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Friday, May 2, 2008

WTF? Rejection


I sent a bunch of submissions out a few months ago, so the rejections are rolling in. Here's a rejection I received recently from Memoir (and), which is quite cryptic:

Dear [entire rejected writer's name]:

Your submission "[entire long title of essay]" has been withdrawn from consideration by Memoir (and).

Sincerely,
Editors
Memoir (and)

At first, I thought they caught me doing something wrong (like submitting elsewhere at the same time), and so were withdrawing my piece as a punishment, but in fact I think this is just how they are informing me that they didn't like my essay well enough to publish. What do you think?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, with the full name used it's something more than a form. It's a weird, weird note.

I'm still so peeved by what that VQR link showed. These editors treat us writers like dirt. Less than dirt.

Anonymous said...

They know your real identity, w,r. You've left enough clues! Your goose is cooked. As a writer, at least.
Some people have asked this question, in various ways: after all these millions of words posted at LROD, where are we? Right where we were (and always will be)? What do you see as happening as result of this blog? Constructive, I mean. If nothing happens, this all becomes meaningless.

Writer, Rejected said...

I know. It will probably just result in paranoia. But seriously I don't know. I'm thinking about which direction to go in. There's a lot of push for forming a group, making a protest, starting a literary magazine, or something. Don't know. But will keep you posted.

Anonymous said...

Au contraire: the problem is they don't know you. They know Maud, and check it out: she only had to wait a month, and won a prize! You should go public, but first write a marketing plan.

Anonymous said...

The ULA was a group that made a protest. They raised a ruckus, accomplished nothing, and descended into paranoia. (Well, King was probably there already.)
And isn't LROD already a group protesting?
As for a magazine -- I wonder what pitfalls would be waiting if you did start one. I think that you'd have to set ground rules that would make you different. What those rules are I don't know.
Though I do think a magazine that had more (much more) appeal than the academic journals would make people take notice.
But is great writing that will appeal to a wide spectrum out there? Will you get your hands on it? (That you got only four stories in your Rejected Stories project doesn't bode well -- why weren't more submitted? And why did many think that you should drop that idea?)
Who is the editor that can recognize the type of writing that will make a difference? Writing that is accessible, has an appeal beyond academia, and is of top quality.
And is that "wide spectrum" of readers mythical, like unicorns?
I'm glad you're thinking. We all should: think constructive.

Writer, Rejected said...

PUC: Did you also see that Maud won 2nd Prize in the Story Quarterly Love Story Contest? She seems so surprised. Hmmm. I think I may have to post something about that!

Anonymous said...

Yes. Seems awfully transparent. That whole post seemed oblivious to how others might view it. Fees, too.