Writing Submissions

Here's an email I received from "Brevity," an online nonfiction journal. I submitted two short essays to them last month. Oh, well...


Ms. Haynie

Thank you for submitting your work to Brevity.  Although we do not have a place for your work in the issues for which we are currently reading, we wanted you to know that our readers read your essay closely.

We have been blessed with a large number of excellent submissions lately, and we hope that you understand that we can only publish a small fraction of the material we receive.  
Good luck with your writing,

The Editors

Then, a few days later I received this email, also from "Brevity," about the second piece I had submitted. I submitted both pieces at the same time, so I was greatly encouraged that they spent more time reading the second piece. Note that this time they address me as "Kathy" instead of "Ms. Haynie." They like me!

Kathy,


This one came very close, up to the final round of decision making, in fact, but we've decided to pass on this essay.

I don't know if that makes you feel good or if such "close but no cigar" news is just hard to hear, but we have been blessed with a large number of excellent submissions lately, and hope that you understand that we can only publish a small fraction of the material we receive.

We encourage you to submit your work elsewhere and to consider us again (remembering our rule,  no more than two submissions per author per calendar year.)

Good luck with your writing,

The Editors

Yesterday I received this completely unexpected email. It's from "Oregon 150," a website that was set up last year to celebrate Oregon 150th birthday. I submitted a piece, along with requiring my students to submit writing several different terms. They really, really like my piece! It's going to be published in a book! I think I posted this link before, but if you haven't already read, "Volcano Weather," you can read it here. Or you can wait till the book gets published.  :)

Ooligan Press

Portland State University

P.O. Box 751

Portland, OR 97207

(503) 725-9748

Dear Kathy Haynie,

Congratulations! Ooligan Press will be including the story you submitted for the Oregon 150 Commission’s Oregon Stories project as part of a book by the same title that we will be publishing in the spring of 2010. The book will be comprised of 150 regional stories, which capture diverse Oregon experiences from myriad voices.

There were many potential pieces, and we enjoyed reviewing all of them. After much consideration, we have decided that your work fulfills our aspirations for the forthcoming book.

We will be contacting you with more information as the publication date draws closer. If you would like more information about Ooligan Press or have specific questions about the project, please visit our website www.ooliganpress.pdx.edu or e-mail editing@ooliganpress.pdx.edu.

We thank you for your time and effort and for your Oregon story.

Sincerely,

Lauren Saxton