Another Bee in My Bonnet...🐝👒

Hey, Everyone!! I was scrolling on X and came across this …

I understand what the poster was trying to say and that her intent was to encourage writers to do better, be better. But am I the only one who also hears an acceptance rate above 25% may equal mediocrity? And this isn't the first time I've read this sentiment, or something similar, in the writing community.

I don't like comments like this - blanket assumptions based on someone’s opinion (or jealousy or literary elitist thinking). Sure, there are people stuck in their comfort zones. But how is “comfort zone” being defined? A horror writer is going to stay in the horror community. A writer of grit lit is going to continually seek out lit mags like Cowboy Jamboree and Revolution John. And romance writers will keep submitting to Micromance...😉…And there's nothing wrong with that.

Personally, I regularly submitted throughout ‘23 & ‘24, and both years my acceptance rate was well above 50%. Yes, part of that, especially in ‘23, was due to being a regular contributor at Friday Flash Fiction. Each week I submitted a 100-word story, and (nearly) each Friday it was published. But FFF isn't a pushover of a lit mag. Gordon has guidelines. Strict ones. And he has a great eye for quality writing. Pieces do get rejected, for all kinds of reasons.

So, did being a part of the FFF community mean I wasn't leaving my comfort zone? Wasn't challenging myself? On the contrary…

Each week I was challenged to create a brand new drabble. And it had to be quality. Gordon receives 100’s of subs each week and only publishes about 35. Yes, I knew chances were good I'd get published, but nothing was guaranteed.

But, even without FFF, my acceptance rate would still have been well above 25%. And I did go outside of my “comfort zone.” I had a horror flash, The Christmas Visitor, published in a Wicked Shadows Christmas Anthology. I had another bit of horror, Queen of Hearts, published in Litmora’s Tabbie Tuesday. I've submitted to speculative magazines and well-respected noir and grit mags and have been accepted. And these were all challenges for me, a romance writer and poet.

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So, having high acceptance rates does not mean you aren't challenging yourself or are stuck in a comfort zone. On the contrary, if you're a genre writer, it means you're really good at what you write! Keep it up!

Just as having a low acceptance rate (below 5%) doesn't mean your standards are too high or your not submitting broadly enough. The original post says these are “something to consider (along with your goals & disposition)”… well, maybe your goal is to be published in a certain type of magazine - competitive ones with low acceptance rates - and there's nothing wrong that. Especially if you're aware of the difficulty of being placed in those spaces and don't take those rejections personally or become discouraged by them.

I had both commented on this post and retweeted it with my own thoughts. The original poster engaged me, explaining she wasn’t disparaging anyone. I told her I understood her intent, but there are people - writers new to subbing, or writers with confidence issues - who may be thrilled they have a 30% AR, and then read a comment like hers and second-guess themselves, doubt their skill. But, even though, in rereading her post, she could kinda see how that could happen, the OP kept saying she didn't mean it that way.

I know in my first year of subbing, I was accepted so easily to a few places that I wondered if maybe they just accept anything. But then I saw the content they published or researched more to realize that, no, they were a lit mag that only printed quality pieces. But, imagine being in that frame of mind and then reading from a “veteran” writer or editor, that if you're receiving a lot of acceptances you may not be pushing yourself enough. Or, as was the discourse in the writing community awhile back (and was my doubt), that you aren't submitting to quality lit mags… how deflated would that make you?

And let's not forget about imposter syndrome. I don't think I've ever heard that term as often in my life as I have in the writing community. How do comments like this affect people who are already doubting their accomplishments or unable to believe they deserve their accomplishments (compared to others)? Words are powerful, and when making posts like this we need to be careful what words we use or how we use them…

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Yeah, I really don't like comments like this. Though they could be true for some, they are not “likely” for anyone, as the OP suggests… and, no matter the intent, these statements come off judgy and, frankly, disparaging. If the intent is to encourage writers, why not just encourage them to submit, instead - anywhere and everywhere - and then celebrate their successes rather than put a cloud of doubt over their publications. After all, for some writers, sharing their work publicly is difficult, and simply submitting their work is going outside of their comfort zone.

So, no matter where you are in your writing journey… no matter what your AR% is…don't EVER let anyone tell you you might be doing it wrong… if you're a genre writer, don't EVER let anyone tell you you need to broaden your horizons or “challenge yourself” by leaving your comfort zone and writing something else… if your AR is above 25%, Bravo!! If your AR is 3%, Bravo! If your AR is 100% because you're a genre writer and you only submit where you know you have the best chances to be accepted, Bravo!! You are all talented, accomplished writers!

Keep up the good work!! And happy submitting!

Gail Lynn, EIC 🥰