Problems understanding what lit magazines want

zclesa

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I write Lit Fic and have had a short story published by a fairly revered magazine in the UK. I haven't submitted for a while after getting quite a few rejections from other magazines saying my writing was "not a good fit".

I have trouble understanding what different literary magazines want. All of them use 'fluffy' words like "modern", "quality", "fresh". But when I read stories from different magazines, I find the stories don't fit what I was expecting at all having read the submission guidelines. I've found only a few magazines have stories which are clearly THAT magazine's 'type of story'. (e.g. Granta, Conjunctions, Bare Fiction, Guernica, Neon).

But others don't seem to give submitters very useful information.

For example, I'd like to know, whether they want:

- Stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end (Guernica states this explicitly and you can see it from the work they publish) or more nebulous pieces.
- Realism in the conventional sense vs the unconventional sense (ie. Does this have to be "believable" or does it only have to form a coherent arc within the weird world you've created)
- Stylised vs simple (I'd describe Raymond Carver and JD Salinger as literary, but simple writers, whereas David Mitchell is highly stylised)
- How much do readers have to "work" on the story?

Some of my work is less "literary", but are stories which don't fit into any genre (like Saki is genreless) Where to submit these?

I haven't yet found a tool or a website list that narrows Lit Fic magazines down like this.

Please don't tell me to read the work literary magazines publish - I do! And sometimes this just leaves me more confused.

Anyone else having this trouble? Any advice to help? I'd like to get a couple of pieces published this year (or decade)! Thanks :)
 

Denevius

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My answer is honest, but will sound extremely (understatement) cynical.

1) Many magazines/publications of any genre are opened for the sole reason that the editor(s) are looking for a way to gain exposure for their own writing.

2) The reason why the guidelines don’t seem to match the actual published material is that the guidelines are simply copied and pasted from other submission guidelines. They’re vague because the people behind the scenes don’t really understand fiction craft theory. Try having a conversation about the aesthetics of writing with many editors of magazines and you’ll see why I say this. Original thoughts aren’t overflowing.

3) Small publishers have a lifespan of about five years. Most of what they publish don’t sell because what they publish, readers are not interested in reading. And readers definitely aren’t interested in paying for it with their hard earned money. Not enough editors respect the fact that though consumers may waste money, they still are buying only a tiny, miscrscoptic fraction of what is available to them to buy.

4) When you search the internet for something that seems common but you simply can’t find information on it, keep in mind that you can probably find the blueprints for an atomic bomb online. The reason why this other stuff isn’t there is because it probably doesn’t exist. This is why you can spend years searching for good methods for different publishing issues that arises and can never find a decent source.

My suggestion to you is to write, submit, and repeat. Don’t stop writing, don’t stop submitting, and always, repeat. If you do this over an extended period of time (years), you’ll learn to navigate the nebulous channels of successful publishing.
 

rchapman1

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I'm having the same trouble. In fairness, I guess they receive a lot of submissions. Obviously they don't rate my writing as highly as I do! I'm often amazed at the stories which appear in print - I guess my expectations are different. Maybe one day we'll be lucky.
 

zclesa

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Thanks for your responses.

Denevius, I don't think you're being entirely cynical. On your first point, it is "interesting" that I have noticed that many pieces published in certain lit mags are by authors who are editors of other lit mags. Nice, small world to be in.

Another interesting point is that a lot of magazines are tied to universities with MFA programs. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, I wonder if the "emerging writers" they favour come out of MFA programs (theirs or others), because much of the writing has a "sameness". I'm not saying it's bad work, but perhaps to be published there, an MFA sensibility (or even qualification) is required.

Perhaps our best bets are to stick with the more established, long-running journals, look at their reviews by others, and read the bios of the editors of the editors a little more carefully. They don't have to be the "big guns". 'Gargoyle' is comparatively small, for example, but has been running for decades to a lot of acclaim.

Maybe it is best to also see what else comprises a quality magazine - Are they paying markets? Do they produce anthologies? Do they nominate for prizes? Have they won prizes? I am compiling a spreadsheet of lit mags - and perhaps I should have a section which considers all these things.

And then, after reading some of their work, earmark your own pieces with where they might possibly fit -- and submit to them all.

Rchapman, don't be too discouraged. I, too, sometimes read things and can't imagine how they got published. And the same magazines have rejected my work.

But I have had a short story published and had a very encouraging personal letter back from another editor about an as-yet unpublished story, who said my piece was held back for a second reading. These were both respected independent long-running journals which are clearer on their guidelines. Perhaps it would help you to make a spreadsheet, like I am, doing what I suggested above. Best of luck! (Some of it is clearly luck).
 

Elle.

