Lit Mag Mythbusters! What's True, What's Not

Here at The Review Review, we have been curious about myths that circulate regarding lit mags. So we asked on Facebook:

What are some myths you have heard about submitting to/publishing in/editing literary magazines?

Here is what people said:

Martin Van Velsen, writer and editor of The Hour After Happy Hour Review: In the call for submissions: "we are seeking outside submissions and will carefully review any work coming our way for inclusion in our magazine". The magazine has only published work by their own editors and friends.

Michael Nye, writer and editor of the Missouri Review: I heard this quite a bit at AWP: "Doesn't TMR solicit all their work?" No! We don't! I'm not sure why this idea persists.

Erin Amar, writer and editor of Rocker: In general I've heard people say not to call or check in on submissions / queries in general and I think that's wrong. Though people can simply not want your pitch, the other rule of biz is squeaky wheel gets the grease. You don't want to be a pest or piss anyone off, but a respectful "just wanted to make sure you got my submission and did you have any questions" I think is fine.

Editors are just people doing a job. They are not gods. Nothing wrong with remembering that. If one sends you any kind of vague compliment "really liked this but not right now" or such I'd follow up on that. Complete no-response after many emails? Ya, probably not interested / doesn't care for your style. That's OK, just move on to the next publication.

Christopher Lowe, writer: I've heard a lot of absolutes when it comes to submitting a new story after getting a personal rejection. "Send something immediately so that you're still fresh on the editors' minds!" or "Don't send anything for six months because you don't want the editors to get tired of seeing your work!" Send a new story when it is ready, when you've revised and edited thoroughly, when you are sure that it's where you want it. That could be a week after the personal rejection, or it could be a year later. Either way, keep the focus on the work and not on arbitrary, overblown timelines.

Susan Tepper, writer: I don't know if this is a myth but it is a very interesting story: The Paris Review has a room of slush. Slush piled practically to the ceiling. Every so often, an intern, or a lowly editor will go to that room and pick off a piece to read. Whether or not it is true, it kept me away from submitting there after one or two tries years ago.

Meg Pokrass, writer and editor of New World Writing: There is no formula. That is all I have learned. As a writer, rejections are something we must expect. Acceptances are like freaky miracles. If we are accepted too easily and too often, we are not shooting high enough in terms of where we send our work. If we are being rejected all over the place, we are doing something right: sending to the right places and taking ourselves seriously. Probably the best thing to do is to scatter our work like bird seed. Shoot high (big name mags) yet offering ourselves some regular publication with the smaller, more grateful magazines.

Josh Medsker, writer and editor of Twenty-Four Hours Zine: ...I was talking to a friend the other day who wanted to know how "the magic" happens. That is, getting your stuff published. I told him it comes down to the right piece getting into the hands of the right person on the right day. 

We talked further ---about over-writing and I confessed that I sent out the same half a dozen poems and stories for about... 6 years 7 years? I wasn't willing to let it go. I told him that I broke that awful habit by just cranking out the writing. Painful though, when you don't get much feedback. 

So I told him that once your stuff gets picked up, pat yourself on the back, go buy yourself a fancy coffee and get back writing.

The nepotism thing is interesting though... I decided that with my lit mag, Twenty Four Hours, that we should foster a community feel, and keep our doors open to people we've published before. If the work isn't good, I think that our editorial crew (and the writers) are big enough boys and girls to handle criticism. 

And there's plenty of room for everyone under our tent, as long as we feel like they fit our philosophy.

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What about you? Got some lit mag myths you would like to see proven or busted? Do tell.