Welcome to The Rejection Quarterly, Summer 2023 edition.
Sharing rejections shares the effort behind submissions and makes celebrating acceptances even sweeter. What kind of literary journal rejections are you seeing? On the road to publication, why not “publish” the rejections themselves?
Here are the rejections I collected from June 2023 – August 2023.
Since introducing The Rejection Whisperer, I’ve had fun plugging in wordy rejections and getting quick interpretations. Check out the interpretations below each rejection email. And please feel free to try your own rejections!
The Missouri Review encouraging rejection
Dear Arthur Klepchukov,
Thank you for letting us consider “Evertour” for publication in the Missouri Review. We enjoyed reading your work, and though it doesn’t quite fit our needs at this time, we wish you excellent luck with it and hope we will have the chance to read more of your writing in the future.
Sincerely,
The Editors
———-
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2023-06-14 12:55:05 (GMT -5:00)
The Rejection Whisperer interpretation:
“Please submit more”
Wigleaf rejection
Dear Arthur,
We’re passing but thanks so much for giving us a chance with your work–and sorry not to get back to you sooner.
All best,
Scott
The Rejection Whisperer interpretation:
“No, thanks”
Barrelhouse rejection
Dear Arthur,
Thanks for letting us read within & without. Unfortunately, we’ve decided this one’s not right for us. We wish you the best of luck in finding a home for the story elsewhere, and in your continued writing.
Sincerely,
Team Barrelhouse
www.barrelhousemag.com
The Rejection Whisperer interpretation:
“No, thanks”
The Pinch rejection
Dear Arthur,
We appreciate your interest in The Pinch. Thank you for sending us “Still Watching.” Unfortunately, we are unable to publish your work at this time.
We’re aware that writing is hard work, and that these letters do not reflect the time and care put into your submission. Nevertheless, we thank you for thinking of us, and we wish you the best of luck placing your work.
Best wishes,
Courtney Santo
Pinch
The Rejection Whisperer interpretation:
“No, thanks”
Redivider encouraging rejection
Hi Arthur,
My name is Katie and I am the Editor-in-Chief for Redivider. Thank you for your patience while we reviewed “duskwing” for our Blurred Genre summer special issue. After careful consideration by our readers and editors, we have decided this piece is not a fit for this issue of Redivider.
Despite not being selected, I ask you not to give up on your hybrid, experimental, short, or otherwise different work. We pride ourselves on offering this unique opportunity to create space for the space between genres, and we hope you’ll demand that the industry make more space for these kind of pieces..
We appreciate the opportunity to consider your work, and hope you will again consider us for your future submissions.
Find us at our website: redivider.emerson.edu.
Please be well,
Katie Mihalek
Editor-in-Chief, Redivider
The Rejection Whisperer interpretation:
“Please submit more”
Granta rejection
Dear Arthur Klepchukov,
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to consider ‘Verdant Heaven’. We are sorry to tell you that this particular text is not quite right for the magazine, but we wish you all the best with your writing.
Yours sincerely,
Granta Magazine
The Rejection Whisperer interpretation:
“No, thanks”
Ploughshares encouraging rejection
Thank you for submitting to Ploughshares. Although we will not be
publishing “Verdant Heaven” at this time and are sorry to disappoint you,
please be assured that your manuscript was read carefully by editors and
trained screeners.
Our reasons for not accepting particular submissions are varied and often
have more to do with the shape of our recent acquisitions and upcoming issues
than with the quality of writing we receive. Thank you again for the
opportunity to consider your work, and we regret any delay in our response to
you.
We hope you’ll continue to read and submit to Ploughshares.
Sincerely,
Ploughshares Editors
The Rejection Whisperer interpretation:
“Please submit more”
Outlook Springs rejection
Dear Arthur Klepchukov,
Thank you so much for sending us “Parting Pages.” We appreciate the chance to read it. Unfortunately, the piece is not quite right for us. We apologize for the long response time; we’re restructuring our reading periods to remedy this.
Thanks again. Best of luck with this.
Sincerely,
Outlook Springs
The Rejection Whisperer interpretation:
“No, thanks”
Nimrod International Journal encouraging rejection
Dear Arthur Klepchukov,
Thank you for sending us your work. We appreciate the chance to read it, but, unfortunately, we will not be publishing your submission at this time.
You can be assured that your work has been read by editors who are dedicated to making thoughtful and aesthetically sensitive decisions—editors who wish they could publish all the sincere and well-crafted work that is submitted to Nimrod.
Again, thank you for your submission. We would be happy to receive new work from you in the future.
Best,
Eilis O’Neal
Editor-in-Chief
Nimrod International Journal
The Rejection Whisperer interpretation:
“Please submit more”
Understand your rejections
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