick Mamatas & Corie Ralston & Kari Maund

Author:www.clarkesworldmagazine.com & Nick Mamatas & Corie Ralston & Kari Maund
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: science fiction magazine
Publisher: Wyrm Publishing
Published: 2009-06-01T00:00:00+00:00

What are some reasons why you’d reject a good story?

VanderMeer: If the story doesn’t fit (see above - there are all kinds of great stories that are traditional, non-weird stories). If the story is too long (sometimes I have space limitations). If the story is too similar to another one I’ve got or just doesn’t work with other stories I am publishing.

McCarthy: A good story, to me, is one that has an interesting setting, and unusual or unfamiliar mythos, an interesting protagonist, and has something to say beyond the surface action of the plot. I see tons of good stories a year but can only publish around 40 of them. So that’s one reason. Another is a good story that has all the right elements but just doesn’t come to life for me.

O’Neill: I’ve rejected some fabulous stories. We published a great piece by Ellen Klages in BG 3, but I turned down the chance to publish the short story that eventually grew into The Green Glass Sea — her fantastic novel that just won the Scott O’Dell Award, and has been nominated for many more. It was a terrific piece, but it wasn’t really fantasy.

I’ve also had to pass on very solid stories that were too adult for our target market (we’ve advertised Black Gate as family-friendly, which means it needs to be suitable for ages 12 and up).

I’ve also returned very solid stories simply because I thought they could be better — and should be better.

Rambo: Too long, not fantasy, too unimaginative. A good story is one worth returning to more than once, either mentally or on the page.

Schmidt: I’ve just given one: It’s a size that I can’t use. Other reasons may be that it’s a good story, but it’s fantasy or mainstream rather than science fiction; or that it’s too similar in theme or flavor to something I already have in the works. That last, by the way, does not necessarily mean you can’t go ahead and sell it elsewhere. It may be too similar for me to want both in my magazine anywhere close to the same time, but different enough that the world will welcome it somewhere else.

Resnick: The only reason I’d reject a good story would be that I was running something too similar to it — and then I’d probably buy it and hold it for a few issues. A good story is any well-written, well-characterized story that elicits an emotional reaction; everything else is gravy.

Sizemore: Just about every time, I will read a “good” story to completion, even if I know within the first page or two I won’t be buying it.

Why won’t I be buying it? This generally falls into the “not a good fit” category. Jennifer Pelland sent me one of the best short stories I’ve ever read (titled “Ghosts of New York”) but it wasn’t an “Apex story.” It’s heartbreaking passing on work such as that, but you have to stay true to your readers.

Van Gelder: Here are

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