Got a rejection today from MAYDAY Magazine – I sent them How to Be Depressed in the Sunshine and they said it was a “really well written piece with flashes of brilliance” but that it “didn’t quite cohere enough as a story.” That was the thesis, but they actually went beyond and provided a little detail about their favorite parts. And that deserves a salute, because a) it proves they read it, and b) it shows an unusual investment of time and energy in a writer on whom they are passing.
Remember I said these magazines have to reject upwards of 95% of what they receive. Some upwards of 99%. I can tell you from experience that unless you’re a sociopath, rejecting other peoples’ writing all day is not fun. It feels like wringing chickens’ necks on an assembly line. And if you’re going to get personal and specific, it’s less fun still, because you’ve got to dwell on the act of rejection and the reasoning behind it. The form letter is so much more tempting, is often the only thing that could give an editor the emotional stamina for their job.
Also in their favor – they said response time could be anywhere from 3-9 months. They turned my story around in 13 days.
So I will happily be submitting to them again, not to mention getting the word out that they’re an outfit that goes the extra mile for the aspirants out there.