May 1990 pegs this letter at the end of my freshman year of college. It was the first time I became aware that a potential market for my work could just evaporate overnight.
I honestly don’t remember anything about Fiction Network. No idea what I sent to them or why. No idea if I ever saw or read a copy. I do, however, find it disheartening that a publication boasting the successful alumni enumerated in the following letter couldn’t stay afloat for more than a baker’s dozen issues.
If there’s a lesson here for aspiring authors, I suppose it’s this: Sometimes you don’t even get rejected. Sometimes they die before they can reject you. You may find that dispiriting or heartwarming, depending on your outlook on life. 🙂
I confess to being a bit perplexed by the last item on the checklist. If I’m getting this letter, then that’s my response to my submission, right? That last item makes it sound like they sent this letter to people who may not have even submitted anything. Weird…