A year in statistics

So, am feeling a little dejected after a rejection today, another competition I didn't win, so I thought I would cheer myself up by looking at the year in total according to the Writingstats2007 blog Vanessa and I have been keeping since last Dec 27th. (Excuse the maths - it doesn't all add up exactly, but take it as a pretty good estimate!) It's really been a wonderful exercise which helped me keep the bigger picture in mind. So, that said, drumroll....

In 2007 I...

Submitted 155 pieces of writing (not 155 different pieces, often the same story was submitted several times) -
88 to story comps,
3 to play comps,
1 to filmscript comp,
60 to open calls for submissions,
2 to open call for audio submissions,
1 fellowship

Out of these, 30 were "hits", which is to say they got somewhere

1 short story collection accepted for publication (!)
1 radio story commission,
1 anthology acceptance,
6 acceptances by online mags,
5 acceptances by print mags,
1 flash comp 2nd prize and 1 finalist,
3 stories made shortlists in short story comps
4 made longlists in short story comps
1 Honorable Mention in short story comp
2 highly commended in short story comp,
1 commended short story comp,
1 commended in play comp

And 94 were misses (no that doesn't add up to 155 - some submissions still outstanding)
I didn't win:
43 short story comps
1 story collection comp
7 flash comps
1 novel comp

And my stories were rejected by
16 print magazines,
6 online mags,
11 flash fiction publications,
2 anthologies,
2 audio submissions,
1 scriptwriting comp,
2 short play comps

Financially speaking I..

Spent £484.50 (on entry fees etc...)
Earned £494 from my writing. (plus 30% discount off Abroad Writers Conferences (could be worth $750... if I want to pay the other 70%)

So I am ten pounds in the black....


All in all, I am thrilled - I have a ratio of almost one acceptance to every three rejections (30: 98), or a 25% acceptance rate (30/128) which is certainly far far better than I have ever done before! And it makes me so happy to see the range of submissions, not all to competitions, but to online and print publications too - and the odd short play comp. Of course, the highlight was the acceptance of my short story collection by Salt... nothing tops that! But it doesn't mean I can rest on my laurels... I now have to work on self-promotion, which is not something that comes easy to me.

I have a feeling 2008 is going to be an interesting year. I will be promoting my book come June, and am still sending out stories, still waiting to hear, still looking for great publications to read and submit to (thank you Duotrope!) But I go into 2008 not just as a published author, but as an editor, of The Short Review, my new baby, something I have set up single-handed and am running, with the assistance and input of an ever-growing raft of wonderful and enthusiastic reviewers. It is turning out to be a lot of work, but it is work which involves my passion, the short story, and every hour I spend on it thrills me. For the first time, I feel like maybe I am making my small but unique mark. Onwards and upwards!