I’m a strong believer in simultaneous submissions. So I’ve had this creative non-fiction short story, “What To Expect While Grieving for Your Father” that I’ve been submitting around multiple places for a month or so. It’s gotten three rejection letters–from New Delta Review, Owl Eye Review, and Palooka–and today [drum roll please!] I was notified that The Susquehanna Review accepted it!! (Which meant I needed to withdraw it from consideration at The Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle. Read here about how NOT to withdraw your materials).
On one note, I’d like to encourage everyone to keep submitting stories they really believe in even if somebody hasn’t liked it (yet). On another note, I think everyone should bookmark the current issues page at The Susquehanna Review and wait with bated breath for the day that they post the entire new issue online. Then read my awesome (and rather short, sub 1,000 words) published story. And then tell me what you think. On yet another note, (I”m feeling musical here) I’d like to recommend two journals who might love your creative writing, so you should check them out if you’re unfamiliar.
Owl Eye Review
Very new to the publishing scene (2011) means that, in theory, they’re probably a little easier to get accepted to because they don’t have a reputation yet and maybe have a slightly undefined narrative voice. You can read more about why they were inspired to found the journal here.
What Owl Eye Review wants: only poetry and creative non-fiction. See further submission guidelines.
When they want it: anytime. Rolling submissions.
How they want it: via submishmash.
Allow simultaneous submissions: yes.
Official submission response time: none posted.
My personal rejection time: 13 days.
Payment? No.
Palooka: A Journal of Underdog Excellence
It’s also rather new to the field, but it’s gotten some really excellent peer reviews so I deem it a trustworthy publication. My personal favorite story in the past issue is Scratch. The memory of the plot has been haunting me for awhile and I couldn’t remember where I had read it and was really excited just now searching through their archives and stumbling upon it. Definitely worth more than one read.
What Palooka wants: pretty much every single kind of creative work possible.
When they want it: anytime. Seems to be rolling submissions.
How they want it: via submishmash.
Allow simultaneous submissions: yes.
Official submission response time: about a week.
My personal submission rejection time: 10 days.
Payment? One complimentary copy of the issue you were published in plus a discount on additional copies.
Warning: This is one of the journals that requires a nominal fee–$2.50–for general submissions
So what’s your record amount of rejections for a particular story before an acceptance letter?
Hannah Karena Jones 