Want To Know A Secret?

This is one reason a lot of good writing isn’t making it into publications

I would think having written on this platform for almost three years I would have seen just about everything strangely amazing about how things work. Not read everything there is to read. That’s totally impossible with the flood of quality (and not so hot) pieces that flood my feeds each day. What I’m talking about is the quirky, frustrating and so misaligned ways some of these publications assess, invite, disinvite, and reject a lot of submissions.

Whatever their reasons are. Whether the editors are even human or not, the practices of some of these publications are unbelievable and often just astonish the absolute shit of out me.

Case in point. As an editor of several publications, I’m usually bombarded with several notifications of the author’s submissions. Hey, I’m not complaining. I knew what I was getting into when I signed on the dotted line. I don’t cherry-pick my favs either. What’s great is that I get the opportunity to read a bevy of new writers, and writers who’ve been around the block, but I didn’t know about ’em.

Pretty damned cool.

Still, there are times when I’ll receive a notification that an author posted to one of the pubs I’m an editor on and I’ll see that little private note up at the top. Since some of the pubs I edit for have a shit ton of editors I always check the note first.

So I’m going to call this new writer out because I read the piece and thought it was okay. Liam Hunter-Bailey? You got some fair chops. I’d love to see you get a little deeper into your emotional writing well.

So here’s the deal. Liam submitted to one of the bigger publications (although at 23K followers and climbing ILLUMINATION ain’t no plebe) and was rejected. Yeah, I know. Rejection happens. Liam and all the rest of us will have to go through a shit ton more before it’s all over and we head off to that big old copy desk in the sky.

But wait till you get a load of what was said and the editor who said it. Here we go.

Thank you for your submission but we are looking for content that is more unique, specific and actionable. We have already published similar advice to this so we are going to pass this time. There are also some formatting issues. For details (rule 5 and 8)

First off, why is it almost every publication cites rule 5 and rule 8 for formatting issues? Are these chapters from their formatting bible? Are they all running the same set of rules? Did the initial publication years ago mimeograph the original guidelines and just pass them out to each new publication when they jumped on board?

Now don’t get me started on unique, specific, and actionable. I’ve written on a previous editor’s response to another writer’s work about those three editorial mantras. And to the fact that the publication has already published similar advice like Liam’s before I say so? Big freaking deal. You haven’t ever published Liam’s take on it, have you?

Now Liam buddy? As I mentioned earlier you got the chops, but lay off the numbered listicles and give us some emotional shit we can sink our teeth into. You can do it bud. I’ve seen proof of it laying just beneath the surface of your work. It’s there. All you have to do is reach in and yank that shit out and toss it on the page.

Take the lessons you learned researching the piece you just wrote and wow our asses off.

Okay now let’s see the stats on the editor who took a hard pass on a fledgling writer who’s sure to make a name for himself if he stays at it. Perhaps this editor has been doing it so long he/she is jaded and tired. I mean if you’re a seasoned writer here and an editor, you’ve edited (and read) a ton of work. Plus you’ve got a lot of your own writing and reading you want to do right?

Here are the stats on the editor who took a hard pass on Liam:

1 Following

4 Following

[Redacted] hasn’t been active on Medium yet. Check back later to see their stories, claps, and highlights.

That’s right folks this freaking editor — wait I can’t call them that — okay this freaking writer — uh, nope can’t call them that either. This PERSON took a hard pass on Liam and hasn’t posted a single piece?

Really? Really?

Oh, and what kind of credence are you willing to give an editor, an editor for God’s sake, that not only hasn’t posted a single damned piece but they’re following ONE freaking writer and being followed by only FOUR?

What kind of bullshit is that? These publications allow someone severely lacking any credentials to pass judgment on anyone’s writing?

Balderdash!!

Okay, you may be thinking “calm your ass down P.G. Maybe this person is a well-published writer and maybe a professional editor in real life. Maybe they’ve got the creds and you aren’t seeing them.”

I’ll give you that, and I looked up the editor’s profile. Guess what?

Nada. Not a single mention of any experience. In fact, not a single word in the profile, because there was no profile. No profile. Just a photo of a person and the words:

[Redacted] hasn’t been active on Medium yet. Check back later to see their stories, claps, and highlights.

Yeah, they haven’t been active, but that didn’t stop them from rejecting Liam’s story now did it? Folks, it’s tough enough to do what we do each and every goddamned day than to have to put up with bullshit like this.

Publications need to grow a set and turn a hard eye on who they’re letting hold the editing reins. Stop doing us all a huge disservice by allowing somebody who can’t edit their way out of a third-grade reader to pass judgment on our writing.

The Liam’s of this community deserve a hell of a better chance than you publications are giving them by doing this kind of stupid shit.

Thank you so much for reading. You didn’t have to, but I’m certainly glad you did.

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© P.G. Barnett, 2020. All Rights Reserved.