On Rejection and the Limitations of Space

Magnapoets edito-in-cheif, Aurora Antonovic, writes this “Editor’s Lament” in the most recent issue:

“Editors have various methods of choosing what gets into an issue and what doesn’t. I liken putting together a magazine like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. Some images may be quite pretty and deserving on their own merit, but they don’t necessarily fit into this particular puzzle. In other words, sometimes I have to turn down high quality work because there simply isn’t space for it, or it doesn’t fit an unintentional theme that’s developed all on its own for the issue…I am both a writer and editor, and believe me when I say it is much harder to send a rejection letter than to receive one myself.

“So, if you’ve sent work to this magazine in the past and been rejected, or if you sent work to another publication and it’s not been accepted, rather than assuming it’s not ‘good enough,’ realize that maybe there’s a harried editor somewhere who feels badly about the limitations of space.”