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02
2014
Rejection Letter #45
Five away from fifty. At least they were quick about responding. I really, really wish I could get some constructive criticism about “Jenny of Lebanon”. I have no idea what they don’t like to make it better. Grr.
Rejection Letter #45 – The Collagist
Dear Gabrielle,
Thank you for the opportunity to read “Jenny of Lebanon.” Unfortunately, we are unable to use the fiction you submitted. We wish you the best of luck in placing it elsewhere.
Sincerely,
Gabriel Blackwell
Editor
There are online forums where people will write critiques of your work. Usually you will be asked to criticise other people’s in return. Which you should go for depends on the genre you write in. A SF/Fantasy/Horror site might not be appropriate for a literary or romance writer. As I see you’ve submitted to Clarkesword and Tor (both really tough markets to get into), I’m guessing you write the former. Try http://www.critters.org.
As for the story you’ve been trying to get into literary journals, you’ll need to do your own research. Just make sure that the system is closed, i.e. you have to join and log in before getting access to the manuscripts. Posting to open forums will mess up your copyright position.
There are things that make writing objectively better, and there are things that make it more fashionable; unfortunately, unknown editorial needs (aka luck) will make or break acceptance for writer on the cusp, which is the reason for the ubiquitous advice — keep trying.
There are two ways to keep trying: keep sending the same story to different magazines, and keep writing new stories for the magazines you know. If one method isn’t working for you, you could always try the other.
It’s been a few months since you blogged, so I hope this is still of some use.
January 2, 2015 @ 6:13 AM