I thought it’d be interesting to look at some rough numbers, based on my Duotrope stats, year over year.
2010
13 submissions to 10 different markets
4 stories on submission
13 rejections, 5 personal (38%)
10 markets
0 acceptances
2011
43 submissions to 36 different markets
11 stories on submission
39 rejections, 16 personal (41%)
Misc. Stats
Each year saw one story pulled from circulation after one submission (one was a reprint from 2008)
All four sales this year were made on the first submission (one by invitation)
It’s clearly a positive trend, and one I hope to continue into 2012. I don’t make resolutions, but I do set goals. This year, I’ll be finishing the novel I started last November and writing (and more importantly, finishing) a lot more short stories.