Share the Joy

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Fantasy & Science Fiction, personal rejection:

Dear Kalin and Velichka,

Thank you for giving me a chance to read "Enchantment." I thought this was a superb translation -- the prose was smooth and elegant, and exactly what I look for in any story for F&SF. The length of this story was also perfect -- it's a good size to fit in the magazine, but I have a hard time finding stories in this range. I also liked the intelligence and the thoughtful themes of this story. I thought the line "And what is art but letting someone's mighty will triumph upon others?" was one of the smartest observations I have read recently.


With all that said, I didn't love this piece. While I could see what the story-within-a-story section, where Matyo reads to Martha, on pages 3-6, were doing, I didn't find the parable engaging and it bounced me out of the story early on. Even when I kept on reading, I didn't feel strongly engaged with Martha, Matev, or Alexander as people, which meant the themes didn't resonate with me as strongly as I think they needed to.

Overall, while there is a lot here that I liked and that I look for, this specific story didn't quite win me over and I'm going to pass on it for F&SF. I wish you best of luck finding the right market for it. I appreciate your continued interest in F&SF and would be very interested in seeing more work by Velichka Nastradinova if I thought it might balance these kinds of intelligent themes and insights with characters who seem to have more layers to them.

Best regards,

Charlie
--
C.C. Finlay, Editor
Fantasy & Science Fiction
fandsf.com | @fandsf

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Fantasy & Science Fiction, personal rejection:

Dear Kalin -- and Kiril and Valentin,

Thank you for giving me a chance to read "The Day People Saw." I really liked the quality of this translation, just in terms of the prose, and I thought Plum Man was fresh and interesting, something I hadn't seen before. At the same time, I thought the characters needed more layers to them, and, while there were some funny moments and asides in this, overall the story didn't win me over. I'm going to pass on this one for F&SF, but I wish you best of luck finding the right English language market for it. I appreciate your continued interest in F&SF and hope that you'll try me again with another new story.

Best regards,

Charlie
--
C.C. Finlay, Editor
Fantasy & Science Fiction
fandsf.com | @fandsf

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Нека закръглим радостите на три...

Publication: “The Dragon and the Orange Juice” in Aliterate #2

Отразих ни и във форумите на:

– ShadowDance
- SciFi.bg
- chitanka.info
- „Ефремов“

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Fantasy & Science Fiction, personal rejection:

Dear Kalin,

Thank you for giving me a chance to read "A Tale of Heroes and Villains." After seeing your capable hand in several translations, I was happy to see some of your own work. I thought Yin was an interesting character, and I liked the relationship between Yin and Sey. At the same time, the story felt rushed to me and the voice of the story was distant, so I didn't connect with them as strongly as I wanted to. Overall, this piece didn't quite win me over and I'm going to pass on it. I wish you best of luck finding the right market for it. I appreciate your continued interest in F&SF and hope that we can connect on a story or translation in the future.

Best regards,

Charlie
--
C.C. Finlay, Editor
Fantasy & Science Fiction
fandsf.com | @fandsf

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Chuck Rothman's review of Aliterate #2 at Tangent

I always like to see science fiction from non-English-speaking authors; they tend to look at things with a different eye. "The Dragon and the Orange Juice" is by Bulgarian author Genoveva Detelinova about Vladimir, a relatively young wizard who discovers the other wizards are sending a dragon to "the other world"—which is actually our world. Seeing how this will disrupt things, Vladimir struggles to control the damage. This is a lighter story, with some nice funny lines, but goes on a bit too long for the idea.

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Fantasy & Science Fiction, personal rejection:

Thank you for giving me a chance to read "How to Outsmart the Devil." I liked the beginning of this, and I thought the writing was both smart and clever. As the story developed, the humor felt less satirical to me and more like slapstick, and while I appreciate the quality of the pun at the end, overall the ending of the story wasn't enough to quite win me over. I'm going to pass on this one for Fantasy & Science Fiction, but I wish you best of luck finding the right English language market and an editor who loves what the story is doing. In the meantime, I appreciate your continued interest in F&SF and hope that you'll give us a look at another story in the future.

Best regards,

Charlie
--
C.C. Finlay, Editor
Fantasy & Science Fiction
fandsf.com | @fandsf

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Fantasy & Science Fiction, personal rejection:

Dear Kalin,

Thank you for giving me a chance to read Kaloyan Zahariev's "Aspiring Magician." I liked the quality of the translation and I thought there were some amusing lines in this, but there were no surprises and overall the story didn't quite win me over. I'm going to pass on it for Fantasy & Science Fiction, but I wish you best of luck finding the right market for it and hope that you'll keep us in mind in the future.


