Editor’s Desk is a column about literary journals: the submission process, the evaluation process, and everything else.
When it comes to submitting to journals, one of my favorite newsletters is Lit Mag News. They recently had an in-depth post about getting your draft ready for submission. I linked to part two, but the other parts also have great points.
As a writer, I get loads of emails where lit journals reject my work and in the message they state that they don’t have time to provide specific feedback on why they passed. I don’t blame them. I have finally gotten through the slush pile at my journal and while I cannot provide detailed feedback for each essay, the items I did notice were frequent enough that I believe this posting would be helpful to anyone sprucing up their work for open calls come September.
Beginnings: I encountered some essays where it started in a specific time and place but we never returned to that moment again. It would move into so many different areas, but we were left wondering why we started where we started. In early drafts, we are still trying to figure out the entire piece and we are still learning what fits and what doesn’t. In so many cases, I find that if the writer had cut the first paragraph or two (those can frequently be preambles in early drafts) the piece becomes much stronger.
No Reflection: When you write a story from start to finish, that’s great. But with nonfiction, you are crafting the story with a particular lens in mind. Vivian Gornick says, “What happened to the writer is not what matters; what matters is the large sense that the writer is able to make of what happened.” If your essay goes something like A happened then B happened then C happened, well, you have an arc, but what is your purpose? Just because something shocking has happened to you doesn’t mean that it will be a good read. You have to finesse the story in your own words, help us to see what your purpose is in rendering that story on the page.
Too short: I receive a lot of flash work that leaves me wanting. It’s so important that the content fits the container, but in many of the flash submissions I receive, I am left with additional questions. Flash is great, but it’s a style that requires a different hand than a standard essay. If you are interested in writing flash nonfiction, I think it’s important to check out some books from the experts such as The Rose Metal Press Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction. The other possibility is having a writing peer take a look at your flash and see if they feel it’s a contained piece.
Like us at Hypertext, most literary journals will be opening for submissions again. Before you do, take a look at your work again. Examine it closely. When my readers receive your work, they are looking for pieces that aren’t asking for more time in serious revision.
Happy writing!
So helpful to hear themes you've seen emerge repeatedly in the slush pile(s). Thank you!