August 31st, 2009 / 2:38 pm
Behind the Scenes
Matthew Simmons
Behind the Scenes
Hey, I got a rejection a couple of days ago!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWStaRmuXzY
I kind of like rejections, now. I have gotten so many they no longer really cut my heart out like they did at the beginning. But, you know.
How do you feel about rejection?
Yes! Swans!!!!
Yes! Swans!!!!
Hurts so gooooooooood.
I find rejections helpful in the deflation of my ego which expands incrementally between rejections.
I find rejections helpful in the deflation of my ego which expands incrementally between rejections.
it’s not a full week unless i’ve been rejected. a rejection means i can send it right back out again. keep the beast lurching.
it’s not a full week unless i’ve been rejected. a rejection means i can send it right back out again. keep the beast lurching.
I prefer it over non-response–referring here to the blessed Keyhole.
i dig this song. who is it?
I prefer it over non-response–referring here to the blessed Keyhole.
i dig this song. who is it?
It’s always a nice opportunity to wallow in feeling all misunderstood. You know…shake my fists at the ceiling, shout, “Fools!” You take your entertainment where you can get it.
It’s always a nice opportunity to wallow in feeling all misunderstood. You know…shake my fists at the ceiling, shout, “Fools!” You take your entertainment where you can get it.
Swans!
Swans!
album: White Light From the Mouth of Infinity
album: White Light From the Mouth of Infinity
i am listening to swans right now. i am usually listening to swans.
i am listening to swans right now. i am usually listening to swans.
It was on this week’s episode of Over the Edge.
It was on this week’s episode of Over the Edge.
unless it’s one of the one’s that attempts to make me feel as though they were “just about” to publish my shit, even though it’s clearly a form letter, I feel pretty good about rejections.
unless it’s one of the one’s that attempts to make me feel as though they were “just about” to publish my shit, even though it’s clearly a form letter, I feel pretty good about rejections.
So, here’s a bit of a redirect: who has the most annoying rejection form letter?
So, here’s a bit of a redirect: who has the most annoying rejection form letter?
i actually got one that said: “cool stuff. but no thanks.” and i got another one that said: “you made our editor laugh. but we’re going to pass.” both of those rankled. i’d rather just get a no. or if i made your editor laugh, at least tell me if it was WITH me or AT me.
i actually got one that said: “cool stuff. but no thanks.” and i got another one that said: “you made our editor laugh. but we’re going to pass.” both of those rankled. i’d rather just get a no. or if i made your editor laugh, at least tell me if it was WITH me or AT me.
Some guy in Grand Central once said to me, “You love the Meat Puppets, you gotta love Swans.” To this day I have no idea what he meant. But, you know, he was right.
Some guy in Grand Central once said to me, “You love the Meat Puppets, you gotta love Swans.” To this day I have no idea what he meant. But, you know, he was right.
My first rejection out of college when I was writing poetry: “Kevin, we love these poems and would like to publish them in our journal! One thing, Kevin: Are you a woman? We only publish poems by women.” Apparently, the journal was published by a feminist coop. I’m not a woman. The poems weren’t published.
My first rejection out of college when I was writing poetry: “Kevin, we love these poems and would like to publish them in our journal! One thing, Kevin: Are you a woman? We only publish poems by women.” Apparently, the journal was published by a feminist coop. I’m not a woman. The poems weren’t published.
The word “pass” (as opposed to decline, “we will not be using,” “not a good fit, etc.) makes me twitchy, but I think it’s totally my own issue. It’s completely irrational.
The word “pass” (as opposed to decline, “we will not be using,” “not a good fit, etc.) makes me twitchy, but I think it’s totally my own issue. It’s completely irrational.
Oh, I think, rejection is just a reason to work and to create.
Oh, I think, rejection is just a reason to work and to create.
I’m a reject.
I’m a reject.
I HATE when magazines reference their insanely low acceptance rate in rejection letters. I cannot even think about this matter in a rational manner. It is pretentious and annoying. Nobody cares that you accept less than 2% of your submissions. Or at least, I do not. I’ll take my “no” and move on, thank you very much. I mean really… is that supposed to make me feel better? That I’m part of the loser 98%? Argh.
I HATE when magazines reference their insanely low acceptance rate in rejection letters. I cannot even think about this matter in a rational manner. It is pretentious and annoying. Nobody cares that you accept less than 2% of your submissions. Or at least, I do not. I’ll take my “no” and move on, thank you very much. I mean really… is that supposed to make me feel better? That I’m part of the loser 98%? Argh.
Agreed. We used to include that, and then nuked it, exactly for that reason.
At this point, I like rejections. Means I’m actually writing.
Agreed. We used to include that, and then nuked it, exactly for that reason.
At this point, I like rejections. Means I’m actually writing.
i like rejections… they’re vulnerable. easy to get into bed.
i like rejections… they’re vulnerable. easy to get into bed.
i like Rauan
i like Rauan
You two are cute together. I’m glad you finally met.
You two are cute together. I’m glad you finally met.
All right, I’ll call one out by name. I have no problem with the journal itself, but I remember finding the tone of the old Zyzzyva rejection letter sort of condescending. Too encouraging or something. Too charming. But, then, it’s a rejection letter—I was bound to find it antagonizing to begin with.
And, hell, it’s likely completely psychologically suspect. They published some work by my older brother. I’m sure it was just a function of my semi-conscious war with him for my parent’s love.
Speaking of, did any of you happen to catch his work in Bright Stupid Confetti? (I beat my brother by a few months getting on there, so I am magnanimous.)
All right, I’ll call one out by name. I have no problem with the journal itself, but I remember finding the tone of the old Zyzzyva rejection letter sort of condescending. Too encouraging or something. Too charming. But, then, it’s a rejection letter—I was bound to find it antagonizing to begin with.
And, hell, it’s likely completely psychologically suspect. They published some work by my older brother. I’m sure it was just a function of my semi-conscious war with him for my parent’s love.
Speaking of, did any of you happen to catch his work in Bright Stupid Confetti? (I beat my brother by a few months getting on there, so I am magnanimous.)
I got an acceptance letter that said something like, “We’ve read this a lot of times and we almost didn’t take it but at the last minute decided it was just good enough. So we’re taking it.”
Somehow that was worse than any rejection letter.
I got an acceptance letter that said something like, “We’ve read this a lot of times and we almost didn’t take it but at the last minute decided it was just good enough. So we’re taking it.”
Somehow that was worse than any rejection letter.
I really don’t mind rejection. It just seems like a fact of life to me. There’s no way everything I send out could magically fit in the places I send it to. I always expect rejection and am pleasantly surprised by acceptance, which sounds really negative when I put it that way, but I don’t think I’m terrible, I just think I’m a realist about the odds even if you’re doing pretty good stuff.
I have one story I really like that keeps getting rejected, and those are starting to be frustrating, just because I sort of feel like that story has something ugly stuck between its teeth and no one is telling me.
I really don’t mind rejection. It just seems like a fact of life to me. There’s no way everything I send out could magically fit in the places I send it to. I always expect rejection and am pleasantly surprised by acceptance, which sounds really negative when I put it that way, but I don’t think I’m terrible, I just think I’m a realist about the odds even if you’re doing pretty good stuff.
I have one story I really like that keeps getting rejected, and those are starting to be frustrating, just because I sort of feel like that story has something ugly stuck between its teeth and no one is telling me.
THAT IS HORRIFYING.
THAT IS HORRIFYING.
I love being rejected.
Acceptance makes me feel icky.
hell, I even wrote a story designed to be rejected by a ‘zine that claims not to reject anything. I felt so cool when it was rejected.
I love being rejected.
Acceptance makes me feel icky.
hell, I even wrote a story designed to be rejected by a ‘zine that claims not to reject anything. I felt so cool when it was rejected.
Broccoli isn’t necessarily ugly. It just wasn’t the tooth-adorning vegetable for us. Best of luck placing it in another mouth.
Broccoli isn’t necessarily ugly. It just wasn’t the tooth-adorning vegetable for us. Best of luck placing it in another mouth.
On the topic of rejections, I’m curious to know:
What is the greatest number of times that you’ve had a particular piece rejected before it was finally accepted somewhere?
On the topic of rejections, I’m curious to know:
What is the greatest number of times that you’ve had a particular piece rejected before it was finally accepted somewhere?
Rejection takes many forms, and I have different feelings about each. One kind of rejection I find particularly grating is the post-solicitation rejection. An editor writes you out of the blue, says they like your work, and encourages you to send something in. Great, right? Well, but then the editor either already has you pigeon-holed, and so they balk when you (gasp) grow as a writer and send in something unlike what they expect from you, or isn’t actually in the position to make the call on your work, so it just gets treated like any other submission, and gets rejected by some volunteer reader who didn’t share the soliciting editor’s taste to begin with.
Solicitation is great, I say, but I think it should be more like haggling is in many Middle Eastern societies: if you begin to haggle, you’ve entered a tacit agreement that the item in question WILL be purchased, and only the cost is in question. Otherwise you’re just wasting everyone’s time.
Rejection takes many forms, and I have different feelings about each. One kind of rejection I find particularly grating is the post-solicitation rejection. An editor writes you out of the blue, says they like your work, and encourages you to send something in. Great, right? Well, but then the editor either already has you pigeon-holed, and so they balk when you (gasp) grow as a writer and send in something unlike what they expect from you, or isn’t actually in the position to make the call on your work, so it just gets treated like any other submission, and gets rejected by some volunteer reader who didn’t share the soliciting editor’s taste to begin with.
Solicitation is great, I say, but I think it should be more like haggling is in many Middle Eastern societies: if you begin to haggle, you’ve entered a tacit agreement that the item in question WILL be purchased, and only the cost is in question. Otherwise you’re just wasting everyone’s time.
Not certain of the exact number, but one story was rejected by more than thirty publications, then got almost simultaneous acceptances from two different ‘zines. I had to withdraw from the one that said yes second (even though it was less than an hour after the first one accepted it)
Not certain of the exact number, but one story was rejected by more than thirty publications, then got almost simultaneous acceptances from two different ‘zines. I had to withdraw from the one that said yes second (even though it was less than an hour after the first one accepted it)
such a great story. thanks so much for sharing it. an excellent example of the importance of tenacity and not giving up on work that you believe in.
such a great story. thanks so much for sharing it. an excellent example of the importance of tenacity and not giving up on work that you believe in.
Nate, I just had something similar happen a few months ago. Got rejected by about 15 places and then accepted twice, within minutes of each other, while I was mowing the lawn.
Nate, I just had something similar happen a few months ago. Got rejected by about 15 places and then accepted twice, within minutes of each other, while I was mowing the lawn.
It had gotten to the point that I was about to give up. It was out to two places, and I had planned to pull it from circulation once they rejected it. Then they both wanted it. It felt weird.
It had gotten to the point that I was about to give up. It was out to two places, and I had planned to pull it from circulation once they rejected it. Then they both wanted it. It felt weird.
we’re married… like Anita Berber and Sebastian Droste
we’re married… like Anita Berber and Sebastian Droste
i had the strangest thing happen the other day. i sent a thing out. it was later rejected. the guy said he wasnt really feeling it, gave me 15 reasons why…
then for some odd reason, he emails me back later that night and said he changed his mind, he rethought about it, and he’d like to accept it…
odd?
i had the strangest thing happen the other day. i sent a thing out. it was later rejected. the guy said he wasnt really feeling it, gave me 15 reasons why…
then for some odd reason, he emails me back later that night and said he changed his mind, he rethought about it, and he’d like to accept it…
odd?
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