Have Courage
We have a hard internal rule to never tell any author when we reject their articles because there is almost always so much resentment.
When I break our internal rule and try to help an author out…
It’s almost predictable … as if some authors are looking to be rejected and when we do, we fulfill their need to be rejected. What gives with that?
While I’ll admit there is some subjective decision making when we accept or reject an article, the greater majority of decisions are based mechanically as to whether it meets our posted editorial guideliness or not.
It’s a darn shame that legitimate authors who don’t take rejection personally are denied knowing why we rejected their articles.
I can see why large companies prefer faceless private communication so that the stakeholders (in this case the authors) can dissasociate from the rejection and know without a doubt that it’s not personal.
Worse, it’s almost a guarantee that if we reject an article from a author who takes it personal (even though it’s usually not), we run the risk of creating an enemy that we didn’t ask for.
Personally, I’m burnt out on working with overly sensitive authors. :!) Maybe there is a full moon or some weird star alignment going on today.
As an editor I can relate to your frustration with oversensitive authors. Every author thinks his or her article is the best ever written; every parent thinks his or her child is the smartest ever born. We know that’s not true! My kids are the smartest! (O.K…. only kidding!) We live in a “never crush a person’s spirit” society. Teachers can’t give failing grades, red ink causes emotional trauma, and overweight people no longer are overweight, they are under tall! It’s those people who never have learned to accept criticism who refuse to accept the constructive rejection of trained editors. Until a person can accept rejection, he or she has no business submitting an article! I’ve been rejected and each rejection has served as an educational opportunity. I need all the help I can get, so thanks for caring enough to give listening authors feedback and suggestions for improvement!
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