February 9th, 2010 / 10:27 pm
Web Hype
Catherine Lacey
Web Hype
Does anyone have the balls to do this?
Socrates Adams-Florou and Crispin Best just started a new online magazine. It is called Rejection Digest.
If you have written something that someone has rejected, we want to read it. Send it to thisstoryhasbeenrejected@rocketmail.com as soon as you can. In order to qualify for submission, we also require a copy of a rejection e-mail of some sort. There is a special rule. If you can provide us FIVE rejection e-mails, we GUARANTEE publication. If you have less than five, we do not guarantee publication.
Dare you.
Tags: rejection, rejections
Will this look good on my CV?
I don’t have a CV.
Will this look good on my CV?
I don’t have a CV.
A magazine full of writing that has been rejected 5+ times? The problem is the assumption. rejected=edgy? Rejection might=suck. I just hope no teenage poets read HTML. I suppose they do not.
Get ready for some awesome zombie stories.
Then again, I have this one poem about dachshunds…
A magazine full of writing that has been rejected 5+ times? The problem is the assumption. rejected=edgy? Rejection might=suck. I just hope no teenage poets read HTML. I suppose they do not.
Get ready for some awesome zombie stories.
Then again, I have this one poem about dachshunds…
lol @ rocketmail
lol @ rocketmail
if you submit a poem 4 times to this journal and it gets rejected, what happens if you submit it a fifth time
if you submit a poem 4 times to this journal and it gets rejected, what happens if you submit it a fifth time
Done had, http://www.rejectedq.com/
Done had, http://www.rejectedq.com/
I don’t know, Sean. I think they know what they’re getting into. Here, from their guidelines:
“It is very unlikely that we will publish extremely offensive material. It is very likely that we will publish good material. It is likely that we will publish very bad material. “
I don’t know, Sean. I think they know what they’re getting into. Here, from their guidelines:
“It is very unlikely that we will publish extremely offensive material. It is very likely that we will publish good material. It is likely that we will publish very bad material. “
“I just hope no teenage poets read HTML.”
you must be talking about the code, right?
i thought only teenage poets read HTML Giant.
“I just hope no teenage poets read HTML.”
you must be talking about the code, right?
i thought only teenage poets read HTML Giant.
Good point, Christian.
Wow, A.
Carbon.
Good point, Christian.
Wow, A.
Carbon.
Isn’t this how McSweeney’s originally started?
Isn’t this how McSweeney’s originally started?
Maybe not re: McSweeney’s, but I am fond of Redheaded Stepchild, which does do this …
Maybe not re: McSweeney’s, but I am fond of Redheaded Stepchild, which does do this …
right. i thought this sounded familiar.
not that im against it. though i just now went to see if i have anything i think is worth something thats been rejected five times and i realized that just about every piece that gets rejected always gets massively revised afterword because i never sim sub anymore, so i dont think it would be fair even to say that any consistent piece of writing i have has been rejected more than once.
sorta. but you didn’t need to be rejected by 5. there’s something scary about that.
right. i thought this sounded familiar.
not that im against it. though i just now went to see if i have anything i think is worth something thats been rejected five times and i realized that just about every piece that gets rejected always gets massively revised afterword because i never sim sub anymore, so i dont think it would be fair even to say that any consistent piece of writing i have has been rejected more than once.
sorta. but you didn’t need to be rejected by 5. there’s something scary about that.
or teenagers at heart……
or teenagers at heart……
No, I don’t think McSweneey’s was started to randomly promote any work that has been rejected regardless of quality.
No, I don’t think McSweneey’s was started to randomly promote any work that has been rejected regardless of quality.
holy mackerel
but did those guys have a rocketmail account?
i think not
holy mackerel
but did those guys have a rocketmail account?
i think not
“Rejection Digest: For when you need your rejection more regularly”
or
“Rejection Digest: Not even first in the field of rejection”
“Rejection Digest: For when you need your rejection more regularly”
or
“Rejection Digest: Not even first in the field of rejection”
And there was also Ugly Cousin, which did something of the same. (Although they seem to be on hiatus).
And there was also Ugly Cousin, which did something of the same. (Although they seem to be on hiatus).
Rejection Digest: For Rejects Only. (I’m a reject!)
Rejection Digest: For Rejects Only. (I’m a reject!)
Hi – just to make it clear, in order to qualify for submission to Rejection Digest the piece does not have to have been rejected five times. Just one rejection slip will do. If you have five however it means that you will be GUARANTEED publication.
We had a hunch that this was not an original idea. The main thing is that we are concentrating not so much on the quality of the writing, but more on the idea of rejection and why it is that so much of what we write gets rejected.
We want interesting writing. The more interesting the better. It does not have to be good.
All the best,
Socrates
Obviously, some of the writing will be very good.
Hi – just to make it clear, in order to qualify for submission to Rejection Digest the piece does not have to have been rejected five times. Just one rejection slip will do. If you have five however it means that you will be GUARANTEED publication.
We had a hunch that this was not an original idea. The main thing is that we are concentrating not so much on the quality of the writing, but more on the idea of rejection and why it is that so much of what we write gets rejected.
We want interesting writing. The more interesting the better. It does not have to be good.
All the best,
Socrates
Obviously, some of the writing will be very good.
This isn’t quite what we are doing.
This isn’t quite what we are doing.
