Short Story Rejection

Photo By Sean MacEnteeIt’s been a while since I’ve had a submission rejected, mostly because my work has been academically focused for the past couple years, and I’ve found it much easier to publish nonfiction than fiction. But I’ve always had a passion for storytelling, and with my Masters complete, I wanted to wedge my foot back into the fiction field. Rejection letters don’t bear the weight on me that they used to when I was starting out writing and mailing off pieces I’d labored on, only to receive a form letter three months later.

Nowadays, I just move on or submit the piece somewhere else, which is the case with this story. That being said, this is one of the nicest rejections that I've received and figured it was worth sharing. So for any writers out there who are dealing with those crushing heavy blows of the first rejection letters, I hope this will be encouragement.

Kris,

Thanks for your submission to [Magazine]. I've opted to decline using your story; it's something we aren't looking for at this time. However, the piece had a nice flow and I encourage you to submit "A Note to Liza" to magazines that accept more of a psychological suspense or thriller type story. Remember, this is only my opinion and I wish you luck placing this story elsewhere.

[Person's Name]

Head Editor, [Magazine]