Beware new editors

bluejester12 · Jan 14, 2009

Last summer my first short story was published in a magazine. I dealt with one set of editors and it was a good experience.

My next submission was rejected by a "new" name with a simple "doesn't meet our needs at this time." Since that doesn't say anything about the quality of the story, I politely asked if I could re-submit it a few issues down the road.

The response:

"We have a very large slush pile at *****, and with a day job I
don't have time to send out personal rejections for each story I turn away.

To be quite honest, it didn't hold my interest, and felt like it was a
chapter out of a longer work, to point out two things.

If resubmitted as is, it will be rejected again. My advice would be to
seek out a writing group, have the story critiqued and the be prepared to
do a significant amount of rewriting."

I wish the editor had said "it didn't hold my interest" the first time. Now they sound annoyed by my inquiry. :Shrug:

nevada · Jan 14, 2009

doesnt meet our needs, is short hand for no. don't inquire about a rejection. no is no. move on to the next magazine. unless they specifically say, resubmit this, don't. don't ask about it. Just move on.

I think you're lucky you got the answer you got. it was polite. it gave you advice. some editors would have ignored you. some would have not been so polite. follow the advice. and even if you rewrite it and it's a 100 times better, never submit it to that magazine again. they will remember and they will most likely reject, no matter how good it's become. not fair, in some ways, but nevertheless, that's the way the game is played.

good luck.

bluejester12 · Jan 15, 2009

If it weren't for the phrase "at this time" I wouldn't have bothered inquring. Eh.

nevada · Jan 15, 2009

They're just being polite. It tempers the "doesn't suit our needs". It's a qualifier meant to take the sting out of no. It's like an agent sending you a rejection that your book isn't for him but he wishes you luck with someone else. It could be the biggest, stinkiest pile of dung, but he's being polite. or when someone asks you if you like his new shirt or her new dress and instead of saying it looks hideous, you hem and haw and say it's not really your style. we all know that means, you look like crap don't ever wear that in public again, but there's no need to actually say that. lol

scope · Jan 15, 2009

Ditto to all of what nevada said.

bluejester12 · Jan 15, 2009

nevada said:
They're just being polite. It tempers the "doesn't suit our needs". It's a qualifier meant to take the sting out of no. It's like an agent sending you a rejection that your book isn't for him but he wishes you luck with someone else. It could be the biggest, stinkiest pile of dung, but he's being polite. or when someone asks you if you like his new shirt or her new dress and instead of saying it looks hideous, you hem and haw and say it's not really your style. we all know that means, you look like crap don't ever wear that in public again, but there's no need to actually say that. lol

I know that now, but I can't be the only one who would have intrepreted it that way.... :Huh:

icenine · Jan 15, 2009

I wouldn't worry too much bluejester. Even seasoned editors don't know it all.

In the early days when I first began sending my fiction to anywhere and everywhere, I'd get some of the most ridiculous responses from even the most seasoned editors. Slush readers who lack any credibility, have never been published, are not uncommon. Lots of editors use these wannabe writers and oftentimes they can't back up their claims. I had a bunch of slush readers once remark that a story I submitted was flawed. They didn't back this up by explaining how they thought it was flawed - so it was just an opinion, and a bad one, because a year later that same story was published professionally, won a short story competition, and was nominated for an award. My guess is that the editor who rejected the story relied too much on his arrogant, ignorant slush readers to make the decisions for him. So don't worry about it, just look for the professionals out there.

bluejester12 · Jan 20, 2009

icenine said:
I wouldn't worry too much bluejester. Even seasoned editors don't know it all.
In the early days when I first began sending my fiction to anywhere and everywhere, I'd get some of the most ridiculous responses from even the most seasoned editors. Slush readers who lack any credibility, have never been published, are not uncommon. Lots of editors use these wannabe writers and oftentimes they can't back up their claims. I had a bunch of slush readers once remark that a story I submitted was flawed. They didn't back this up by explaining how they thought it was flawed - so it was just an opinion, and a bad one, because a year later that same story was published professionally, won a short story competition, and was nominated for an award. My guess is that the editor who rejected the story relied too much on his arrogant, ignorant slush readers to make the decisions for him. So don't worry about it, just look for the professionals out there.

I feel a little better, but it still sucks to think you had a foot in a door at one place and they throw up a new barrier. Well, at least I got published once

Not wanting to leave any sore spots, I emailed them back:

"This was the first time I received a response worded this way, so it confused me a little. Thank you for taking the time to clarify.

Sincerely...."

Beware new editors

bluejester12

I write and I wrong

nevada

bluejester12

I write and I wrong

nevada

scope

Commonsensical Maverick

bluejester12

I write and I wrong

icenine

bluejester12

I write and I wrong