Rejection Selection

Poet's Notes

(Show)

Become a Premium Member and post notes and photos about your poem like L Milton Hankins.

["Rejection Selection" was first published in Writer's Digest, the World's Leading Magazine for Writers, June, 1981.]

If I have to receive rejections, you would think I could at least get the kind of rejection slips that I would like to get. Here are a few rejections that I haven't received. Yet. "Unpalatable!" --Gourmet "Try our Fiction Department." --True Story "Too padded. Trim it down." --Weight Watcher "No! No! No!--Positive Living Magazine "Sorry!" --Good News Magazine "Indigestible!" --Reader's Digest "You've missed the mark!" --Guideposts "Doesn't suit our needs." --Gentlemen's Quarterly "Out of step." --Military Review "Clean it up!" --Good Housekeeping "Not relative." --Family Circle "Not our style." --Glamour

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Jan Allison

Date: 8/4/2021 2:18:00 PM

oh what a giggle I certainly needed a smile today!:-) hugs Jan xx

L Milton Hankins
Date: 8/4/2021 3:00:00 PM

I think all of us are a bit down today, Jan, for obvious reasons.

Caren Krutsinger

Date: 6/30/2021 11:12:00 PM

Oh, this is great! ""Too padded. Trim it down." --Weight Watcher"

L Milton Hankins
Date: 7/1/2021 7:45:00 AM

Hey, if they're going to reject your efforts, they at least ought to make it a fun rejection!

Sotto Poet

Date: 6/30/2021 1:18:00 PM

Rejection, I believe, is a kind of success since it motivates you to keep working to attain your objectives, even though those who have rejected your amazing poems may not be aware of your endeavors. Best wishes for more success

L Milton Hankins
Date: 6/30/2021 2:20:00 PM

Thanks so much, Lasaad. That was originally written a very long time ago.

Beryl Edmonds

Date: 6/30/2021 10:49:00 AM

Milt, if I received rejections like those you have listed, I’m afraid I’d become bitter and twisted… Belle

L Milton Hankins
Date: 6/30/2021 3:58:00 PM

So true, Belle. Thank you for reading my poems and writing a comment. I really appreciate it.

Beryl Edmonds
Date: 6/30/2021 11:27:00 AM

I’ve been writing poetry since the age of fourteen. Have had poems entered monthly in our church newsletter and they’ve always been well received. Had a few in newspapers too, though some get completely ignored. At least posting to PoetrySoup gets our poems out there to be seen, instead of stuck in a drawer never to see the light of day. Thanks Milt… Belle

L Milton Hankins
Date: 6/30/2021 10:57:00 AM

Belle, I've been writing since I was in high school. I have boxes of rejection letters and slips. After awhile, you learn to slough them off. What one editor rejects, another editor absolutely loves. An editor may also reject twenty pieces of writing before accepting one. Persistence pays! Thanks so much for your comment. Incidentally, the more things you get published, the easier it is to publish. It's that first one that is so hard to come by.