Excellent article by someone who evaluates short stories for publication

Another Editor · Dec 13, 2011

Here is a little something that I came across in my usual blog-surfing. The writer's area of focus is short stories, but much of what she writes applies to novels as well.

http://saraheolson.com/2011/12/06/the-slus...ce-for-writers/

Here are the best quotes from it, with my $0.02 worth for good measure. I will start from the negative and work my way up to the positive.

I reject most stories before the end of the second paragraph, either from an uninteresting beginning or bad writing.

This disheartens many writers from the "read it for the CONTENT and not the grammar, dammit!!!! I am a STORYTELLER and you should only care about the STORY!!!!" school of thought. First, it's an issue of time management: if you only have so much time to spend on each submission, then it is best to spend time on those that are already good and not those that might possibly become somewhat good with a lot of work at your end, maybe possibly, sometime contingently, in the future. Second, and I've been raked over the coals for saying this before: I sincerely believe that someone who has not mastered the basics of expression in his or her native language cannot write a good story; a grasp of the technical necessities of writing means that the writer has a brain that has been organized well enough in order to create a good story.

Don’t Preach: The moral/theme of the story should be subtle. It should come across naturally through action and characterization.

I call this the "Tom Clancy Factor." He has the popularity and the stature to use his novels as a mouthpiece for his political views. At this point in his career, he could package complete junk into one of his manuscripts and his publisher will accept it without reservation and his fans will gobble it up and ask for more.

Very few other writers can get away with this. Be very careful whenever a character utters a monologue that expresses an opinion. The character's opinion need not be the same as the writer's opinion. In fact, I've seen far worse abuses of the Tom Clancy Factor when an antagonist speaks. (A rich character making a "the poor are poor because they deserve to be poor and they are stupid so poverty suits them and I can do whatever I want to them because hey, they're poor, and I'm not" speech has passed my desk more than once. Clearly, the writer hates rich people and is going to hit us over the head in case we, the readers, are too stupid to "get it.")

We put our reputation on the line when passing your story on to our editors. For that reason, I need to love a story, not just like it.

I love this, because it puts the focus on the effect that the story is intended to have on the readers. More writers should have this goal: to create such a response within the readers as to make them feel emotionally attached to it. If some readers have this response and others have an opposite response or indifference, then it is just a matter of taste. The right publisher can market something to readers who have a specific taste, if it can create this kind of response in them.

Submitting a short story is a job interview. Be 100% professional – follow directions and edit to as near perfection as you can get it

This is true of novels and non-fiction too. The same mindset goes into reviewing submissions that goes into reviewing job applicants.

Become more awesome. That’s your job, writers.

No additional comment is necessary for this one.

The Lonely One · Dec 13, 2011

Neat article. Up my alley as a sci-fier. Don't quite get this, though:

“Poorly addressed cover letters – ie, those submissions which come to a specific editor. When you submit directly to a specific editor, your submission is forwarded to the actual submissions pool”

I always address my letters to the head editor, unless there is another editor labeled "fiction editor" or something. If there is no name listed in the masthead is the only time I just go with "editors." The reason is I want them to know I actually put some time into submitting to them and recognize the faces behind the work they do. I've actually learned this from other writers. Am I now to understand that's not the correct way to do it?

Asha Leu · Dec 13, 2011

A very useful article, thank you for sharing.

blacbird · Dec 13, 2011

“Poorly addressed cover letters – ie, those submissions which come to a specific editor. When you submit directly to a specific editor, your submission is forwarded to the actual submissions pool”

Click to expand...

I had the same reaction as the Lonester to this statement, which basically is, WTF??????????? Every piece of advice I've ever seen about submissions is to ferret out the name of a specific editor and submit to that person.

caw

Izz · Dec 14, 2011

I too don't really understand how addressing a cover letter to a specific editor--say, the one who looks after short fiction--is unprofessional. In fact, if there's only one editor who looks after short fiction, then it would be the professional thing to do, surely. If I'm applying for a job (to borrow from an analogy used in the article), I don't want to begin my application letter with 'Dear Manager.' I want to, if at all possible, begin with the name of the person hiring. The only time I wouldn't is if their name isn't available. It may well be that their secretary or another staff member reads through the application initially, but that's neither here nor there.

Of course the story still goes in the slush-pile. The point of mentioning an editor by name is not to bypass slush. It's to highlight that you're being professional, and know something about the place you're submitting to.

