Comments on: Thank You, But No Thank You: Thoughts on Electronic Submissions

By: Allen Strous

Allen Strous — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:37:20 +0000

So there is (more of) a shortfall than before at the submitter’s end–
I tend to be a Luddite about computerization, usually wanting to intone Thoreau’s “improved means to unimproved ends.” But the problem here is that the ends suffer, or at least a valuable byproduct.
And I wonder now about the other end–how the speed-up that computerization makes possible, and nearly imposes by making possible–might mean that writing that should get another look is rejected as editors electronically clear their desks.

By: Matthew Nienow

Matthew Nienow — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:12:02 +0000

Thanks for your thoughts Sarah! I’m glad to hear your perspective and to know of the good practices of Verse Wisconsin. I can’t speak for everyone, but I certainly don’t feel any antagonism for editors—something more like reverence for the hard and necessary work they provide. Editors ensure that work sent out into the world is ready to be sent out into the world (one of my main qualms with self-publishing—but that’s another topic). And good editors put their own names behind the authors they support, which can never happen enough. Keep up the good work!

By: Sarah Busse

Sarah Busse — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:27:08 +0000

Some of us are still keeping it personal! At Verse Wisconsin, we encourage electronic submissions to help all of us streamline the process. But as an editor, I enjoy the personal contact with writers, and while not every rejection is personal, many, many are. The way I see it, too often poets feel like editors are on the opposite side of some antagonism — keeping them out, maybe? Not true–at least it shouldn’t be. We’re all on the same team.

By: Lisa Dolensky

Lisa Dolensky — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:26:03 +0000

I never thought I’d say it either, but I miss rejections. If I hear from an editor, it’s usually because of an acceptance. About 1/3 of what I submit receives a form or a brief, personal “Not quite what we’re looking for” response. Then there’s the other third that I refer to as the blackhole, no comment- rejections. However, if an editor is too busy to write a rejection…I wonder if that means it’s a loophole and I don’t have to technically count the lack of communication a rejection? So maybe I have less rejections than I thought I did. Maybe a more positive way to look at it. Thanks for bringing up this topic. I figure editors these days are swamped with e-mails and are just having trouble, like the rest of us, keeping up.