Things that bother me, part 2

Not getting published

Getting published

Wait! Why is that a bad thing? Well, what bothers me is that, yes, I want to be published—so I submit my work to agents, editors, journals, contests, etc. Mostly to non-paying outlets. The times I’ve been reimbursed for my words I can count on one hand. This is a whole other blog.

So last fall I submitted a piece to Friday Flash Fiction, as well as other venues. I got a few declines, a few non-responses. Once a piece is accepted, I inform others and withdraw the piece. I keep a submission grid, so can pretty well tell you where I am with a certain piece.

What bothers me is when a piece is taken and I am not informed. I know this might be taking things too far, but it feels like stealing. Yes, I’ve given it to an editor for review or for consideration. If they are professional then they should get back to me in a timely manner and give me a response: thumbs up or thumbs down. But to simply take it and quietly publish it without letting me know sounds like theft, or as if I’m merely a tool to your own benefit.

We work together. I write and you need content.

What I’m describing has not happened just once but already this year a couple of times, and in one instance MADE CHANGES without my permission.

This has made for an awkward situation, since I continued to send it out and it was officially accepted and published by an up-and-coming journal. I feel horrible—yet it was not something I intended—to submit a piece of work that has been previously published.

Editors, please realize that in this day and age of easy communication to inform writers if you are accepting their work and also understand if you unintentionally end up publishing work that has appeared previously. Obviously first-level journals this might not be a problem, but for those of us swimming upstream in a sea of anonymity it still affects us.

Here is the legit one! Revenge at HunnyBee Lit