A Reminder on the Subjectivity of the Publishing Industry

I have been submitting my writing into the publishing world and dealing with the subsequent rejection notes for many years.  Though I’ve gotten hardened to receiving the little slips that flutter into my mailbox (now more into my inbox), it’s still somewhat hurtful.  It’s hard after spending hours, days, months and even years to get a story right only to hear a “not for us, but thanks for submitting,” response.

Do a Google search and you’ll see list after list of reasons why publishers reject a writer’s work.  It’s easy to get yourself down thinking about it.  However, many times a rejection isn’t a reflection of the quality or style of your writing, but the common rejection statement “not for us,” rings true.   I was reminded of this a few months ago when I submitted a short story to the literary journal, Carve Magazine.  I discovered the journal had a feature on their website I hadn’t seen before.  It was a decline/accept list.  They invite writers whose writing had been rejected by Carve Magazine, but was accepted elsewhere to submit their published stories to be displayed on their website.   What a cool thing.  I sent them my short story “The Christmas Zephyr,” which they had rejected, but was accepted by Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, and they added it to their list.

It takes fortitude to send your writing into the world.  The inevitable rejection notes that come back can hammer a writer’s confidence.  It’s easy to forget about the subjectivity of the marketplace.  This was apparent when I studied Carve Magazine’s decline/accept list.  You can read it here.   It gave my heart a lift seeing the number of writers who were declined by Carve, but stayed persistent and eventually found a home for their work.  It’s a great reminder for all writers who struggle with rejection.

Kudos to the staff at Carve Magazine for offering this uplifting feature.