Best regards,

Charlie
--
C.C. Finlay, Editor
Fantasy & Science Fiction
fandsf.com | @fandsf

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Fantasy & Science Fiction, personal rejection with a bonus:

Dear Kalin,

Thank you for giving me a chance to read "Ricochet" by Yancho Cholakov. I liked the quality of the translation and thought the prose was very smooth. I didn't love the opening of this, and for me the story didn't really get started until around page 3. Overall, this one didn't quite win me over and I'm going to have to pass on it for Fantasy & Science Fiction. But I wish you best of luck finding the right market for it and hope that you'll keep us in mind in the future.

If you haven't already heard, I wanted to direct you toward Future Science Fiction Digest, a new English language magazine that will be specializing in publishing translations and work by non-Anglophone writers: https://alexshvartsman.com/2018/05/12/a ... on-digest/ While I hope that you will continue trying us at F&SF, and look forward to connecting on future stories with you, this may also be a good market for some of the work you've been producing.

Best regards,

Charlie
--
C.C. Finlay, Editor
Fantasy & Science Fiction
fandsf.com | @fandsf

Dear Charlie:

Just dropping a note to say I'm awed by you care and consideration;
it's truly inspirational. Thank you for pointing us to Future Science
Fiction Digest; we'll definitely try them too.

With very, very warm regards,
Kalin @ HL

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Writers of the Future, Honorable Mention for Krasimira Stoeva's "Words Unspoken, Beasts Unnamed":

Dear Entrant,

Your story has been judged and is an Honorable Mention for the 2nd quarter.

Congratulations!!!

If you would like a certificate, please respond to this e-mail with the following:

1) the name of your story

2) your name as you would like it to appear on the certificate

3) and the address that you would like me to send it to.

4) Your legal name for mailing (the post office doesn't know your pen name and may send it back to me)

YOU WILL NOT GET A CERTIFICATE UNLESS YOU PROVIDE ME WITH THE INFORMATION ABOVE.

Even though you have never had to wait for results in order to submit for the next quarter, this hopefully gives you incentive to submit for Quarter 3, which is happening now, the deadline being 30 June. The more often you enter, the better chance you have of winning and contest judges always tell contestants to write as much as possible.



I do hope you are already working on that next story and do let me know that you did get this e-mail.



Best regards,

Joni Labaqui

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Fantasy & Science Fiction, personal rejection:

Dear Kalin,

Thank you for giving me a chance to read XXXXX. I liked the quality of this translation, and I thought the story had interesting elements. At the same time, I wondered if maybe it started in the wrong place and needed a different event to set the narrative in motion, and I thought it relied on summary in places where scene might have made the story more immediate and compelling. Overall, this story didn't quite win me over and I'm going to pass on it for Fantasy & Science Fiction. But I wish you best of luck finding the right market for it and hope that you'll keep us in mind in the future.

Also, I'm glad to see that you're seeking other routes to get wider recognition for your authors. I wish you luck with those.

Best regards, as always,

Charlie
--
C.C. Finlay, Editor
Fantasy & Science Fiction
fandsf.com | @fandsf

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Third Flatiron Publishing, personal rejection:

Sorry.

“Aspiring Magician” was well received here, but we have decided it's not quite what we're
looking for in Third Flatiron's Fall 2018 anthology ("Terra! Tara! Terror!").
Thanks for submitting it to us, and best of luck with finding a good market for it.



—Juli
Juliana Rew, Editor

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Fantasy & Science Fiction, personal rejection:

Dear Kalin,

Thank you for giving me a chance to read "As Beautiful as Bare Reality" -- I'm very pleased to see some more of your own work, just because I know you invest so much time in promoting the work of others.

The quality of the prose here is very good, but the story feels rushed to me, especially at the beginning where it sets up the characters and premise. I think that limits the impact of the story, and overall it didn't quite win me over. I'm going to pass on it for Fantasy & Science Fiction, but I wish you best of luck finding the right market for it -- you might try some of the online zines like Daily Science Fiction or Flash Fiction Online, which publish more stuff like this than F&SF does. Meanwhile, I hope that you'll keep us in mind in the future.

Best regards,

Charlie
--
C.C. Finlay, Editor
Fantasy & Science Fiction
fandsf.com | @fandsf

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Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, personal rejection:

Hi, Kalin. I understand that you’re representing the authors of “The Glow of the River.” We liked the premise of this story and found Denn Sirr empathetic as a character.

Unfortunately, we felt the story was too long in the beginning pages, where Denn Sirr makes his journey and his backstory is revealed. (The core actions don’t start until p. 8, and much of what comes before could be condensed or woven into the action.) Also, we didn’t feel that Denn Sirr’s motivations for walking the Deinor road were clear. Why did he start down that path and what did he hope to find at the end? There are some other minor confusions here and there, and for these reasons, the story did not entirely work for us. (...)

~ Casey, Fantasy Editor.

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Analog, personal rejection:

Dear Kalin,

Thank you for letting me see "Loving Loney Lone." I'm sorry it didn't strike me as quite right for our present needs.

