Poets & flash fiction writers, what do you do when you need to withdraw a single piece out of a submission of several pieces?

Poets and flash fiction writers submit work in batches. How do you withdraw one piece from the batch?

I know, I know, there is much on our minds these days other than literary magazines. Sometimes, when I get into a frenzy about world events, it is Walter Mosley’s voice that brings me back to my desk. In This Year You Write Your Novel, Mosley advises writers to cultivate a daily practice of writing. Even when it feels like you’re jumping out of your skin to respond to social or political events.

You can save the world in an hour, Mosley advises. First, your job is to write.

And if you’re a reader of this newsletter, you know your other job is to read, support, submit to, and chat about literary magazines.

Which brings me to this weekend’s question, which has to do with submitting poetry and flash fiction, or any short works that you submit in batches. This question has come up several times in private emails from readers, and also led to a fascinating conversation recently in our monthly Submissions Q & A session.

What do you do when you need to withdraw one piece from a submission that contains several submissions at once?