merlin:

You guys want an honest letter for a rejected submission?

You bet:

Hi,

We didn’t ask for this, and it’s not good. We don’t want to publish it. Stop sending things. Seriously.

Us.

Or, of course, you could do what Exquisite Corpse used to do: post a list of the names of every submitter who should a) try again later or b) never ever send anything again. Talk about honest.

No, it’s not nice. But it is honest. And personal. Ish.

I mean do you guys respond to every piece of unrequested information you’ve ever received with a personal note? Newsletters, ads, and spam, too? Really, you don’t? Wow. Callous. Poor caddying.

Seriously, I don’t understand writers who get all butt-hurt about rejections. It’s like yelling at rain or gravity. It just is.

It’s not your fucking allowance, guys. It’s business. Keep writing, keep submitting, paper your walls, and cowboy up forever. The only person who owes you anything is you. Maybe. If you’re lucky.

I have sent in a few stories and poems for publication and I have to say that many times I wish they would just tell me it was horrible instead of just “This is not right for us at this time.” Being rejected is not the issue I just want them to be honest about why they rejected me. In fact I would have adored getting the rejection earlier in Merlin’s post.