Comments on: We Are Altogether Too Efficient http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/ A National Blog of Literature & Discussion Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:20:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Chris Blanc http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2220 Chris Blanc Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:01:47 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2220 As someone who has been on the receiving end of submissions for a publication, I can attest to how difficult it is to satisfy everyone. Most submissions are, as we like to say politely, "not ready." This doesn't mean the author is an idiot, but often, that they're still learning their craft, but not everyone can be an author. For the small zine I was editing, most submissions that came in looked like they had been written hastily, were designed for another publication, or repeated some very well-worn themes but not as well as others. It can take as few as fifteen seconds to recognize this pattern and hit "next," and it makes sense to liberate editors from having to slog through too much of this stuff so they can find the few things that are worth publishing. As someone who has been on the receiving end of submissions for a publication, I can attest to how difficult it is to satisfy everyone. Most submissions are, as we like to say politely, “not ready.” This doesn’t mean the author is an idiot, but often, that they’re still learning their craft, but not everyone can be an author.

For the small zine I was editing, most submissions that came in looked like they had been written hastily, were designed for another publication, or repeated some very well-worn themes but not as well as others. It can take as few as fifteen seconds to recognize this pattern and hit “next,” and it makes sense to liberate editors from having to slog through too much of this stuff so they can find the few things that are worth publishing.

]]> By: Goal #1 for December « Fallen Verses http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2209 Goal #1 for December « Fallen Verses Sat, 01 Dec 2007 02:28:14 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2209 [...] read about the Virgina Quarterly Review’s angry letters (hat tip to Poetic [...] [...] read about the Virgina Quarterly Review’s angry letters (hat tip to Poetic [...]

]]> By: Waldo Jaquith http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2208 Waldo Jaquith Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:43:25 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2208 It occurs to me that this brings up a separate problem, too: the work that's good enough that we hold onto it for weeks or months while we decide if we have a place for it. That's not going to speed up, no matter how much we automate, because that's a function of Ted's brain. So those authors who become accustomed to a two week turnaround time may well be puzzled or even frustrated at a three month delay. I guess they'll have to learn that this sort of a delay is a good thing. It occurs to me that this brings up a separate problem, too: the work that’s good enough that we hold onto it for weeks or months while we decide if we have a place for it. That’s not going to speed up, no matter how much we automate, because that’s a function of Ted’s brain. So those authors who become accustomed to a two week turnaround time may well be puzzled or even frustrated at a three month delay. I guess they’ll have to learn that this sort of a delay is a good thing.

]]> By: » Aaaaah - Around The Literary Blogosphere (A Carnival) World Class Poetry Blog » Blog Archive http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2206 » Aaaaah - Around The Literary Blogosphere (A Carnival) World Class Poetry Blog » Blog Archive Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:25:32 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2206 [...] Virginia Quarterly Review clues us in on the submission review process. Yesterday on VQR: Gore, Bush, and [...] [...] Virginia Quarterly Review clues us in on the submission review process. Yesterday on VQR: Gore, Bush, and [...]

]]> By: lj rey http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2205 lj rey Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:36:02 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2205 Thank you for explaining how your selection (and rejection) process works. I fully understand why editors do not (cannot) comment on each submission. It is enlightening to know you have a procedure i place. I would like to think all editors have established the same. It would be considerate if they would publish an explanation as you have done. Thank you for explaining how your selection (and rejection) process works. I fully understand why editors do not (cannot) comment on each submission. It is enlightening to know you have a procedure i place. I would like to think all editors have established the same. It would be considerate if they would publish an explanation as you have done.

]]> By: Waldo Jaquith http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2204 Waldo Jaquith Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:03:55 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2204 Dave, I was just admiring <a href="http://www.duotrope.com/market_370.aspx" rel="nofollow">y'all's stats on Duotrope</a> a few hours ago. Your 8.5 days average per rejection made me wonder how in the world you handled the angry e-mail -- the possibility hadn't occurred to me that an artificial delay was already built into that marvelously speedy turnaround time. It'd be interesting to figure out the decay rate of angry letters per declination as the response time increases. Dave, I was just admiring y’all’s stats on Duotrope a few hours ago. Your 8.5 days average per rejection made me wonder how in the world you handled the angry e-mail — the possibility hadn’t occurred to me that an artificial delay was already built into that marvelously speedy turnaround time. It’d be interesting to figure out the decay rate of angry letters per declination as the response time increases.

]]> By: Dave Clapper http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2203 Dave Clapper Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:54:31 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2203 That angry letter is one that's all too familiar to me. Because we've always handled our submissions online and because we had the raw energy of crazy youth when we first started out, we often read submissions the same day they were received. And, consequently, we often sent out rejections the same day. Commence the angry emails. So we started to sit on subs at least a couple days before rejecting. It didn't change the quickness with which we read submissions and decided on their publishability, but it did reduce the angry letters. Anyway... kudos to you for going online for your subs. Would that every publication did so. It improves the time that submissions sit on editors' desk by leaps and bounds. That angry letter is one that’s all too familiar to me. Because we’ve always handled our submissions online and because we had the raw energy of crazy youth when we first started out, we often read submissions the same day they were received. And, consequently, we often sent out rejections the same day. Commence the angry emails. So we started to sit on subs at least a couple days before rejecting. It didn’t change the quickness with which we read submissions and decided on their publishability, but it did reduce the angry letters.

Anyway… kudos to you for going online for your subs. Would that every publication did so. It improves the time that submissions sit on editors’ desk by leaps and bounds.

]]> By: AB http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2202 AB Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:27:51 +0000 http://www.vqronline.org/blog/2007/11/27/too-efficient/#comment-2202 When David Wagoner was at the helm of Poetry Northwest, he managed to maintain about a two week response time. Most poets felt grateful rather than slighted at his prompt attention. I think that's primarily the case here with VQR's new system. Maybe artists distrust being treated with respect? When David Wagoner was at the helm of Poetry Northwest, he managed to maintain about a two week response time. Most poets felt grateful rather than slighted at his prompt attention. I think that’s primarily the case here with VQR’s new system. Maybe artists distrust being treated with respect?

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