Let me start off by saying I love your magazine. Itgives many kids in my advanced language arts class a place to send theirwork.

I have a few concerns about the note you send to submitting writers.The letter your company sends back reads:

Thanks for the item(s) that yousent. Each piece is read at least once and most are reviewed by more than oneeditor, so be assured that your work has been thoughtfully considered forpublication.

We've included a Teen Ink bookmark as a little thank you forsending your work. Be sure to see our changing site (Teen Ink.com) and look forthe SIX Teen Ink books in bookstores or online ...

We appreciate all thepoetry we receive and publish three Poetry Journals each year with an additional1,000 poems. But, you definitely have a better chance of being published in anyother section. Also, why not interview someone special and be eligible to win acelebrity interview?

Sincerely, The Meyers,

Publishers/Editors

I appreciate that my pieces have been reviewed,but were they published or not? I think that you should inform writers of thefate of their work that took so much time to write, not keep them guessing andhoping that someone, somewhere read it. If you don't wish to write individualresponses to every person who submits to your magazine - and I'm sure you don't,since there are so many of them - perhaps you could simply add to your returnletter the words "you will be notified if your work has beenpublished." That would satisfy the writers who submit their work to yourmagazine.

Thank you for your time, and I hope you consider mysuggestions.


Editor's Note: Thank you, Eldon, for yourthoughtful comments. We will indeed change the wording of our acknowledgment(which is only meant to assure you that we received your submission) since we getfar too many pieces to notify each creator of the fate of their piece.

Any teen who is published in Teen Ink or the Poetry Journal receives acopy of the issue with his or her work in it, a congratulatory letter and someTeen Ink items. This is why it is so important to follow the submissionguidelines and include all your contact information.