I rather like your style of writing and suggest that you try us again.



Sincerely,
Trevor Quachri
Editor

44 Wall Street, Suite 904
New York, NY 10005
E-mail: analog -at- dellmagazines.com
http://www.analogsf.com

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The People's Preservatory, acceptance:

Dear Kalin Nenov,

We would like to use "Words" in The People's Preservatory. Is the story still available? Please let us know and we will be sending a contract out with payment details soon.

Thank you.

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Writers of the Future, Honorable Mention for Elena Pavlova's "Love in the Time of Con Crud":

Dear Entrant,

Your story has been judged and is an Honorable Mention for the 1st quarter.

Congratulations!!!

If you would like a certificate, please respond to this e-mail with the following:

1) the name of your story

2) your name as you would like it to appear on the certificate

3) and the address that you would like me to send it to.

4) Your legal name for mailing (the post office doesn't know your pen name and may send it back to me)

YOU WILL NOT GET A CERTIFICATE UNLESS YOU PROVIDE ME WITH THE INFORMATION ABOVE.

Even though you have never had to wait for results in order to submit for the next quarter, this hopefully gives you incentive to submit for Quarter 3, which is happening now, the deadline being 30 June. The more often you enter, the better chance you have of winning and contest judges always tell contestants to write as much as possible.



I do hope you are already working on that next story and do let me know that you did get this e-mail.



Best regards,

Joni Labaqui

[Кал]

Future SF, acceptance of "Love in the Time of Con Crud":

Hi Kalin,

I'm very happy to accept this story for publication in Future SF, provided we can agree on some relatively minor edits/changes.

I will try to get the edited version to you within the week. If it's approved, we will move forward to contract and copy edits.

Thanks very much for sending this (and previous) stories our way!

Sincerely,

Alex

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DreamForge Magazine, personal rejection:

Kalin, Thank you for your patience while we reviewed Grigor’s story “Outside the Picture,” unfortunately, we're going to pass this time. The translation is exceptional; the tale read very well in English. The work is well done, but over 9,000 words is a difficult sale to any magazine, and this doesn’t have a strong DreamForge theme, though the “outside the picture” idea was engaging. As we publish more stories and unlock more of them for registered users and visitors, please do read us and you'll get a better sense of what seems to catch our fancy. All our best. Scot Noel DreamForge Magazine

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The Bronzeville Bee: personal rejection of Metaplanetary's review:

Dear Kalin,

Thank you for sending your review for our consideration. It's really well written and I appreciate your passion for the subject; unfortunately, it falls a bit outside our priority with our arts/culture/entertainment articles. We're interested in more of an #OwnVoices approach to reviews and articles - people from diverse groups writing related to the arts/culture/entertainment of or created by people who share their diversity. We have some latitude on that, but if we're doing reviews we're more likely to prioritize something recent, or something out of print.

I'm sorry this didn't work out, but if you have another pitch I will gladly consider it.

Best,
Sandra

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The Bronzeville Bee, personal rejection of "Fantasy in Bulgaria":

I wanted to let you know that I have decided to pass on this article. There's a lot of potential here, but it reads more like a history of the genre, and while that has a certain level of interest, I'd like to see who the top fantasy writers are from your region that we should all be seeking out right now. Who is reshaping the genre, making a mark within it, that should be translated and shared with the world? Something more along the lines of our article about #OwnVoices Asian-Inspired YA Fantasy, for example.

Thank you for thinking of us and I wish you all the best as you search for a home for this piece.

Best,
Sandra

It's always a joy when an editor finds the time to give such specific feedback.

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Fantasy & Science Fiction, personal rejection:

Dear Kalin,

Thank you for giving me a chance to read "Two Moons" by Elena Pavlova. I liked the quality of the translation and I really enjoyed the worldbuilding. At the same time, I thought the story needed to develop with more energy -- I think I was 6 or 7 pages in before the narrative felt like it had much forward momentum for me. Overall, this story didn't quite grab me for Fantasy & Science Fiction right now and I'm going to pass. But I wish you best of luck finding the right English language market for it. And Pavlova sounds like an interesting writer and I liked some of things I saw here -- I would be interested in seeing more of her work.

Best regards,

Charlie
--
C.C. Finlay, Editor
Fantasy & Science Fiction
fandsf.com | @fandsf

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The Fiddlehead, personal rejection of "Empowering Activists":

Dear Kalin,

Thank you for submitting to The Fiddlehead. Unfortunately we will not be publishing your writing. I really appreciate your hopeful tone throughout the piece. All the best with your writing.

