5 Magazines that Have Rejected Me in 2021
Reading time: 4 minutes
Photo by Charisse Kenion on Unsplash
Intro
Believe it or not, my goal for 2021 was to receive 40 rejections from magazines.
I like the idea of setting the submission goal in terms of rejections for two main reasons.
By doing so, it falls entirely under my control. If my new year resolution was to get published, the outcome of this task would have been in the hands of the editors reading my work, not in mine. This would have triggered my natural excuse-making instinct, which is something I’d like to avoid.
Secondly, vocalising the goal as a rejection target rather than a submission one, gets me used to the idea that I have to go through lots and lots of failures if I want to be a writer, and I must be ok with that. It gets my skin thicker.
Despite the above, this year I didn't meet the target.
I did send something out for evaluation though, and even if none of the magazines listed below published me, they all kindly replied letting me know that they had at least read my submission. Some of them sent back words of encouragement, some have been a bit more robotic; but they all replied. As we are approaching Christmas, I decided to go public with my failures and, at the same time, give the chance to someone else to get published on those platforms.
Merry Christmas Folks!
1. Mandrake
Although I'm not sure they are still live—their website seems offline at the time of writing this—but they describe themselves as follows:
Mandrake is a Journal of Gothic, supernatural, weird and horror writing based out of Dublin, Ireland.
I personally submitted for their very first issue and got an encouraging rejection email from their editor.
2. Firewords
Firewords is the magazine of fiery fiction & poetry brought to life with visual flair.
They publish themed seasonal issues and each one of them is simply beautiful.
They accept writing that fits the following description:
We publish powerful short stories and poems that leave an impression long after they are read. Our writers come from all over the world. Will you be next?
Their rejection was very personal and optimistic. They encouraged me to submit again but, unfortunately, for the issue "Wild" I didn't have anything suitable. I’ll be back. I promise.
Check out their website, they are great.
3. Shooter
From their website:
Shooter is a biannual literary magazine featuring entertaining, well crafted stories and poetry from the best new writers, showcasing original artwork on the cover of each issue.
Unlike most literary journals, we make a point of paying our writers and artists, believing that creative work deserves financial reward. When you subscribe to Shooter, you support writers and artists at the outset of their careers: a crucial time when recognition can make a huge difference.
Right now they are also running a month by month competition for flash fiction (below 1,000 words) and the quality of their publications is extraordinarily high.
4. Flash Frog
On their about page, they state that Flash Frog is:
…a new online flash fiction magazine featuring stories under 1,000 words. We like our stories like we like our dart frogs: small, brightly colored, and deadly to the touch.
And just to make sure our stories are as vibrant as the Dendrobates tinctorius azureus, each one is accompanied by original artwork created just for that piece.
Flash Frog pays $25 per story and publishes a new one every Monday. Subs are always open, so check the guidelines and send us stories that poison.
Just be aware; the competition is fierce!
5. Small Leaf press. JADEN Magazine
https://www.smallleafpress.co.uk/
Ok, I cheated. I didn't get a rejection letter from them, not being underrepresented myself, but I paid for feedback on one of my short stories.
Their response was quick and on point, and I love the idea of their magazine, which, once more, is edited at the highest quality standard.
From their homepage:
we are very passionate about self-discovery and personal growth journey which is why we created JADEN, a well-being and sef-discovery magazine for writers of colour and underrepresented creatives to express their personal growth stories with the world. we want JADEN to be a place to come back to when times may be a little harder, to find comfort that other people have gone through and are going through what you may be struggling with or have the same thoughts and ideals about the world as you do. and most importantly to remind you that You Are A Garden.
Here you go.
Hopefully you'll find a home for your writing.
Merry Christmas and, as always,
Alla prossima.
Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
