SmokeLong Quarterly - Revision history

Mwolf: /* Prose rejections */

2026-06-13T19:11:43Z

Prose rejections

2026-06-12T16:54:41Z

Standard

2026-06-12T16:53:45Z

Standard

2025-08-22T18:30:06Z

Standard

2025-08-22T18:29:50Z

Standard

2025-05-22T00:37:00Z

Standard

2024-08-19T10:07:50Z

Standard

2024-08-19T10:07:15Z

Higher Tier

2024-08-19T10:06:13Z

Prose rejections: organizing tiers, erasing 2011 forms

2023-11-17T10:50:51Z

Contest rejections

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:11, 13 June 2026
Line 3:		Line 3:

	== Prose rejections ==		== Prose rejections ==
		+
		+	=== Standard? ===
		+	'''2026'''
		+	<blockquote>
		+	Dear [first name],
		+
		+	Thank you for your submission of {title} to SmokeLong Quarterly. We gave your work careful consideration. Though we are not accepting it for publication, we hope you find a better fit for it elsewhere.
		+
		+	Sometimes a narrative can be excellent work but simply not be right for the journal. One common reason for this is that the text, though under 1000 words, lacks the urgency and arc of a flash narrative. This might mean your story would work better as a longer story, part of a longer story, or even poetry with line breaks. Other very common reasons for rejection: the narrative tries too hard to make a point, lacks movement or change, and/or focuses on language in a distracting way that stalls or sidelines the story. These reasons for rejection may not specifically relate to your own submission. They are meant as general advice rather than specific feedback.
		+
		+	Thanks again for trusting us with your work, and thank you for reading SmokeLong Quarterly. Our story archive (23 years and counting!) is available to read free online.
		+
		+	All the best,
		+
		+	Christopher Allen
		+
		+	SmokeLong Quarterly
		+
		+	http://smokelong.com
		+
		+

	=== Standard ===		=== Standard ===

@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 Form rejection from the multiple story submission tier sometimes also includes:
-<blockquote>Other reasons for rejection: the narrative tries too hard to make a point, lacks movement or change, lacks art at the line level, and/or focuses on language in a distracting way that stalls or sidelines the story. These are just a few very common reasons and may not apply to your work specifically.<blockquote>
+<blockquote>Other reasons for rejection: the narrative tries too hard to make a point, lacks movement or change, lacks art at the line level, and/or focuses on language in a distracting way that stalls or sidelines the story. These are just a few very common reasons and may not apply to your work specifically. </blockquote>
 === Higher Tier ===

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 Sometimes the form rejection also includes:
 <blockquote>Sometimes a narrative can be excellent work but simply not be right for the journal. One common reason for this is that the text, though under 1000 words, isn't a flash narrative. This might mean your story would work better as a longer story, part of a longer story, or even poetry. </blockquote>
 === Higher Tier ===

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 Sometimes the form rejection also includes:
-<blockquote>
+<blockquote>Sometimes a narrative can be excellent work but simply not be right for the journal. One common reason for this is that the text, though under 1000 words, isn't a flash narrative. This might mean your story would work better as a longer story, part of a longer story, or even poetry. </blockquote>
 === Higher Tier ===

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 </blockquote>
-Dear [first name],
+Sometimes the form rejection also includes:
+<blockquote>
-Thank you for your submission of "[title]" to SmokeLong Quarterly. We gave your work careful consideration. Though we are not accepting it for publication, we hope you find a better fit for it elsewhere.
+Sometimes a narrative can be excellent work but simply not be right for the journal. One common reason for this is that the text, though under 1000 words, isn't a flash narrative. This might mean your story would work better as a longer story, part of a longer story, or even poetry. </blockquote>
 === Higher Tier ===

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 === Standard ===
-'''2022'''
+'''2024'''
 <blockquote>
 Dear [first name],
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 http://smokelong.com
 </blockquote>
 === Higher Tier ===

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 </blockquote>
-'''2012'''
 <blockquote>
-Thank you for your submission of '--' to SmokeLong Quarterly. Unfortunately, we are going to pass on this story.
+Dear xx,
-</blockquote>
-'''2011'''
+This story sparked a discussion among our editors. We hope you'll keep us in mind for future submissions.
-Thanks again for trusting us with your work.
+Thanks again for trusting us with your work, and thank you for reading SmokeLong Quarterly. Our story archive is available free to read online.
-Best,
+All the best,
-Editors
+Christopher Allen
 SmokeLong Quarterly
@@ Line 40: / Line 41: @@
 </blockquote>
-=== Higher Tier ===
+=== Highest Tier ===
 <blockquote>
@@ Line 49: / Line 50: @@
 --
 http://smokelong.com"
 </blockquote>

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:50, 17 November 2023
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	== Contest rejections ==		== Contest rejections ==
		+
		+	=== Standard Tier (Grand Micro Competition) ===
		+	'''2023'''
		+
		+	<blockquote>
		+	Dear [Writer],
		+
		+	Thank you for giving SmokeLong the opportunity of reading your work. This entry unfortunately did not make it through to the second round of judging, but we wish you success with it as well as with your writing in general.
		+
		+	All the best,
		+
		+	Christopher Allen
		+	</blockquote>

	=== Higher Tier? ===		=== Higher Tier? ===