Comments on: poetry advice column: what should you learn from rejection letters?

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:05:56 +0000

Just a note to say that, since the announcement that RWP will no longer feature new content starting May 1st, my final column (slated for Mid-may) will not appear on the RWP site. In the interest of answering Julie’s question, I have posted my final poetry advice column piece on my own site:

http://www.robertpeake.com/archives/1037-should-i-do-an-mfa-and-farewell-read-write-poem.html

By: Robert Peake

Robert Peake — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:03:14 +0000

Pat, I hear you. It’s a brutal business that editors so rarely comment. It’s driven by numbers, and the near-impossibility of personal response. At least, that’s what I gather from my editor pals, who are certainly not lazy or mean. Look to trusted peers and workshop groups for meaningful feedback. Expect plenty of rejection slips when starting out trying to publish your poems. Take heart that pretty much everyone experiences this.

By: SarahJ

SarahJ — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:12:30 +0000

Try Snakeskin – a good journal that’s approachable and has been around forever. UK based.

By: Patrick the Poet

Patrick the Poet — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:35:59 +0000

Deb & Sarah: Thanks. I am aware of Doutrope. It’s a great site but has almost too much information on thousands of journals. Many (especially the internet ones) will probably only last a few months. I was just hoping that someone might know of a few jounals (maybe not 20) that are friendly towards beginning poets.

And, Deb, you say it is not the editor’s job to provide critique. Well, maybe yes, maybe no. Often I will spend $5 to $10 actually ordering an issue of a journal (with a circulation of maybe about 500). I will read it (or most of it), and them submit my work. After my investment (in money & research time) I get a rejection slip – - usually after several months. In those cases, do you think it would hurt for an editor to say a word or two? Just seems like good customer relations to me. In no way am I suggesting that subscribers should have a better chance at publication – - that would be totally unprofessional and smacks of vanity publications – - which I hate. But why can’t editors offer a few words of wisdom to those who actually help keep their journals afloat?

By: Deb Scott

Deb Scott — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:34:12 +0000

Much clearer & helpful advice. Thanks, Sarah.

By: SarahJ

SarahJ — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:09:33 +0000

Patrick,
Yes, try Duotrope. In the menu called “Curious?” they have a list of the “most approachable” publications. (It’s either Curious or What’s New – it’s not hard to find in any case.) Editors very rarely provide critique. The only time I’ve ever gotten critique from a journal editor was when they accepted the poem.
good luck

By: Deb Scott

Deb Scott — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:12:41 +0000

Patrick, a list of 20 journals sure seems a lot to ask for. I don’t mean to be snotty or mean, but it isn’t the editor’s job to provide critique.

However, you might search http://www.duotrope.com/ for publications that tend to send personal notes with their rejections.

By: Patrick the Poet

Patrick the Poet — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:14:23 +0000

Good general advice, but do you think you could suggest 20 or so journals which are both accessible and respected? By “accessible” I mean a non-established writer’s work will be seriously considered, and, if rejected, maybe critiqued by the editor. I don’t consider a handwritten note that says “sorry”, or “try again” at all useful.

By: Various Links – pesbo

Various Links – pesbo — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:08:44 +0000

[...] Peake has a column in readwritepoem called What you should learn from rejection letters where he suggests, if you don’t already, to make a spreadsheet to track results in aggregate [...]

By: Robert Peake

Robert Peake — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:39:56 +0000

I hear you Ink and Beans. Hang in there. I found the perfect program for me eventually.

By: Ink and Beans

Ink and Beans — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:43:05 +0000

Great article, thank you. It’s MFA response season and I need all the perspective I can get. My stories have already been rejected by a slew of journals and the skin has grown thicker, but MFA rejections are a new kind of pain.

By: what are you curious about? what do you need to know? « Read Write Poem

what are you curious about? what do you need to know? « Read Write Poem — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:13:22 +0000

[...] about poetry! The next Poetry Advice Column (in case you missed the first, about rejection, find it here) is in the works and Robert wants to know what you want to [...]

By: Barry Davis

Barry Davis — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:27:30 +0000

Nice post. I feel empowered to get me some of those rejection slips.

By: Poetry News For February 9, 2010 | Poetry Hut Blog

Poetry News For February 9, 2010 | Poetry Hut Blog — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:44:37 +0000

[...] poetry advice column: what should you learn from rejection letters? [...]

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:56:35 +0000

Good question, Wendy! And a great articulation of the dance between submission and revision. Sadly, I don’t necessarily read every page of every journal to which I subscribe–whether or not it bears a poem of my own in it. I do try to get my money’s worth out of every new journal I pick up, but still I skim on instinct to maximize the use of my most precious resource–time.

By: Wendy Brown-Baez

Wendy Brown-Baez — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:47:44 +0000

Once I send a poem out, a process happens. When it is rejected, I read it with objectivity and can see how to revise it. Sometimes it is just still raw, not cooked enough. Other times, a poem rejected by many mags will finally find a home. It is, as far as I am concerned, both a crap shoot and an act of grace to fit the right poem to the right journal…and the competition is fierce.
I once heard a well-published poet say that she receives about 1 acceptance per 25 submissions.
But fortunately with websites like readwritepoem.org, we can read each other’s work on our blogs.
By the way, when you do have a poem accepted, do you read EVERY page of the complimentary copy sent to you?

By: ovpaul

ovpaul — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:06:48 +0000

Not unrelated: Rejection Digest (via HTML Giant)

By: Jessie Carty

Jessie Carty — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:23:59 +0000

good tips but only 80 rejections? that seems low! or i just have too many!

By: Gregory Luce

Gregory Luce — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:57:59 +0000

Very wise and full of common sense. I thought I knew most of what you say, but it struck me freshly and helpfully. Thank you,

By: jasonriedy

jasonriedy — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:23:45 +0000

And as someone who has never submitted poetry but often submits scientific articles, the same holds true. Another piece you acquire is skill in identifying empty rejections and acceptances. Some papers are rejected or accepted with platitudes but no specifics. You learn nothing from either. Both suck.

To me, an empty acceptance is worse. I’ve had painful errors affixed in ink.