by Sasi Kondru
It all started with a follow.
As I was checking my Instagram feed one day, I noticed I had received a follow from The AfterPast Review, a literary publication focusing on feminism. I had never thought about submitting to a magazine till then, but after clicking on their profile out of curiosity, the “submit” part of their bio really tempted me. Could I, a shy high schooler with a grand total of 4 friends, really be published in a magazine?
I had never been much of a writer, but I had written a few poems before, and I thought that maybe I could submit one of those to them. It never hurts to try, right?
So I did submit. And I was rejected.
The first rejection always hits that hardest, and this was no different. I felt like submitting was a mistake, and I shouldn’t have tried. All of those other submitters have been doing this for years, right? Why should I try to compete against them?
For a few days, I kept revising my poem, thinking about what I could’ve done better. I kept picking it apart and piecing it back together. To cool myself down, I took a break from editing and focused on other things, like reading and walking, and eventually, I came to the realization that since I’m a beginner, I should improve before submitting again. This led to me doing a plethora of writing exercises and asking others for any advice I could get. Everyone had something to say, and I was able to collectively take their advice and revise my poem for the final time.
Feeling more relaxed and prepared this time, I felt confident enough to reach out to a different magazine (Girlhood Magazine) to ask if I could submit some of my work to them. And to my surprise, they accepted a poem and article I wrote! This gave me the confidence to submit to other magazines, which led to a huge string of acceptances.
And I was rejected again. And again. And then I had 3 poems rejected at once.
This made me quit writing for a few days, but this time was when I realized that quitting was only hurting me and my writing. I had fallen in love with it, and I wanted to keep doing it, and giving up went against that.
So I kept writing. And I still keep writing. I’ve received lots of acceptances and way more rejections, and I’ve been able to be a part of so many amazing communities and even attend a virtual writing convention! But I sometimes have been left waiting for a response only to see a post about the issue with my name not listed as an author. I’ve also been accepted and then just never published.
And that’s okay.
I’m proud to say that I’ve had over 30 pieces of my writing published across a wide variety of magazines, zines, blogs, and even a literary journal! I’m also proud to say that I’ve been rejected well over 50 times. Those weren’t 50 rejections; those were 50 learning opportunities, some of which even gave me extensive feedback.
So, to anyone who’s a beginner writer, or wants to submit to magazines but is way too afraid to do it: go for it, please. There are many people and places that would love to see your writing! Never be discouraged by rejections. Always ask magazines if you can receive feedback (a lot of times they will say yes), and ask for advice on your writing from friends or teachers! And remember, you will get rejections and submissions, but the best thing you can do for yourself (and for the literary world) is to keep writing and keep going!
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