Almost-published Poem Rejected by Next Market

[Richard H. Fay]

A poem I've had bouncing around the cold, cruel world of publication since October 2007, a poem that almost made it into the first publication it was sent to, making the short-list but not making it past the final cut, a poem that was almost published by market number six (a semi-pro market to boot), but didn't manage to make it into print before the magazine went under, has been, after an almost four-month wait, rejected by market number seven.

I know rejections are a part of the game, I know rejections happen, but this just sucks. To be short listed once, only to not make the final cut, and then to be accepted, only to see the forthcoming publication evaporate, is especially cruel. It's certainly discouraging. It makes me feel like my poetry has stalled. This on top of my fairly recent poetry collection woes has made me feel that I've gone as far as I'm going to go with poetry.

Anyone wonder why I've been concentrating on my art lately?

Sent the poem off to market number eight. It doesn't usually take this many tries. This is peculiar. I think it's a good poem, too.

Weird.

Maybe some of my poetry is too dark. Maybe some of my poetry is stirring up some evil things. Maybe I'm starting to suffer the consequences of delving so frequently into the darkness.

Hm...

[erazmus]

Like you, I find it usually doesn't take that long to find a place for a poem. I have also found that some of my better stuff takes much longer because I send it out to many more upscale markets (i.e. good places, especially ones I haven't cracked yet) before I start submitting them to places that know me. Not that places I do sell to aren't good places, but you know what I mean.
There are a lot of dang markets for poetry, on the one hand, and damn few on the other. Good markets, ones that pay well and on-time and (more important) people read, well there are never enough of those. The only thing you can do is keep it out until it finally places. (Which I know you do.)

Mike

[Richard H. Fay]

Being a "horror poem", or as I like to refer to it a "dark speculative poem", the number of markets for this piece is rather limited. That makes it a bit harder to place in a "good" market, or even a paying one.

On Duotrope's, there are twenty-three markets listed as "Primary Matches" for semi-pro and up markets for horror poetry (thirty-six for token and up). Several of those twenty-three have specific themes, so the list for general horror poetry is actually shorter. Not to mention, one or two of the markets listed may not really be active.

I'm just frustrated that this piece came so close (would have been published if it had gotten in Doorways before Doorways died), and now it's struggling to find a home.

I would love to break into another market with this one, but I may end up having to send it to a market that has already shown an interest in my work (if things don't work out with market number eight).