No matter that I have actually been published on the site, I will never be as cool as McSweeney's. No one can be. It's like high school. They are popular; we are nerds. Sometimes they say "hi" in the hall, but mostly not. It's okay, though; I actually don't mind admiring them from afar.Here's a sample McSweeney's email rejection, which I rather appreciate:
McSweeney's thanks you for your recent submission. We rely on submissions like yours, and a good portion of what we publish comes unsolicited, through the mail.
Unfortunately, we can't find a place for this piece in our next few issues. Nevertheless, please feel free to submit more work in the future. Our themes and tastes change.
Thanks again for your efforts and for letting us see your work.
3 comments:
In my opinion, this is a good thing. McSweeney's talent for self-regard outpaces the quality of its output. That's not to say that some of what it publishes isn't good, because it is. But any publication as prissy and vain as McSwee's should be steered clear off, on principle alone. I won't read it anymore. I have better things to do than indulge those crazy kids their masturbatory prose.
What the lobster said.
3rd the lobster.
the ratio of sucky to ok on the site is appalling. my rule is don't submit to places you can't stand.
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