I wonder, if it will get the size of “For Godot”…
I wonder, if it will get the size of “For Godot”…
Do you accept also rejections in foreign language? Or only English rejections?
Do you accept also rejections in foreign language? Or only English rejections?
I think we will have to stick with English for the time being. I mean, I am learning Japanese but I only know four words so far.
I think we will have to stick with English for the time being. I mean, I am learning Japanese but I only know four words so far.
sounds like a good idea but i only get rejected by girls
sounds like a good idea but i only get rejected by girls
i think you know, mark
we don’t use caps lightly
i think you know, mark
we don’t use caps lightly
I’m surprised at people getting hung up on originality. Nothing is truly original any more, after all. Indeed, this comment has more or less been written on HTMLGIANT at least twenty-seven times in the months I’ve been reading the site.
I’m surprised at people getting hung up on originality. Nothing is truly original any more, after all. Indeed, this comment has more or less been written on HTMLGIANT at least twenty-seven times in the months I’ve been reading the site.
Yeah — there are stories about Mr. Dave working at Esquire and being unhappy about how everything he thought was great fiction was being rejected… so thought to have a quarterly that just published what the mainstream glossies weren’t going to publish. Surely only partially the starting point — but lent itself to the kind of longform work that was in the early issues (and then would become everything to the Believer, etc.).
But that doesn’t mean the whole field was plowed, that’s for sure. Find good wherever good is to be found, etc. etc.
Yeah — there are stories about Mr. Dave working at Esquire and being unhappy about how everything he thought was great fiction was being rejected… so thought to have a quarterly that just published what the mainstream glossies weren’t going to publish. Surely only partially the starting point — but lent itself to the kind of longform work that was in the early issues (and then would become everything to the Believer, etc.).
But that doesn’t mean the whole field was plowed, that’s for sure. Find good wherever good is to be found, etc. etc.
Oh OK, Japanese is also good, because I’m also writing metalingual textes involving Japanese.
Anyway, thank you.
Oh OK, Japanese is also good, because I’m also writing metalingual textes involving Japanese.
Anyway, thank you.
Well, who needs substance anymore when gimmicks are enough to impress?
Well, who needs substance anymore when gimmicks are enough to impress?
Yea, sort of — Not rejected stories, but stories that were accepted but “killed” by mags like Esquire. One of Arthur Bradford’s early stories was definitely slated for publication but got pulled, then published in McSwys.
Yea, sort of — Not rejected stories, but stories that were accepted but “killed” by mags like Esquire. One of Arthur Bradford’s early stories was definitely slated for publication but got pulled, then published in McSwys.
I like the idea that “interesting” would be the criterion rather than “good” or “bad.” I like that in some situations perhaps I would not know whether a piece was selected because an editor thought it was really good or egregiously awful. Sort of like that restaurant where you eat in pitch darkness, and it (purportedly) utterly alters the experience of eating.
I like the idea that “interesting” would be the criterion rather than “good” or “bad.” I like that in some situations perhaps I would not know whether a piece was selected because an editor thought it was really good or egregiously awful. Sort of like that restaurant where you eat in pitch darkness, and it (purportedly) utterly alters the experience of eating.
color me impressed with the paint skills
color me impressed with the paint skills
Hey socrates, sorry, I wasn’t trying to misrepresent you. I guess I’m reading the mission statement wrong, because I thought it said any work that had been rejected five times would automatically be published and the journal was admitting “It is very likely that we will publish good material. It is likely that we will publish very bad material.“
Either way, McSweeney’s had no special rejection mission. They started in part to publish styles of writing they didn’t think were properly represented in big magazines, but that’s how a ton of magazines start, no?
Hey socrates, sorry, I wasn’t trying to misrepresent you. I guess I’m reading the mission statement wrong, because I thought it said any work that had been rejected five times would automatically be published and the journal was admitting “It is very likely that we will publish good material. It is likely that we will publish very bad material.“
Either way, McSweeney’s had no special rejection mission. They started in part to publish styles of writing they didn’t think were properly represented in big magazines, but that’s how a ton of magazines start, no?
ah, just saw your post below
ah, just saw your post below
I think this really nicely sums up what we are trying to achieve. Thanks Tim.
I think this really nicely sums up what we are trying to achieve. Thanks Tim.
Am I misusing the term ‘CV’?
Am I misusing the term ‘CV’?
Will someone from this journal GUARANTEE they will go out on a date with me if I can provide five women who have rejected my advances?
Will someone from this journal GUARANTEE they will go out on a date with me if I can provide five women who have rejected my advances?
No one.
No one.
Yes. But we only except women in pdf format.
Yes. But we only except women in pdf format.
or Ken Baumann
or Ken Baumann
Hi, Paul.
Hi, Paul.
I’ve got art that’s been rejected (by literary websites, no less) if you’re looking to upgrade that brilliantly mspainted portrait. Unfortunately, the art has no direct illustrative relevance to the theme of your site…
I’ve got art that’s been rejected (by literary websites, no less) if you’re looking to upgrade that brilliantly mspainted portrait. Unfortunately, the art has no direct illustrative relevance to the theme of your site…
As my Dear Old Dad would say, “If ya can’t dazzle ’em with brilliance, baffle ’em with bullsh!t”
Smart man, that one.
As my Dear Old Dad would say, “If ya can’t dazzle ’em with brilliance, baffle ’em with bullsh!t”
Smart man, that one.