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One thing as well is like magazine editors like agents or even book editors a lot of time don't know exactly what they want until they see it. Some journals have a very defined idea of what they want others have more fluid taste. A lot of journals ask for blind submissions so they have no idea who submit. Also I think as a writer, we need to remember that journals received hundreds of submission for sometimes only a couple of open spots so inevitably there will be a lot rejections and a lot of disappointed people.

Journal submissions is a number's game as well, something you need to submit quite a lot before you get an acceptance. Personally my main issue with journals is not the rejection it's those who take 6+ months to get back to you.
 

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Personally my main issue with journals is not the rejection it's those who take 6+ months to get back to you.

While requiring you not to submit elsewhere at the same time. :tongue
 

zclesa

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That's a good point, Elle. One or two editors are kind enough to point out in their guidelines that "they don't know exactly what they want until they see it".

I've only ever come across one journal that does blind submissions only. Can you name a few, please, if any come to mind?

I hear you -- and you, Introversion -- on the response time and barring simultaneous submissions. I don't think most writers actually abide by the simultaneous submissions rule, or at least only do if they really WANT their story to be published in a particular BIG magazine which has this policy.

A way to get around it and not feel like you're wasting your time or spinning your wheels, is to rotate your submissions. As soon as you have a rejection from MAg 1., send the story out to Mag. 2 (meanwhile finishing your next short and submitting that to Mag 1.). It's good to have a handful of stories (and a spreadsheet!) that you can keep sending out until one each finds a home (or gets revised/binned if no-one will bite).
 

Elle.

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Sorry I can't remember which one at the top of my head read blind but I know I've come across them before because I remember having to remove my name from the document.

I can only talk for literary and contemporary fiction but I only know of 2 publication that ask for exclusive submission and that's Bare Fiction and Prairie Schooner, every other publication I know of are all ok with simultaneous submissions they just ask for writers to withdraw as soon as it's been accepted elsewhere.

I normally submit in batches.
 

veinglory

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They also often advise that you read an issue of the magazine to get a feel for what they want. They may have a digital copy online, or you can find some at the library.
 

zclesa

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Submitting in batches is also a good idea, Elle. The trouble with that is different reading windows, some magazines having themed periods. You must be very organised :)

Ah, Veinglory. I have, and do, read lit mags. But often, I'm none the wiser as to whether my work will fit or not! Sometimes it's very obvious what will NOT fit, but much less obvious what might. (And sometimes it's the opposite too!)
 

Denevius

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In my experience, I would say about 20% of presses and publications ask for ‘No simultaneous submissions’. I think it’s safe to ignore this rule if you’re simply trying to maximize the number of acceptances you get. However, at a certain point, it may not be overly wise to submit stories to these markets only to have to withdraw them.

Increasingly, I’ve taken to not bothering submitting to markets with that guideline because I, too, have had too many cases where I’m waiting for a response that takes way too long and that ultimately is a rejection. Sorry, but I’ve been in the working world for two decades and I can’t put the people behind publishers on a high pedestal just because. There’s no reasonable reason why it should take some of these editors as long as they do to respond. There’s excuses, but no reasonable reason. At the same time, I’m plugged in enough to the publishing world that there’s no point in creating tension between myself and an editor who feels that you should wait until they respond to submit the story elsewhere. There’s too many other markets to choose from, and honestly, publishing success has as much to do with your hustle as it does with where you publish. In this age of the World Wide Web, probably more.
 

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Anecdotally, I’ve heard that editors at no-simultaneous-submissions markets have long memories for authors who they find violating that rule? As Denevius says, it may not be wise to flout it.

Also, exclusive subs may be more common in some genre markets than others? In SF/F, I’ve submitted to maybe seven or eight markets, and eyed another dozen or so before deciding I wasn’t writing what they wanted, and all of them required exclusive subs.
 

Denevius

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Anecdotally, I’ve heard that editors at no-simultaneous-submissions markets have long memories for authors who they find violating that rule? As Denevius says, it may not be wise to flout it.
As you progress further along the publishing road, it’s definitely best to build bridges and attempt not to alienate people in the business.

I think, though, that if you’re closer at the start of the road, you shouldn’t worry about this. The main concern, I believe, should be as I stated earlier: write, submit, and repeat. Build a brand first, and then start worrying about diplomacy.
 

Paul Lamb

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From my experience, I can only echo what's already been stated in this thread. Write, submit, repeat.

I've tried reading lit mags to get a sense of what they want/like, but as often as not, I'm baffled by the content. It's sometimes across the board in terms of style and substance, so it doesn't give me a very clear understanding of what's suitable. Other times, I can get a better sense, but that's usually when the publication is so avant garde that their preference is unmistakable. (And when it's that way, it's not for me since my stuff is mostly conventional.)