Heartening?
Okay, I feel like I've been run over with a steamroller this week, but last night I did get what seemed like a heartening rejection from StoryQuarterly. See excerpt below:
This fine, very strong story, [BLANK], received serious consideration here at StoryQuarterly. Finally we felt it wouldn’t work for us this time, always a subjective opinion, of course. Do know that we recognize our unavoidable biases and also feel that another editor will most likely snap up this fine fiction. Composing a large anthology becomes an artform itself and its pieces fit like a jigsaw puzzle. We look for subjects, styles and insights that balance, offset or enliven an overall book of many stories. Sometimes either subject matter, style or some prose experiments simply won’t fit with what we already have or with what we feel we need to complete our own annual opus. All this is to say we can only express gratitude to you for insuring that we receive such good work to consider. Our passion remains good fiction and its success depends on receiving wonderful choices, so we appreciate your interest and support of StoryQuarterly in this way. Best of luck on your own fine fiction, which we hope you’ll continue to share with us.
I guess in particular, I liked the first line. The rest kind of sounds like a form rejection though -- albeit, a nice one. What do you guys think? Anybody have any experience with sending fiction to these folks?
Thanks for reading,
LLB
This fine, very strong story, [BLANK], received serious consideration here at StoryQuarterly. Finally we felt it wouldn’t work for us this time, always a subjective opinion, of course. Do know that we recognize our unavoidable biases and also feel that another editor will most likely snap up this fine fiction. Composing a large anthology becomes an artform itself and its pieces fit like a jigsaw puzzle. We look for subjects, styles and insights that balance, offset or enliven an overall book of many stories. Sometimes either subject matter, style or some prose experiments simply won’t fit with what we already have or with what we feel we need to complete our own annual opus. All this is to say we can only express gratitude to you for insuring that we receive such good work to consider. Our passion remains good fiction and its success depends on receiving wonderful choices, so we appreciate your interest and support of StoryQuarterly in this way. Best of luck on your own fine fiction, which we hope you’ll continue to share with us.
I guess in particular, I liked the first line. The rest kind of sounds like a form rejection though -- albeit, a nice one. What do you guys think? Anybody have any experience with sending fiction to these folks?
Thanks for reading,
LLB
posted by LadyLitBlitzin at 6:47 PM
4 Comments:
No, I've never submitted there. But just that they worked your story title into the letter makes it a little more personal. That means they thought enought of it to give you more than just the pre-printed letter. I think it's a good sign, and you need to send it out again right away.
Thanks for the encouragement! I would like to think that they wouldn't send that glowing a rejection to everybody regardless of how they felt about a story, but one never knows.
That sounds mean, but I guess I just needed a lift right now. ;)
Yeah, I will definitely send it out again. It has been rejected several times so of course I'm not sure that some other editor would snap it up. ;)
that is storyquarterly's 2nd tier form rejection. It means it got out of the slush pile and was given serious consideration (read by at least 2-3 readers). I don't know about 'snapped up' but stories that have gotten this response previously have later been taken by less competitive journals.
Hi Anonymous - I doubt you'll see this because I didn't see this comment till now, but thanks for letting me know. Honestly the thought of getting the 2nd tier/out of the slushpile rejection feels great. So thank you. :)
And no, I am definitely not expecting "snapped up." :)
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