Nobody loves a rejection. I’m also probably not alone in receiving them and thinking, “If this editor just didn’t like x, y, or z, why didn’t they just fix it?” Admittedly, not all writers approach editing with the same level of flexibility as me, and I’ll get into that more later, but for those of us trying to just get out there and get published, it’s hard. Let’s explore some of the factors and limitations that editors consider when they are trying to decide whether or not to accept a piece.
Word Count
This seems like a trivial reason for a rejection. Why can’t an editor just shorten a piece or provide suggestions for making it longer? In general, editors know that writers don’t love to see a bunch of red lines on their manuscripts. Also, if a piece requires substantial cuts or substantial development, that means altering it significantly. When a publication accepts a submission, generally, they want to publish something fairly close to what the author submitted.
Condition of the Submission
Manuscripts with errors throughout the first page often end up in the “no” pile because that’s often a sign to the screener or editor that the rest of the manuscript will contain a lot of errors and will require substantial editing. Editors at magazines, especially literary magazines, don’t have a lot of time to work on individual manuscripts, and because humans are imperfect, every manuscript will contain some typos—sometimes editors accidentally add the typos. The assumption is if an editor starts with a manuscript that is relatively clean the final product will be mostly error-free.
When it comes to concerns about the story and character development, most editors are not going to spend a lot of time on that with short pieces because that means fundamentally changing the story.
Style
Every publication has its own style and feel. Sometimes, a screener or editor might love a story, but they just can’t sell their colleagues on it. This happens frequently, and the best response is to take your work somewhere it will be celebrated.
How do you know why your work was rejected?
Yeah, that’s a fun question because most of the time, nobody will tell you. A lot of publications have a boilerplate rejection and that is what goes out to everyone who receives one. Some publications offer a more encouraging rejection and others will provide feedback if a piece was close, but not quite ready.
The best ways to improve your submissions are to read publications you would like to be in and to take advantage of any opportunities available to you through RMFW, Lighthouse, the local libraries, and other organizations. Workshops with editors give you a window into how they review manuscripts and what they look for. In general, anyone who reviews manuscripts, whether it’s a slush reader, an agent, or an acquiring editor wants to find something good. That’s part of the reason writers, editors, and agents conduct workshops like that.
To Sum Up
Take advantage of opportunities to workshop your stories with professionals. Always spellcheck and proofread your work. Review the guidelines for the publication you are submitting to. Keep submitting, and keep writing.
Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash