A reflection on running a digital magazine
Up until now my relationship with the dreaded “rejection letter” has been one-sided. Sitting on the side of the writer it can be a gutting moment. But it can, and should, also be an empowering one. To first be a writer of fiction is vulnerable. We put a tiny piece of ourselves into everything we write. How could we not? Then we find a contest or magazine to submit our story to. And wait…
The writing was hard. The finding was hard. The submitting was nauseating. The waiting for an answer? Excruciating! But then it comes. Finally! But it’s not what I wanted. “We’re sorry, but…” “Unfortunately, your story isn’t…” There are so many ways to get the same answer. And as much as the process to get it was hard and grueling, at least there is some relief provided when the answer arrives. A fleeting one, of course. Because no sooner does it come that I’m already onto the next one!
What you’ve just read is a very poor example/instance of a writer who’s just entered the World of Rejections! I like think of it that way because they are so much easier to come by. We hear it all the time: The famous author who has stacks upon stacks of rejection letters. But it’s only ever the time when they got “that one acceptance” that changed their world and trajectory. Sometimes it only takes one.
Now, I’m not trying to say that a rejection or acceptance given from MicroZine will make or break someone’s career. But I do understand the weight a rejection can hold, even in its infancy, when it must be given out.
I never thought I would ever find myself in a position to give out rejections. As someone who has received my fair share I already see one side of that coin. And now I am firmly planted on the other side. I see it as both a blessing and a curse. One one hand, I am the proud receiver of nearly twenty submissions to this months Digital MicroZine issue! Wow! Considering it’s only the second issue that’s pretty crazy to me. But on the other hand, I know I can’t simply accept them all. Well, I could, but I already know I can’t. If every magazine accepted all submissions or contest gave out a prize to every entrant, what lesson would be learned for the writer or level of quality earned from the publication? No, I realize rejection is necessary and I don’t begrudge the process. I just never thought I’d be here and I’m grateful that so many of you have put me in this sort of quandry.
So, now that I am wearing the hat of a person handing out acceptance and rejection emails very soon I wanted to share my thoughts, though they may harden (or soften?) and change over time the more I have to do this. And I do hope I get to do this often, don’t get me wrong!
The acceptance emails are easy. I could just simply say, “you’re in” and leave it at that. What more could the receiver need than that? Well, there’s a bit more that goes on behind-the-scenes that I can talk about separately if you want (let me know in the comments). But when it comes to reaching out about a story that just quite didn’t make the cut there is ONE thing I want to make sure I never do:
Make a writer quit or stop writing. Words are powerful. How we wield them is important. A rejection, however hard to receive, shouldn’t cause a writer who is truly passionate about storytelling, to ever stop. And I could be cold and callous and think, “well, if they quit because of my rejection letter, then that just means they don’t really want to be a writer and I just saved them a lot of time!” But it can happen. My words can give someone pause and when it does I want it to be one that makes them go again. Keep on keeping on. Never stop. I want my rejections to motivate!
If I can accomplish that in my rejection letter then I know what I’m doing here is right and true and as honorable as it can be. At the end of the day I need to provide standards and quality to MicroZine so that over time, and with enough time, future readers can look back and see that quality throughout each issue even from the very beginning.
I realize not ever story will be the readers cup of tea. We can’t hope to please everyone with what we write. Heaven knows most of my stories don’t land with readers (and some of them are bold enough to tell me!) but at least the foundation is there and the purpose of existence is there.
This isn’t some sort of preamble to submitters of yesterday, today and tomorrow, though I suppose maybe it is, to sort of soften the blow when it comes. I just want readers and submitters alike to know my thought process. To know that this crazy idea of MicroZine is born out of love and a desire to see it well. To continue to receive so many submissions that I am forced to hand out more rejections or change my formula and expand how many are featured each month because they are all THAT DAMN GOOD!
This is more of a thank you note to all of you for putting me in this position in the first place. I feel wholly unworthy of it all and I hope I do all of you proud with my efforts.
As always (or, for now?) the submission window is open on the 1st of every month for exactly 7 days. I then sit with the submissions for about a week to decide which will be featured and which won’t, handing out acceptance and rejection emails by mid-month. Then the fun begins of creating the digital publication which I hope to make a regular occurrence of release on the last day of the month.
Rejections are hard to handle, I wouldn’t want to be in your position for sure. All I can say, the nicest ones I received (and when I read them, I remember thinking “what a cute rejection!”) were kind, insightful, specific (I could tell they had really read it beyond the first paragraph) and constructive (they mentioned both something good and bad) and motivating.
After a while, I realized that rejections are the norm – not just for me, but for any writer. I’ve had stacks of them over the years. I stopped taking it personally a long time ago. Submitting a MS is like fishing. Sometimes they are biting, sometimes they just are not. All the rejections make that one acceptance that much sweeter! I remember running around my neighborhood one time yelling ” I got in! I got in! I got in!” I figured finally my genius had been recognized. ha ha ha. Thanks for caring enough to write this post, Erica. Beautifully said.
This is interesting what you are doing- it looks like the first 7 days of each month are open for submission. Might I ask what are the parameters- length, subject matter, form (poetry, prose, memoir, essay, etc)? If you have answered such questions previously my apologies for missing it! Thank you 😊😊
You ask a great question. I should account for these answers in the Submissions Open posts that are sent every 1st of the month. I will make sure to add these answers for anyone who may ask as well.
I really should’ve had these answers there in the first place! Thank you!
To answer your questions: Microfiction, anything under 500 words. Some of us like to writes stories that are a specific word count (6, 50, 100, etc). The forms we accept are any kind that are FICTION (poetry & prose). Any genre.
I am sure I saw it before but couldn’t find it- thanks so much, I’ve got it now and looking forward to submitting next month! 😊😊🙏🏼
I keep a list of lit mags who have sent me ‘positive rejections’. My story might not be a good fit for them RIGHT NOW, but they liked it, they liked the plot/characters/writing and encourage me to submit to them again in the future.
Rejects are the name of the game and you just have to have a thick skin and a morbid sense of humor. Life is too short to fret over it, even if it is one story that’s been rejected 20 times. Maybe that 21st submission will be accepted.
My best selling book was rejected by 20 publishers. I finally got a yes along with an $800 advance. The book has sold over 1 million copies.
Rejections work!
When I got my first rejection letter from an agent, it was kind and seemed as though it has been written specifically for me. It was my first and — yes — I sat there and cried. What did I think? I was going to be accepted by the first agent that read my work? (Silly me!) As I received more and more (and more) rejections (even got one yesterday and one the day before that) I realised that they say the same thing, use the same chunks of language. I don’t know how to make sense of any of it. Their stock response juxtaposed against my careful honing of each query letter, the sometimes-feeling I get that perhaps my work isn’t good enough, and that maybe I should just throw it all in. But as The Crazy Cat Lady Writes says, you do have to have a morbid sense of humor and grow a thick skin.