Sincerely,
Zach Keesey

We at The Fiddlehead love hearing your feedback, but unfortunately, given the volume of submissions we get, we can’t respond to further emails or inquiries. And please remember that you can only submit once a year!
—The Editors

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Samovar, personal rejection:

Dear Kalin,

Thank you for submitting "The Last Story" to Samovar, and many apologies for the long wait for a response. We really enjoyed the language and atmosphere of this story, but in the end decided that it's not quite what we're looking for, so we've decided not to accept it for publication. We've considered it for both Strange Horizons and Samovar.

Thank you again for your patience, and please do consider us for future submissions from Aleksandar Karapanchev, as we would be interested in reading more of his work (and will try to reply more promptly next time!).

Sincerely,

-- Sarah

Sarah Dodd, Greg Friis West, and Laura Friis West
Editors, Samovar

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Samovar, personal rejection:

Dear Elena Pavlova,

Thank you for submitting "Two Moons"—we enjoyed some of the very evocative & descriptive passages, but we've decided not to accept it for publication. We've considered it for both Strange Horizons and Samovar.

Sincerely,

-- Greg

Sarah Dodd, Greg West, and Laura Friis
Editors, Samovar

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The Fiddlehead, personal rejection of "Enchantment":

Dear Velichka,

Thank you for submitting to The Fiddlehead. Unfortunately we will not be publishing your story. We enjoyed reading your submission, particularly your vivid descriptions of Martha and her otherworldly powers. All the best with your writing.

Izza Hassan

We at The Fiddlehead love hearing your feedback, but unfortunately, given the volume of submissions we get, we can’t respond to further emails or inquiries. And please remember that you can only submit once a year!
—The Editors

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Reviews of "Love in the Time of Con Crud":

Rachel Cordasco, Speculative Fiction in Translation:

An enjoyable time travel/alternate history set during the 2017 Helsinki World SF convention where some attendees have returned to prevent a pandemic outbreak that ushers in global wars and radical Islamic conquering of Europe. Even if the references to the convention aren’t familiar to you (they certainly weren’t for me), the story has a nice charm to it driven by the emotional connections between the characters, good and bad, fueling efforts to change the past.

Victoria Silverwolf, Tangent

Time travelers from the future journey to the convention, in order to prevent a plague from raging through Europe and paving the way for two devastating wars. The theme of changing the past is a familiar one. Obviously, this story will have a special meaning for those who attended the convention.

Karen Burnham, Locus

(...) imagines a pair time travelers heading back to the Helsinki WorldCon of 2017 to spread some kind of biological agent. You’ll have to read along to discover what they’re doing and why, but it’s clear that they chose that moment and place because that WorldCon is where they first met.

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The Smart Set, personal rejection of "Fantasy in Bulgaria":

Hello,

Thank you for your submission. I really enjoyed reading this piece. I had never considered the role of fantasy of Bulgaria, so this is a particularly interesting piece. Unfortunately, the piece is not a great fit for The Smart Set. It's by no means the content, which is great - but I think it relies too much on understanding Bulgaria and the Balkan region for our readers. Nonetheless, we appreciate you considering us.

Melinda

Melinda Maureen Lewis, PhD
Associate Director of Marketing & Media
Pennoni Honors College
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Managing Editor, The Smart Set

Spoiler

The fastest personal rejection I've ever seen: 13 minutes after the submission. Plus: nice and to the point.

Color me impressed.

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Samovar, personal rejection:

Dear Kalin,

Thank you for submitting "The Glow of the River" to Samovar. We enjoyed it, and felt that it read very smoothly, but it's longer than what we're looking for at the moment, so we've decided not to accept it for publication. We've considered it for both Strange Horizons and Samovar.

Thanks again, and all the best,

-- Sarah

Sarah Dodd, Greg Friis West, and Laura Friis West
Editors, Samovar

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Samovar, personal rejection:

Dear Kalin,

Thank you for submitting "The Day People Saw" to Samovar. We really enjoyed reading it, and liked the humourous tone, but in the end it didn't quite grab us enough, so we've decided not to accept it for publication. We've considered it for both Strange Horizons and Samovar.

Thank you for letting us read this story, and please do keep us in mind for future submissions from the Human Library Foundation.

And I hope all is well, at this difficult time.

Sincerely,

-- Sarah

Sarah Dodd, Greg Friis West, and Laura Friis West
Editors, Samovar

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Compelling Science Fiction, acceptance:

Dear Elena,

Thank you for submitting your short fiction "Two Moons" for consideration. We very much enjoyed your story, and would like to purchase publication rights from you! Within the next few weeks we'll be sending you a purchase agreement through "SignNow." After you review and sign the agreement, we'll send your payment and we will discuss any edits that may come up.

Right now the publication date is up in the air. We've had some disruptions due to COVID-19 and so we don't have a firm publication date, but we're aiming for end of April. I apologize for the fluid schedule. Please let me know if you have any questions at this point.

Take care,

Joe Stech
Editor
compellingsciencefiction.com