Tuesday 20 May 2008

Win some, lose some

Two emails from editors this morning. First up:

Thanks for sending that story along. It's not too bad, but our submissions are full, and we're not going to have the room to run it. Hopefully you'll be able to find another home for this piece. I hope you're able to think of us again in the future.

"Not too bad"? Yikes. I'd rather he'd said he hated it than implied it was mediocre. I think they call that damning with faint praise?

Here's the other one:

I received your submission a month after the deadline for Issue 2. However, I absolutely adored your piece, "I cannot carry a tune", and am going to publish it anyway. You have a talent for words, ideas and the way you relay them to your audience is unique and special. Bravo.

Literary Fever is a new venue for me. I'm bowled over by the enthusiasm. More than made up for the lukewarm rejection.

8 comments:

Tania Hershman said...

"Not too bad"??? That is the worst "personal rejection" I have ever heard. I would never submit to them again, and you'd be doing me a favour if you whispered the lit mags name in my ear so I can avoid them. What a contrast between that and the lovely Lit Fever, aren't they fab? At least your morning swung heavily towards the positive and you can just ditch the "not too bad". Yeuch!

Sarah Hilary said...

Thanks, Tania. In fact I'm told that this may be simply a semantical thing. The mag is New England based and "not too bad" is interchangeable with "pretty good" in that part of the world. Hmm. Maybe I'll buy that, at a price.

You can tell me your verdict on this particular flash when you judge the FFI challenge!

Nik Perring said...

What a marvellous thing to receive (the second one I mean)! And (s)he wouldn't have said it if they didn't think it. Well done!

Like Tania, I wouldn't mind you whispering the name in my ear either...

Nik

Sarah Hilary said...

Thanks, Nik. Where best to whisper, I wonder? Someplace that isn't public (as my blog surely is).

Anne Brooke said...

The first one is an idjit. The 2nd speaks the truth - well done, you!

:))

A
xxx

Sarah Hilary said...

Thanks, Anne!

slippingthroughtheworld said...

great stuff sarah. i was reading about them on tania's blog, must spend some time reading. i haven't sent work out for a very long time. x

Sarah Hilary said...

Thanks, Irene, and good luck getting back into the subbing game, when/if you decide to take that plunge.