Being published may not be the number one reason most writers write, but it’s way up there for me.
Of course, putting your writing out there for contest judging or publication might bring rejection. I’ve been reminded of some of my experiences along this line.
One of the first, and fortunately one of the nicest rejections I ever received was from a check-out-stand slick that paid a reported $1500 for short fiction. Weave a gripping story and tell it in 1200 words. I submitted a few times but never made it. However, each rejection slip from them had a personal note of critique and encouragement.
One of the worst and rudest rejections is always nothing. Not a Xeroxed form, not an email, not a word. This treatment of aspiring writers may come from the big magazines with thousands of submissions in their slush pile. They are often guilty of ignoring unsolicited submissions. But small regional publications are notorious for this behavior, even while they ask for stories and articles. We allow them to print our writing for free. The least they could do is be polite.
Of course, the most thrilling acceptance is one that includes a check and a contract! I’ve had a few and it’s a real rush.
The worst acceptance I ever experienced was nothing. That’s right, I was not informed that my story had been chosen for publication – until a friend who subscribed to that regional mag mentioned seeing my article. I knew up front that the publisher paid only in copies, so I emailed him and asked for a copy of the issue that contained my story. Nothing. That publisher never paid me. My clip book contains the torn out pages from a friend’s copy.
The strangest acceptance was from a national magazine that focused on “reminiscences” (wink, wink). I sent them a story and a 1950’s era picture of my dad and brothers installing a TV antenna on the roof of our house. About a year later, I received a letter of apology saying they would like to use my story. Would I either send the original picture or re-scan it to a higher resolution? I wrote back to say I would be happy for them to use the story but in the meantime it had been published – on my blog. They still wanted it.
Long story short: The picture and article did appear almost two years after the original submission.
The highs of acceptance and the lows of rejection are part of a freelance writer’s life. The secret is to keep it all in perspective.
- A Little Perspective - July 22, 2024
- Downsized: A Poem - February 5, 2024
- Writers Should Read - July 3, 2023
It can be so discouraging to hear nothing. But it’s worth it to step out of our comfort zones and try. Thanks, Dot!