How to Let Editors Know What’s on Your Mind Without Losing Your Cool

Writers who query literary journals and presses open the door for opportunity – and anxiety. Waiting to find out if your work has been accepted can be the hardest part of the creative process. It can take as little as a week to hear from some editors or never if a publication’s staff engages in the dreaded ‘silent rejection.’ I don’t agree with this. If publications are open for subs, and writers make the effort to submit, editors owe them the favor of a reply. Silent rejections are another way of saying, “We are too busy to notify you. If you don’t hear anything after six months, assume we passed on your submission.”

In the roughly 10 years I have been submitting poetry and prose to journals, I have received everything from a response in 24 hours to no reply at all. And I mean nothing. No acknowledgement of receipt and no response during the weeks and months that followed. In those cases, I either reached out to editors or withdrew the subs. Why not just assume I didn’t get in? Well, we all know there is trouble when you make assumptions. For example, in a couple of those ‘silent’ cases, I learned editors never received my submissions. At other times, the magazines went into a downturn and ceased publication, something that happened more often during the COVID pandemic, when financial woes increased. Writers must stay on top of their submissions and be completely sure of each query’s status.

Here are a few things I do to keep track of my subs:

If you have a submission (or more than one) that never received a confirmation of receipt or a reply, investigate. A change in editorial leadership, volunteer readers overloaded with subs, and printing costs that put a publication on hiatus can affect responses to writers. Visit the magazine’s website to see if there are announcements about the publication’s status. Also, double-check to see if there is a response time. If you don’t find anything helpful, contact the editor. 

Get in touch once sufficient time has passed. That doesn’t mean the day after you submit. Pick a time that is fair. My limit without a reply is six months, though I have waited up to a year a few times. 

Be polite and brief with your inquiry. Many publications are staffed by volunteers who have other jobs, families, and households to maintain. Some operate on a shoestring budget. It gets stressful for everyone. Also, check the masthead for email addresses for the genre to which you submitted. You may be able to communicate with the poetry editor or CNF editor directly.

Once I have contacted a publication, if I don’t hear anything after four more weeks, I withdraw my submission even though it ‘seems’ to be rejected. That way, any loose ends are shored up and there is no misunderstanding. You don’t want to leave it open, only to have them come back later and say, “Hey, we were taking time away from the journal, but we are back and publishing your work next week.” That just leads to confusion, especially if you do simultaneous subs.

Keep an eye on their social media. If they were very active but in recent months have not posted anything on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, they may be on hiatus or closed. Again, try to contact them by email or whichever submissions manager (Google, Submittable, etc.) you used. 

Other writers you meet online are a good way to find out who is open for subs, but always double-check something you see posted. Visit the publication’s website and social media for up-to-date information. 

Keep track of your submissions, whether they are pending, accepted, or rejected. This way you will know all your experiences with different magazines. You can create a spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel. If you are a bit old school, use index cards that you file in a box or a composition notebook. Each entry should be listed chronologically and include the date you submitted, the file name, genre, the name and contact information for the publication, and the sub’s status.

Be open to revisions. If you get a ‘maybe but not as is,’ with a note from an editor requesting the piece be edited, do it. Making that effort and being open to collaboration can give you a big advantage. It happened a couple of times with my work, and both times my pieces were published after I accepted suggestions and did edits.

Above all, don’t quit. And don’t fire off any emotional emails demanding responses. If you get frustrated, take a step back from writing and querying. That “down” feeling will eventually slide off to reveal a success or two. All you need is a break, some perspective, and to believe in your work.