The Losing Game: Writing Rejections 23-30/100
Hey again friends and rivals. I have new rejections for you (of course,) but also I wanted to chat with you about something. I've been thinking about it and I think that though I have a lot of fun sharing my rejections with you and being transparent about my process, I have decided this will be the last year that I'll keep up with The Losing Game. I've come to this conclusion for a couple of reasons, mainly because I think I have successfully bullied every writer I know into submitting their work.
The second is that I think I've successfully dug a neuropath between writing rejection and accomplishment. The thing that did it I think was last year's gigantic slump. I had to first have a meager amount of success and then have it taken away to truly reckon with it. So I did. Now, keeping this blog is just kind of for the sake of it, and I began to ask myself:
So that's the story, morning glory. (Remember Oasis?) The archives will stay up if you need to get that sweet hit of schadenfreude it's available to you, and I'll keep going through the year, so there's a long wind-down period. It would be cool to publicly accomplish 100 rejections. Thank you to everyone who has hung out with me on this journey. I hope it has given you something. It has given me something. Now, the thing you came here for. A fistful of "fuck no". Okay. Love you.
[WRITING REJECTION 23/100] Dear Erin, Thank you for the opportunity to review your work. Unfortunately these submissions weren't right for us at the moment, but we're grateful to have had the chance to read them and we wish you all the best of luck placing them elsewhere. We hope that you'll keep us in mind in the future. Best wishes, The Penn Review Editorial Board
[WRITING REJECTION 24/100] Dear Erin Kirsh,
Thank you for sending us your work. This piece isn't going to be a go for SUBTROPICS, but we appreciate your thinking of us and wish you the best in finding the right home for it. Sincerely, SUBTROPICS
[WRITING REJECTION 25/100]
Dear Erin Kirsh, Thank you for sharing "Disappearing Acts" with us. We appreciate having had the chance to read your work, and we're sorry to write with disappointing news—we've decided that the piece is not a good fit for our site at this time. We wish you the best of luck finding a home for this work, and hope that you will keep us in mind for future projects. Sincerely, Editors, Catapult
[WRITING REJECTION 26/100] Dear Erin Kirsh, Thank you for the privilege of considering your piece for our review. We read your submission carefully and we regret to say that we're unable to publish it at this time. We thank you for your interest in The Southampton Review and wish you the best of luck in publishing your piece elsewhere. Sincerely, The Editors The Southampton Review
[WRITING REJECTION 27/100] Dear Erin Kirsh, Thank you for sending us "Three Poems". We appreciate the chance to consider it. Unfortunately, the piece is not right for us at this moment. Thanks again and best of luck with your work!! Sincerely, The Editors carte blanche
[WRITING REJECTION 28/100] Dear Erin: Thank you for your recent submission to Exposition Review, Vol. V: "Act/Break." We truly value your submission and consider it an honor to read your work. Unfortunately your work "Three Poems" was not a fit for this issue. We wish you the best of luck in your future writing endeavors and hope you will submit again. You can submit again to our Flash 405 contest open for submissions until March 5th. Learn more: http://expositionreview.com/2020/02/call-for-entries-flash-405-february-2020-bright-spot/ Sincerely, Exposition Review
[WRITING REJECTION 29/100] *declined*
[WRITING REJECTION 30/100]
Dear Erin Kirsh, Thank you for giving the editorial board at [redacted] a chance to read your work. We will not be accepting it for publication. However, our editors were very interested in your work and would like to offer you an opportunity to work one-on-one with our poet-in-residence, [redacted]. [redacted] is currently working with a number of other poets, helping them hone and shape their poems and make them publication-ready. This a free program for poets and, while there is no guarantee of publication, you would be welcome to send re-worked or new material to [redacted] at a later date. If you decide to do so, please advise us that you were part of the poet-in-residence program. Please let me know at your earliest convenience if you're interested in participating. Or should you have questions about the program, don't hesitate to ask. You can reach me at [redacted] Thanks again for considering [redacted], and I hope to hear back from you soon regarding this opportunity. Yours truly, [redacted]
So that's the deal! Some excitement, some standard, all good experience. Until next time, - E.B. Kirsh