As an editor of a small zine, it doesn't bother me if a cover letter starts with 'Dear Editor,' and it won't affect my judgment of the story. However, if it's addressed to me directly it does tell me that the submitter has taken some time to look around the site, rather than just the guidelines page.

Personally, if there's more than one editor who deals with the sorts of submissions i'm sending in (such as Strange Horizons, for example), i'll start the cover letter with 'Dear Editors.' If it's unclear who deals with what i'll use 'Dear Editor(s).'

ETA: Of course, i'm talking electronic subs here. If we're talking postal subs, i can see how addressing the submission to a specific editor might become a frustrating thing, as they would then have to manually deliver the stories to the slush-pile (though that aspect would be part of the job description, really). And she might mean emailing an editor directly with your submission, rather than subbing to the separate submissions address. That's a no-no.

Another Editor · Dec 14, 2011

It's different for every publisher. I think her point was that you should know who to address it to, rather than send it to a generic "short fiction editor" or whatnot.

GFanthome · Dec 14, 2011

What you have to remember here is that every editor is like any other reader - they all have their own particular tastes. You have to find an editor whose taste in stories and writing style matches your own - that's where the true challenge lies.

Jamesaritchie · Dec 14, 2011

Some good stuff in there, and some that's specific to Apex, with a fair amount that's specific to this particular slush reader.

I like Apex, but my problem with such articles, no matter who writes them, is that they sound great, but have pretty much no meaning. Most of what's good in this article is stuff you can read a hundred times per day at all sorts of sites. and find in all sorts of how-to books. It's common knowledge, or should be, and writers fail to do it because they don't know how to do it, not because they don't know they should.

"Be more awesome". Well, yeah, sure, I'll definitely do that with my next story. After all, I wasn't trying to be as awesome as possible with my last fifteen. I wrote those with no intention of being awesome.

Seriously, open a story in a way that hooks the reader? Avoid an opening that's uninteresting? Avoid bad writing? Well, now that I know I'm supposed to do these things, I'll jump right on it. Especially that bad writing part. I'm been writing poorly intentionally, but now that I know I'm not supposed to, I'll stop.

The part about addressing to a particular editor is definitely Apex specific, and is a strange setup. Not one I'd want as an editor.

The one thing this article doesn't say but should is that no matter what any slushie at Apex thinks of your story, the next reader at the next magazine may love it.

I really don't like it when a magazine has a whole pool of slush readers, but I deal with it when I have to. Fortunately, I don't have to very often.

The Lonely One · Dec 14, 2011

Oh well, at least it gives us a little insight into Apex Magazine's style. If you happen to get this reader.

Send your poorly-written dribble elsewhere, JAR!

Izz · Dec 14, 2011

Another Editor said:
It's different for every publisher. I think her point was that you should know who to address it to, rather than send it to a generic "short fiction editor" or whatnot.

Heh--that's pretty much the opposite of what the article says:

“Poorly addressed cover letters – ie, those submissions which come to a specific editor. When you submit directly to a specific editor, your submission is forwarded to the actual submissions pool”

If she did mean generically addressed cover letters (which is unlikely given the context of the rest of the article), then she needs to look at rewriting that bit of the article

Another Editor · Dec 15, 2011

Jamesaritchie said:
"Be more awesome". Well, yeah, sure, I'll definitely do that with my next story. After all, I wasn't trying to be as awesome as possible with my last fifteen. I wrote those with no intention of being awesome.… Seriously, open a story in a way that hooks the reader? Avoid an opening that's uninteresting? Avoid bad writing? Well, now that I know I'm supposed to do these things, I'll jump right on it. Especially that bad writing part. I'm been writing poorly intentionally, but now that I know I'm not supposed to, I'll stop.

It is impossible for every writer to hit their 100% best every time. This has to be the case for very prolific writers in particular. Could you take any writer you love, contemporary or otherwise, and tell me with a straight face that every single thing they wrote is equally excellent and that none can be improved? Have you never suspected that some writers just pump out work after work after work because they are less concerned about quality and more concerned about being "good enough so I can get paid?"

Yeah, it may seem like the article has a lot of "no kidding" statements, but all of them bear repeating, even to good writers. I do not think she was addressing this to good writers alone, however. A "slushie's" reading regimen runs a very wide gamut of quality. Many writers submit work before it is ready for publication because they do not know why it is not ready for publication.

