So if you aren’t familiar with Slush Pile and you are capable of writing or reading, you should remedy that as soon as humanly possible. It’s a great mag, she’s a great editor and here she gives great advice:
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Why I Rejected Your Submission
A lovely little snippet to whet your appetite:
“If you want to be an excellent writer, you must read a lot, and you must read almost exclusively good writing — preferably writing that has a bit of distance from your own day and age. Because whatever you put into your brain is what will be coming out on the page. What you read affects your vocabulary, your syntax, your internal dialogue. I would go so far as to say it affects the way you interpret the world.”
Slushpile was kind enough to publish one of my story Tentacles not too long ago. They always put out excellent issues and I’m honored to have been included.
Read it. Ingest it. Osmosis it if you have to. Then send her some of your best stuff.
Ally Malinenko 