Best way to succeed with literary submissions is: keep a daily writer diary. Track where your acceptances have landed, which "rejection notes" also included encouragement & personal notes. Also pay attention to which journals ask you to wait one year (or even two) before you submit there again.
And, as Robert Villanueva emphasized, read the guidelines.
Actually, I prefer you do NOT follow directions; your mistakes improve my acceptances. (big smile)
I just read the embedded link to the William Shunn article on formatting. It's great, and I'd recommend it for anyone new to this "business."
I was wondering about the use of pen names and the appropriate way to convey that information to the editor? I am asking because I have been submitting stories under just my pen name and figured the legal name stuff would arise when I get an acceptance, but maybe that approach is going to irritate the editor?
Shunn recommends placing one's legal name and contact info at the top of page 1 like an inside address in a letter and then the byline/pen name under the work title. Is that what you prefer and commonly see? And for publications reading blind, what is a good way to convey the legal and pen name info?
Very perplexing, but as others have already said, it just makes my odds a little better, so thanks to all of you non-conformists out there, keep up the good work!
Robert, I was wondering, about what proportion of submissions do you see being rejected for not following guideline? 10%, 50 %, etc.?
Good advice. Another thing to consider is to look at a sample of the magazine you are submitting to. Make sure your submission matches the type of material the magazine publishes. Don't, for example, send religious stuff to a horror punk magazine or punk material. to American Conservative Review..
Several years ago, I advertised for a roommate on Craigslist. I wrote a long ad with details about what I was offering and what I expected, and the last line said that I would only consider people who put "unicorn" in the subject line of their responses. I would estimate at least 95% of the people who answered didn't do that. I figured I didn't want someone who couldn't be bothered to read the whole ad living in my house.
And the company I work for eliminated many, many job applicants who did not write a cover letter, as the ad clearly stated was required.
The biggest shock I had teaching college English was the number of students who didn't bother to read the whole assignment.
As a compulsive direction follower, it shocks me how many people shoot themselves in the foot by not bothering to follow instructions.
These are the obvious, first-tier reasons why a manuscript gets rejected. They’re the best way to help editors eliminate a bunch of manuscripts from the slush pile. There are second- and third-tier reasons for rejection that are much more subtle, and often politically driven, and I suspect that’s where most of us live and die.
I saw much the same thing when I read grant applications. Very, very smart people (e.g. Ivy League professors) failed to answer the questions they were asked to address in their application essays. As with literary magazine guidelines, the questions were there for a purpose, and most of the non-answerers got disqualified.
Could not agree more. Well said! What confounds me (when I was a nonfic editor and now that I guest read/edit) is that writers don’t innately adhere to this…
It’s not always writer’s! Here is an editor’s rejection to a contributor who has done informative and knowledgeable writing and reviews as a contributing writer for over 2 decades for a magazine. Does this mean that being black, or trans, or indigenous gives you an advantage rather the knowledge and skills you may have as a writer?
You tell
Me what a writer does with this!
There were a few requests for the Billie Holiday book, and since I had a chance to assign it to an African-American writer, I decided that would be the way to go. Many regrets. There will be others…
Best way to succeed with literary submissions is: keep a daily writer diary. Track where your acceptances have landed, which "rejection notes" also included encouragement & personal notes. Also pay attention to which journals ask you to wait one year (or even two) before you submit there again.
And, as Robert Villanueva emphasized, read the guidelines.
Actually, I prefer you do NOT follow directions; your mistakes improve my acceptances. (big smile)
This article brings to mind students who refuse to follow assignment guidelines and then complain when they get a poor grade. I don't get it . . . .
I just read the embedded link to the William Shunn article on formatting. It's great, and I'd recommend it for anyone new to this "business."
I was wondering about the use of pen names and the appropriate way to convey that information to the editor? I am asking because I have been submitting stories under just my pen name and figured the legal name stuff would arise when I get an acceptance, but maybe that approach is going to irritate the editor?
Shunn recommends placing one's legal name and contact info at the top of page 1 like an inside address in a letter and then the byline/pen name under the work title. Is that what you prefer and commonly see? And for publications reading blind, what is a good way to convey the legal and pen name info?
Very perplexing, but as others have already said, it just makes my odds a little better, so thanks to all of you non-conformists out there, keep up the good work!
Robert, I was wondering, about what proportion of submissions do you see being rejected for not following guideline? 10%, 50 %, etc.?
Unicorn. Ok, I just had to do that, sorry.
Good advice. Another thing to consider is to look at a sample of the magazine you are submitting to. Make sure your submission matches the type of material the magazine publishes. Don't, for example, send religious stuff to a horror punk magazine or punk material. to American Conservative Review..
Several years ago, I advertised for a roommate on Craigslist. I wrote a long ad with details about what I was offering and what I expected, and the last line said that I would only consider people who put "unicorn" in the subject line of their responses. I would estimate at least 95% of the people who answered didn't do that. I figured I didn't want someone who couldn't be bothered to read the whole ad living in my house.
And the company I work for eliminated many, many job applicants who did not write a cover letter, as the ad clearly stated was required.
The biggest shock I had teaching college English was the number of students who didn't bother to read the whole assignment.
As a compulsive direction follower, it shocks me how many people shoot themselves in the foot by not bothering to follow instructions.
These are the obvious, first-tier reasons why a manuscript gets rejected. They’re the best way to help editors eliminate a bunch of manuscripts from the slush pile. There are second- and third-tier reasons for rejection that are much more subtle, and often politically driven, and I suspect that’s where most of us live and die.
I saw much the same thing when I read grant applications. Very, very smart people (e.g. Ivy League professors) failed to answer the questions they were asked to address in their application essays. As with literary magazine guidelines, the questions were there for a purpose, and most of the non-answerers got disqualified.
It's always good to be reminded of these things.
Could not agree more. Well said! What confounds me (when I was a nonfic editor and now that I guest read/edit) is that writers don’t innately adhere to this…
Nice U2 earworm in the title of this article. :)
"If I could, I'd make it alright, alright
Nothing's stopping you except what's inside
I can help you, but it's your fight, your fight
Get out of your own way
Get out of your own way"
(I'm HUGE HUGE fan and can pretty much rattle off a U2 song quote for every situation)
There's some great advice here, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been guilty of the mistakes made when submitting.
It’s not always writer’s! Here is an editor’s rejection to a contributor who has done informative and knowledgeable writing and reviews as a contributing writer for over 2 decades for a magazine. Does this mean that being black, or trans, or indigenous gives you an advantage rather the knowledge and skills you may have as a writer?
You tell
Me what a writer does with this!
There were a few requests for the Billie Holiday book, and since I had a chance to assign it to an African-American writer, I decided that would be the way to go. Many regrets. There will be others…