Jamesaritchie said:
The one thing this article doesn't say but should is that no matter what any slushie at Apex thinks of your story, the next reader at the next magazine may love it.

Put it this way: every story that Apex published that a reader loved was a story that a "slushie" loved first. If readers love what Apex publishes and if Apex continues to be successful, then it is because their "slushies" are right more often than they are not.

Project Deadlight · Dec 16, 2011

Jamesaritchie said:
I like Apex, but my problem with such articles, no matter who writes them, is that they sound great, but have pretty much no meaning.

Agree totally - one thing I find particularly annoying in this article is the bit about morals/themes being subtle. I have had a number of slush readers utterly miss the point of some of my stories. At other markets they have had no such problem.

I wonder if slush readers ever visit blogs for tips about how to be good slushies?

uscgbyron · Dec 18, 2011

I wonder if slush readers ever visit blogs for tips about how to be good slushies?

Now that is funny!

Buffysquirrel · Dec 18, 2011

Project Deadlight said:
I wonder if slush readers ever visit blogs for tips about how to be good slushies?

Mostly we visit them for validation.

MJNL · Dec 18, 2011

There are lots of these types of articles out there. Not that I don't appriciate her laying out what she and the other Apex slushers look for--I do, it takes lots of effort to compile such a list--though as James said it's all stuff that should be rather obvious.

ETA: But I guess what this really means is that it's not obvious to a lot of people. That's sad and somewhat frightening.

I too am confused about the "addressing a specific editor" part. Apex only has one editor-in-chief, so why wouldn't I address my cover to her? I don't address my envelopes to specific people, but I do my cover letters. I know other people will see and read it before her, but as has been said, you wouldn't address a resume to all of the aids and secretaries that might see it (and pass judgement upon it) before the person who will actually hire you, right? If there are multiple top editors, I usually include all of their names unless otherwise indicated by the guidelines.

ETA: As far as I know a cover letter is a business letter, and should be treaded as such. Adressing the letter to a specific person (or persons) is proper business etiquette.

saraheolson · Dec 21, 2011

Response from the author of the blog post

Hi everyone,

There seems to be a lot of confusion about addressing the editors. The quote from my blog post was from a specific editor at Apex. She prefers the general salutation. Other editors prefer a specific one. In the end, I don't think the salutation is a big deal. No one is going to reject your story for using the wrong salutation (unless it's part of the submission guidelines - then you must follow the guidelines).

I compiled this advice for a local writers' meetup in MN, based on information I gathered from other slush readers at Apex. If you find some of it useful, great. If not, that's fine too.

I agree there are a lot of articles out there with the same information. But it is advice based on the slush we see, and while some of this information seems basic, at least 50% of the submissions we reject don't follow it. We'd like to reduce the amount of "automatic rejections" we see, because it not only wastes our time, but the authors as well.

Regarding themes, if the story is well-written and engaging, slush readers typically pass it on to the editor. I'd say themes are the concern of the head editor, who decides ultimately which stories get published.

I'm willing to read blog posts about becoming a better slush reader. If you have any links, feel free to share them with me and I'll pass them along to the other readers if I find them worthwhile. We're all writers, just like you, and we take our jobs (even unpaid ones we do while the baby is sleeping) very seriously. Writers think we're the evil trolls blocking the bridge to publication, but we feel a strong sense of pride for each slush story we see through to publication. It's a *win* for us too. It's the only reward we receive for all our hard work.

If you have any more questions, let me know. I've attempted to clarify the bit on salutations on my post, but I can add more information if it's still unclear.

Izz · Dec 21, 2011

Look, everyone, an evil slushie. Let's chase her!

Just kidding :welcome:

to AW, Sarah, and thanks for stopping by to share your thoughts and clarifications. Have a look around the place; I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself here. :hi:

MJNL · Dec 21, 2011

Hi! Thanks for dropping by and clearing up our confusion about the cover letter comment.

And again, though the information seems obvious, it's also obvious you compiled the list for a reason: each point is something you and others have seen often enough to feel the need to comment on it. And again, the fact that a lot of people can't figure it out for themselves is somewhat...scary.

Having critiqued a fair number of stories over the years, it's clear that most slush is appropriately named. You've got a tough, yet great, volunteer job. Again, you'd think it would be obvious that slushers are on the author's side--that they want every story they pick up to be great--but alas, a lot of writers have delicate sensibilities and are excessively vain.

