Contrary to the laughing at you The Virginia Quarterly (VQR) does behind your back, here's a sampling of their official rejection form:Dear Writer:
Thanks for your recent submission to VQR: "Title of Story." While the piece had obvious merit it just doesn't fit our needs at present. We wish we could offer a more personal response to your submission, but the number of manuscripts we receive makes this impossible. Please know, however, that we've read your work and appreciate your interest in our journal. Please do keep us in mind in the future.
Best regards,
The Editors
Seems like a pack of lies now that we know what really goes on.
Best regards,
The Editors
Seems like a pack of lies now that we know what really goes on.
5 comments:
Except! ... Except that apparently VQR dispenses tiered rejections. That is, this is one of their "encouraging" rejections; there's a less encouraging (discouraging?) one that omits the "obvious merit" and "keep us in mind" wording.
Seems to me the use of different messages shows some degree of thoughtfulness, no?
Cheers,
E.
I will also confirm this. I do not work at the VQR but I know there are, indeed, tiered levels at many different journals. The one I work at, for example, has a very similar message for pieces that are good, but not quite good enough, for various reasons (incompatible aesthetic, similarity to previous stories we've published or seen, disappointing ending, etc.)
In other words, this is a "good" rejection letter.
You can always move to Mass. and write about the gays...
Dude: Don't link to a spew of hatred here. We at LROD happen to LOVE gay people, and we do not go in for your crappy hate-mongering. Stick to the topic at hand, or I will feel justified to erase your messages, and, truly, I erase no one's messages.
You have done a marvelous job by exploring this subject with such an honesty and depth. Thanks for sharing it with us!
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