Episode 978: I Appreciate Swift Editors

When I get bored, I sometimes send out submissions of my work, in the hope that an editor somewhere will like what they read and include me in their journal/magazine. Today was one of those days, and I've managed to place two poems with Ink Sweat & Tears. I particularly appreciate Helen Ivory's commitment to swift replies, since it's exactly what I believe in as an editor, especially if you're running an online journal. If Duotrope's Digest's statistics are anything to go by, not a few markets are guilty of taking ages to get back to people who submit, and yet they also seem to turn down almost everything that gets submitted to them. What gives? Honestly, how hard can it be to issue a timely rejection and say thanks, but no thanks? In the short time since I started sending work out, I've realised that unless what you're writing is complete tripe, more likely than not there will be an editor out there who is prepared to publish it and bring it to an audience. It's a matter of doing a bit of research, reading what appears in a particular publication and judging if you'll be a fit. I think once you open yourself to electronic submissions as an editor, you need to accept that you have a part to play in keeping the submissions moving. Take them, leave them, I really think what people want is to know, so that they can celebrate their achievement, or try somewhere else.