Forum / 1000 - 7500 words

• 
  whatwouldbukowskido

  Aug 12, 09:56pm

  seems to be the typical length of stories magazines are willing to consider.

  Unfortunately, the story I recently finished and am about to start submitting is 7501 words.

  Any thoughts on how I can remedy this situation?

• 
  David Ackley

  Aug 12, 10:07pm

  It's a tough length, no doubt about it. Although I'm presently flogging one of ten thousand+ to even fewer possibilities. Oh, well, there's always wallpaper. At any rate, Prick of the Spindle will accept longer pieces, and I think, Bartleby Snopes, and Blackbird of online magazines. Agni, I believe. Perhaps someone else can kick in some names???

• 
  David Ackley

  Aug 12, 10:08pm

  Oops, just saw the joke. Duh.

• 
  Sally Houtman

  Aug 12, 10:28pm

  Such a dilemma.

  But, if it were me, I'd carefully go through the manuscript, remove a single, powerful, profoundly important word...and submit that word separately as a piece of flash fiction.

  But then I *am* a trained professional.

• 
  J.A. Pak

  Aug 12, 11:13pm

  One Story has 8k limit: http://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=submit

• 
  J.A. Pak

  Aug 12, 11:20pm

  And Printers Row (Chicago Tribune) has 5k-8k limit: https://printersrow.submittable.com/submit

• 
  whatwouldbukowskido

  Aug 12, 11:34pm

  Thanks, David & J.A., but I think I'm going with Octo's advice: excise one powerful word and submit *that* as a flash (I imagine I'll just throw away the other 7500 words).

  So here's the word I'll cut/submit:

  haroldnoddedthebesthecouldwhileIkneltbythedivanandmaneuveredmybookintopositionforararecloseupsketchofDaddy’sGodRopethelightningstruckcoilofhairearnedinchildhoodanduncutsincethathebraidedandtrainedtoswirlthricearoundhisskullbehindhiscaulifloweredboxingearanddeepintohisleftcanalwhereforallweknewitcontinuedtogrow

• 
  Sally Houtman

  Aug 13, 12:35am

  Obviously the other 7500 words were practice shots that led you to that single, important, word.

  You might want to try:

  www.wepublishreallyreallyreallyreallylongwordsandcallthemflashfiction.com/reallywedo

  I submitted this and it got accepted:

  Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

  (though the editors did say they felt the subject matter is one written about far too frequently, but I'd handled it in a fresh manner)

  :)

• 
  J.A. Pak

  Aug 13, 01:13am

  I do agree that Octothorpe's professional advice is excellent.

• 
  whatwouldbukowskido

  Aug 13, 02:50am

  Reminds me of my Uncle Elsworth who used to marinate his "steaks" (though they were really squirrels, possums, rats and various and sundry snake deer and 'dillo "road gifts") in a mixture of whiskey, beer and wine, take out the meat after a couple of hours, throw it away and drink the marinade.

  But I digress.

  The actual weird thing is, I finally did a new word count on the story in question and it was, in fact, 7501 words.

  One over the speed limit, so to speak.

  I can see the flashing lights and hear the rejection sirens closing in even as we speak.

  But I think I'll leave it as is.

  REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE!

  ;-)

• 
  Sally Houtman

  Aug 13, 04:17am

  ***cue sirens and flashing lights***

  Do you know why I pulled you over, son? You've been clocked at 7501 in a 7500 zone. Can I see your license and registration?

  Hmmmmmmm. You related to ol' Elsworth?

  Tell you what...you hook me up with a couple of ol' Uncle Elsworth's roadkill recipes and I'll let ya go this time with just a warning.

  Keep it under 7500, son. Best be on yer way.

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