So far this year I have had 16 acceptances. One came this morning and prompted this post. That’s from 30 submissions, so it’s a touch over 50%. I have done better in past years, but this year, as I have said, I have tried harder and sent submissions to people who habitually turn me down. It’s character forming.
I’ve been scouring the internet looking for more places to submit and have found a few, but run into three problems.
One is that some only accept postal submissions and I no longer like sending them. Paper does actually, as the expression goes, grow on trees, but I feel it’s better to use emails for both convenience and carbon footprint.
Two is that the editors of these harder to find journals can be quite aggressive, which is probably a reason why they are not so well supported. In general I find editors of Japanese style magazines are nicer and more helpful than those of mainstream poetry journals, but if they aren’t, why should I bother with them?
And three – when I relaunched my poetry writing I decided to aim for the best magazines. I did. I got rejected. I am still rejected. But when I did get in it was worth doing and quite exciting to find myself in a journal with people I’d actually heard of. Better to be rejected by a quality journal than be accepted by one of lower quality. And better to aspire to meet the quality threshold of a better journal.
My Orange Parker Pen
There is another reason, I just remembered. Some magazines want to be paid to include my work. With some, it’s voluntary – I can access a quicker decision by paying, but with one they actually want you to pay for inclusion.
Few magazines have ever paid. I can live with that. I can live with taking out subscriptions for magazines. That seems fair. It’s a hobby and hobbies cost money. But to pay for inclusion? I don’t think I’ll bother tank you.
Poetry – creatively stacked but a touch light on stock
Meeting the standards and acceptance into a quality journal sounds like a good plan. Paying to get accepted somewhere doesn’t sound reasonable.
I am still waiting for your book of poems.
Not quite the same standard of quality, is it?
No.
” Better to be rejected by a quality journal than be accepted by one of lower quality.” That sums it up.
🙂 Same way I think about my readers – better to have a dozen I like, and enjoy reading, than the 2,000+ “followers” I’m told I have accumulated. 🙂
Your third is the most commendable. Perhaps those who expect paper submissions would pay for your postage?
It is unlikely. 🙂
I agree about not paying.
🙂 Definitely!
Yes, I think your reasoning is spot on. Paying for inclusion strikes me as a bad idea. A little bit like pay to play.
Yes, it’s open to abuse.
well congrats on the acceptance. all your reasonings are sound
Thank you.