Rejection is part of the writing process—any writer knows that. But what happens when a rejection feels less like an evaluation of the work and more like an unwillingness to engage with it on its own terms?
I recently submitted my piece,TheStrategist to Eleventh Hour Literary Journal, a publication based in Binghamton. This wasn’t just any piece—it was drawn from University on Watch, my memoir about my lived experience, much of which took place in Binghamton itself. If there were ever a publication that should connect with the themes and setting of this story, it would be Eleventh Hour.
Their response? A rejection that felt strangely detached, as if they had skimmed the piece and dismissed it for failing to fit a predetermined mold. The feedback boiled down to this:
“I like the idea of the story, but it very much reads as a diary or as a ‘not-story’—maybe like an account of the thing that you would give to someone. I think this could be really amazing if it was written as events in a story and not just retelling.”
They wanted more of a “story,” more “in-the-moment” writing. They wanted me to rewrite my experience to fit a style they preferred. But The Strategist was never meant to be a cinematic retelling—it was meant to be accessible. I wrote it that way intentionally, because not every real-life experience can—or should—be dramatized for effect.
When “Preference” Overrides Merit
This rejection wasn’t just frustrating; it revealed a larger issue in literary spaces. Too often, editorial preferences dictate which stories are given space, even when the writing itself is strong. A journal should evaluate a piece based on its effectiveness—not just on whether it fits into a narrow stylistic box.
What makes this rejection particularly troubling is that Eleventh Hour is based in Binghamton, the very city where my story takes place. The lack of engagement with its significance suggests something more than just stylistic preference—it feels dismissive of the lived experiences embedded in the piece. If a literary journal from a place can’t connect with the stories from that place, what does that say about how we value real, personal narratives?
The Bigger Picture
Writers, especially those sharing deeply personal work, deserve to have their pieces evaluated on their own terms. Literary journals should recognize that there is no single “correct” way to tell a story—especially when that story is lived experience. When they fail to do so, they risk silencing voices that don’t conform to an arbitrary standard of storytelling.
So, where does that leave The Strategist? It remains what it always was—an honest, accessible reflection of my experience. And just because one journal didn’t “get” it doesn’t mean the piece isn’t worth sharing. If anything, it’s a reminder that the right audience matters just as much as the right words.
Have you ever had a piece rejected because it didn’t fit a journal’s preferred style? Let’s talk about it.
Max E. Guttman is the owner of Mindful Living LCSW, PLLC, a private mental health practice in Yonkers, New York.
