I don't rate Duotrope as much as some do, and I don't often look at it, but this week I did, to see what's new. And I came across a magazine looking for subs, and if I am honest, it was the title of the magazine that appealed probably. I sent a flash piece that I had worked in an online writers group (which I mention only so you know it wasn't just some random spewing), and I got a very fast response.
The editor said he didn't like it, he thought it was unrefined and sloppy writing that needed revision. Right. Cheers. Anyway, I thought he was a bit rude, but assumed he is a young dude trying to make a name as a fearsome editor of scrupulously worded fiction.
I told a writer friend, who went to a greeking generator and mixed up some chunks of random text with expletives, and sent it to the editor along with a preposterous bio.
You know what happened right?
Yup, accepted with thanks, and published.
I'm not gonna give this Ed and his mag any more exposure by naming them, but I really don't feel so sad about my rejection now that I understand the quality of the work he is aiming for.
It's one thing to have high standards, but to mistake words from a generator for experimental literary fiction is really very funny.
4 weeks ago
11 comments:
That is totally ridiculous, what an asshole. It's like that story of a scientist who couldn't get his paper accepted by some high-fallutin' journal, so he went and made up some completely rubbish and it got accepted. I'd love to know which litzine it was! Ah well...
I just can't stop chuckling about this, Sara. Nice write-up. M/J. :o)
It would be interesting to know what the preposterous biography was, and whether it was this or the text that got the piece accepted.
If it was the text then the editor's position might be more defensible - for example, if the piece works well with the surrounding texts, however inadvertent that success is. I've quite often had people see things in pieces I never intended to put there - although this would be an extreme case.
Of course it is more likely to be bollocks, particularly given the graceless response to the first piece.
James, I don't think it can be the text. I understand what you mean, there can be real beauty in cut ups and random word pairings, in this piece tho' I don't think that happens.
Martin, yeah, it is funny, but a bit sad too.
Tania, yup, asshole.
: )
That's funny - and a sad comment on the lit world...
You should never feel sad about a rejection. It's not you that's being rejected, it's your unrefined and sloppy writing. No wait, that came out wrong.
It's a great little story, isn't it. And it's cool that you blogged it. All over the place for the next week or so literary ezines are going to be receiving chunks of random text mixed with expletives, and - some of them at least - are going to think WTF???
Cheers,
Bob
Thats the best story I've hard in weeks...
just goes to show what a load of bolleaux much of 'literature' on the web is.
Apart from where us have been published, of course...
I think you're being way too negative about this. Think of the flipside. You now have a guaranteed route into the literary elite. Patent it. License it.
(Hi, BTW. Great post - found the link on Vanessa G's blog)
Ah yes, the rude editor syndrome. Thing is, the editor is probably a writer himself. And no doubt he writes that kind of stuff. And doubtless he will be something else before long..a film-maker...an actor. Whatever.
Great story. Maybe it's a case of the classic teacher - those that can, do; those that can't edit!?
You should name and shame, and run the crap ezine into the ground.
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