"But you can only publish if you persist." So true. When I look back on my writing career, it is a lot of "rejected then tried again, rejected then tried again, stopped writing for a while then wrote again." Thanks for this thoughtful piece.
Thanks for this — it's important for aspiring writers to know, certainly, but also good for folks who've been in the game a while and need a reminder. Your experience with McSweeney's was very much mine with Conjunctions, a journal I collected rejections from for a decade before landing anything with them. And so, too, the BAFF story. A friend of mine's most successful story — awards, reprinted multiple times, etc. — got rejected about 40 times throughout the '90s. (She used to remind me of this for exactly the reasons you've written this post.)
I am so, so, did I mention SO glad I don’t have to pull that wagonload of bullshit anymore. The constant effort with submissions and guidelines and spending $3 here, $5 there just for a form rejection 5-6 months later. Substack changed that whole dynamic for me, dramatically. I go directly to my readers now. I have a few dozen stories published in literary magazines, including one story nominated for a Pushcart Prize, but it just ain’t worth it. Substack is where it’s at 👌👌
Congratulations and thank you for writing this. I'm fairly new to Substack and wanted you to know how much I've been enjoying your newsletters and the conversations you've started about writing that take place in the comments. The first one I read as a free subscriber was about the Unnecessary in Art, then Darlings, Invisible Writing, Prose Forward, and then this one. All excellent, meaty and savory at the same time. Now I'm hooked and will be coming back for seconds as a paid subscriber. I just downloaded your latest book on kindle too. And I'll be going back to look at some of the newsletters I've missed too, especially about Fairy Tales, a topic of keen interest for me.
I'm a latecomer to writing and am enjoying it as a (persistent) hobby, but these same rules apply to my day job as a scientist. Publishing in science is often rejection, rejection, rejection, especially if you want to get into the top-tier journals and feel your work is worthy. It can be a demoralising process.
I have much respect to all the writers (fiction and non) who persist and manage to eventually get their work published.
Congratulations and thanks for this piece. It was just the push I needed today. On the positive side, creative writing rejection hardens one to rejection for being "underqualified," "overqualified," or (my favorite), a "bad personality fit for their office."
Congratulations! Starting when I was a grad student, my dream journal was Conjunctions. Many thoughtful rejections and 30 years later, Brad Morrow finally took a story of mine. I think that day beat publication for sheer joy.
As a Canadian, primarily SFF writer it can be very frustrating as our literary culture up here is extremely capital-L Literary. All our mags are subsidized by grants to keep running, which means they have to prioritize Canadian submissions, which is great and keeps things cozy, but I can't think of a single one that accepts genre aside from the very rare occasion. Unless you're Margaret Atwood or something. So while I'd like to get accepted to a "local" magazine I find myself submitting to American/UK/etc mags instead, where the likelihood of acceptance is much slimmer, but that means reading of a success So nice! Everything in publishing is so doom and gloom right now, stories like this give me optimism! Thanks for posting!
"But you can only publish if you persist." So true. When I look back on my writing career, it is a lot of "rejected then tried again, rejected then tried again, stopped writing for a while then wrote again." Thanks for this thoughtful piece.
Congratulations, and it's crazy that McSweeney's has never focused on horror before - but it's fantastic news they are finally supporting it.
Thanks for this — it's important for aspiring writers to know, certainly, but also good for folks who've been in the game a while and need a reminder. Your experience with McSweeney's was very much mine with Conjunctions, a journal I collected rejections from for a decade before landing anything with them. And so, too, the BAFF story. A friend of mine's most successful story — awards, reprinted multiple times, etc. — got rejected about 40 times throughout the '90s. (She used to remind me of this for exactly the reasons you've written this post.)
Congratulations. I’ve been a McSweeneys subscriber since shortly after their head box issue. I’m incredibly jealous and eager to read this.
I am so, so, did I mention SO glad I don’t have to pull that wagonload of bullshit anymore. The constant effort with submissions and guidelines and spending $3 here, $5 there just for a form rejection 5-6 months later. Substack changed that whole dynamic for me, dramatically. I go directly to my readers now. I have a few dozen stories published in literary magazines, including one story nominated for a Pushcart Prize, but it just ain’t worth it. Substack is where it’s at 👌👌
Michael Mohr
‘Sincere American Writing’
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/
Congrats on the McSweeneys!
How many rejections before you abandon a story and accept that it’s just not good?
Congratulations and thank you for writing this. I'm fairly new to Substack and wanted you to know how much I've been enjoying your newsletters and the conversations you've started about writing that take place in the comments. The first one I read as a free subscriber was about the Unnecessary in Art, then Darlings, Invisible Writing, Prose Forward, and then this one. All excellent, meaty and savory at the same time. Now I'm hooked and will be coming back for seconds as a paid subscriber. I just downloaded your latest book on kindle too. And I'll be going back to look at some of the newsletters I've missed too, especially about Fairy Tales, a topic of keen interest for me.
That McSweeney's issue is on my shelf and has a similar place in my heart. Congrats to you!
Congratulations!!
Great read (as ever).
I'm a latecomer to writing and am enjoying it as a (persistent) hobby, but these same rules apply to my day job as a scientist. Publishing in science is often rejection, rejection, rejection, especially if you want to get into the top-tier journals and feel your work is worthy. It can be a demoralising process.
I have much respect to all the writers (fiction and non) who persist and manage to eventually get their work published.
Congratulations! Love horror.
Congratulations and thanks for this piece. It was just the push I needed today. On the positive side, creative writing rejection hardens one to rejection for being "underqualified," "overqualified," or (my favorite), a "bad personality fit for their office."
My favorite McSweeney's character is Robespierre, the insult comic dealing in obscure art references! https://twitter.com/mcsweeneys/status/576525693766389760
(My effort: "Your mother has the flattened buttocks of a 12th Century Russian icon, painted by a surly peasant boy with no depth perception.")
Congratulations! Starting when I was a grad student, my dream journal was Conjunctions. Many thoughtful rejections and 30 years later, Brad Morrow finally took a story of mine. I think that day beat publication for sheer joy.
HUGE congrats on getting your story in McSweeney's, and yours is an inspiring story of persistence!
Good reminder about persistence. Thanks!
Congrats! Feel free to brag, that's great!
As a Canadian, primarily SFF writer it can be very frustrating as our literary culture up here is extremely capital-L Literary. All our mags are subsidized by grants to keep running, which means they have to prioritize Canadian submissions, which is great and keeps things cozy, but I can't think of a single one that accepts genre aside from the very rare occasion. Unless you're Margaret Atwood or something. So while I'd like to get accepted to a "local" magazine I find myself submitting to American/UK/etc mags instead, where the likelihood of acceptance is much slimmer, but that means reading of a success So nice! Everything in publishing is so doom and gloom right now, stories like this give me optimism! Thanks for posting!
Love the crazy circus cover.