As a reader of Apex, I thank you for your contribution to such a great publication.

mhaynes · Dec 21, 2011

saraheolson said:
Hi everyone...

Hi, Sarah. Just wanted to say thanks for your blog post. I think plenty of people could benefit from reading it and it was good of you to stop in to clarify.

Marzioli · Dec 21, 2011

Previous posters, you realize some of your Apex subs will now be flagged, right?

I enjoyed the article and was particularly interested by the technical gripes section and instant-rejection cues. In the very least I know where not to submit my child-cannibal abuse stories.

Cidewalk · Dec 22, 2011

Thanks Sara! Unbelievable to see someone show up and clarify on a piece where people were confused. Quite wonderful, really.

A great piece, especially given the multiple viewpoints in a single article.

MJNL · Dec 22, 2011

Izatright said:
Previous posters, you realize some of your Apex subs will now be flagged, right?

Only one or two people were unnecessarily snarky. I don't think they flag you for having an honest discussion about a piece of advice you've seen. Some people may find it valuable, others may only find parts useful or none of it at all.

She said not to be rude to editors and slush readers (really, you shouldn't be rude to anyone, business situation or no. Most people are not out to get you), not that you shouldn't have opinions or question what you read. There's a big difference.

ETA: You might have been joking, but some people might take it seriously enough to think they can't talk about pieces of advice given to them by people with power over their manuscripts. You should be able to discuss something openly without fear of reprisal. That’s different than, say, slandering the author or the publication she works for--that is by no means going to fly.

zanzjan · Dec 22, 2011

saraheolson said:
Writers think we're the evil trolls blocking the bridge to publication.

Eh, I don't see it that way at all. If my story isn't good enough, really, or the market is a bad fit, I'd rather it NOT make it over the bar. Nothing worse than looking back years later and cringing at something still out there for all the world to see.

That said, I think that if something as ultimately frivolous as the addressing of a submission sets a slush-reader on edge enough that it predisposes them to dislike a story or author, that's a problem. I mean, yes, one should adhere to submission guidelines and if a market has expressed how they'd like subs to be addressed, an author should go with that. But a lot of places don't say, and there's more than one default addressing scheme that's perfectly polite and acceptable. Authors should be stressing about their stories, not whether they should've sent it to "Dear Editor","Dear Editors", or "Dear Mr. Schmoe, Esq.".

Or at least, that's my non-slush-reader take on it.

saraheolson · Dec 22, 2011

I think it's important to note that editors find patterns in the slush, and most of the advice about submission guidelines, although it may seem nit-picky, is based on the patterns we see.

For example, if 75% of the cover letters for stories with poor grammar carried a certain salutation, editors would be predisposed against that story from the beginning. I'm not saying one way is right, but take the advice you read with a grain of salt, because it always depends on the editor.

I know that's frustrating to hear, but we're all individuals who have our own preferences. However, if it's not stated in the guidelines, you won't be penalized for it. Focus on writing the best story possible and as long as you follow the guidelines, and you should be fine.

Although I posted all of the advice I received, there's a lot of gray area. I for one am not really concerned with cover letters. I want the name of the story and the word count. Other editors want more information. If you know you're submitting to a particular editor, search their blog/twitter/etc for useful tidbits on their preferences. If you know your story will be slushed, try to shoot for the middle ground.

In the end, it's the story that will be judged--as long as you follow the rules.

Marzioli · Dec 22, 2011

MJNL said:
ETA: You might have been joking, but some people might take it seriously

Yeah, I was kidding.

Excellent article by someone who evaluates short stories for publication

Another Editor

The Lonely One

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Asha Leu

blacbird

Izz

Doing the Space Operatic

Another Editor

GFanthome

At the computer, opening a vein

Jamesaritchie

The Lonely One

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Izz

Doing the Space Operatic

Another Editor

Project Deadlight

uscgbyron

figuring it all out

Buffysquirrel

MJNL

A Little Lost

saraheolson

Izz

Doing the Space Operatic

MJNL

A Little Lost

mhaynes

practical experience, FTW

Marzioli

Could be worse!

Cidewalk

MJNL

A Little Lost

zanzjan

killin' all teh werds

saraheolson

Marzioli

Could be worse!