Amber Leaf

hi

ive sumbitted six pieces of work ever to various magazines. ive have two regections so far including one that i got today.

the first two were standard regections but the one today had a personal note with it saying that it was well written and had been discused internaly but nowhere could be found where it would fit in the magazine. i looked on their website and apparently 7.3% of regections were personal - the rest being standard.

it was for GUD magazines if anyone knows of it.

im not used to trying to get stuff published and i dont know wether this is a positive thing or if i shouldnt be really getting my hopes up.

has anyone any advice please?

amber.

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Jaala

If they left a personal note, odds are they liked it enough to take the time to tell you, but just couldn't find a way to work it into their content. Maybe try submitting to other magazines and seeing what happens?

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je33ie

For sure! Keep trying.

I've sent off lots of stuff that hasn't even received rejection letters so you should be happy they took the time to do that.

The other thing to do (which worked for me - twice!) is look at the kind of stories that are selected for the magazine and try to write something that will suit the audience. You probably won't like it as much as your other pieces but at least it will get your name out there!

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pgoroncy

GUD? Isn't that the one that Mike C is always advertising for?

Anyway, if they took the time to tell you it was well written then you can be sure that it is. So it is definately worth shopping around to other magazines. Make sure that you check out the submission guidelines for magazines that you submit to and make sure that the story you are submitting fits those guidelines.

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PandasAndChippo

The first step in understanding rejection is learning how to spell the word correctly.

Mike C

Uh, don't advertise for. I co-founded it. Be encouraged, Amber, I know the staff well, and the way they work. It's very, very seldom an editor will take the time to offer a personal comment so they obviously saw something they liked. It sometimes happens that a story is of publishable standard but does not fit in with the general theme of the magazine, and it would appear this might be the case now.

With rejection in general, learn to embrace it. You're a writer; writers suffer rejection. It's validation. Those 6 rejections (and there will be more) are proof that you've moved on from wannabe to is.

When I submit stories (which doesn't happen as often as it should) I expect to be rejected; it's part of the game. I have a list of stories that are on submission, and a list of target magazines. As each story gets rejected I just send it on to the next mag on the list, and so it goes on. In 2004 (the last year I had more than 5 minutes to myself) I had 11 stories published, all but one to paying markets.

Persevere and believe.

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pgoroncy

Ah, I couldn't remember exactly how you were involved with it, but I knew I'd seen a few posts around the site where you mentioned GUD.

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je33ie

Oh dear... we were all thinking it but none of us wanted to be rude...

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lisajane

It's very positive if they've left a note. They liked it so that they took the time to read it, and give their thoughts regarding it, rather than taking off their slush pile, glancing at it and going 'don't want it'. It also means that you've probably got a great chance of getting it published in a magazine that are more suited to the themes you wrote about.

Keep trying!

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Loulou

Amber, as others have already said, take it as a very positive thing to receive a personal response like that. The fact that the team discussed it is immensely encouraging, you obviously wrote something that they thought worth analysing and giving feed back for.

For me, the worst response is none. You are left forever wondering. Standard rejections I am accustomed to, having had many. The odd personal one I have taken as good. Feedback even without publication means you're doing something right. I was told once that my work was 'too cynical' but witty and well-written. That I loved! I had an email last week from a magazine apologising for their delay in responding to me but that it's a busy press week and they are getting in touch soon. This sounds quite hopeful, but we'll see.

Of course, the times you are published make all of it worthwhile. I have the first article I ever got published framed on my wall. I still get a rush when I look at it beacuse I remember that feeling of seeing my work in a newspaper. Nothing like it.

Perservere Amber, you're obviously writing some good stuff.

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daisydaisy

Like everyone has said so far, this is a very encouraging response. Editors don't often take the time to send a personal response unless it's something they've personally read and liked.

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Amber Leaf

cheers

what you all have said is what i thought but i didnt want to get too big headed about it because i might have been wrong.

with regards to the spelling -

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'Jonny's laying in his sperm coffin and the angel looks down at him and says:
"Oh, pretty boy, can't you show me nothing but surrender?' - Patti Smith

Anarchy for me - Anything for whatever anyone else wishes.

Acid culture, techno culture, underground culture, rebel culture!

Hobbes

Just keep at it. As Mike noted, keep lists of what's currently making the rounds, and where. If/when something gets dropped, tweak it and send it out again. Keep reading, keep writing, keep sending. Eventually, it all comes together.

Mike C

Best advice for the next step is to read the mags you're going to submit to. For two reasons.

1 You'll get a better idea of what they like, and whether your work is a good fit or whether you can tailor something to them, and

2 Magazines only exist if people buy them. They can only pay writers for their work if people pay for the finished article. It's a horrendously expensive enterprise to publish a quality lit mag, and you buying a copy (or even a subscription) will help them survive, and you get published.

Buy the mags - everyone wins!

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Destroyer

You can't reall expect success on the first try. It's not a bad thing if your work isn't accepted. it's just a sign that you need to work on it a little and find the right place for it.

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