Ask Sally #18 Etiquette regarding feedback from an editor

I recently had several stories returned from a magazine, and whilst they were rejected, the editor included a page and a half of notes as to why they'd been turned down. I agreed with everything she said. But now I'm wondering what the etiquette is if I rewrote the stories according to her tips and sent them to the same magazine again. Should I do that?

First of all let me say that the editor must have thought you were worth the effort of giving constructive feedback. I know the magazine you mention (but am not naming it here for obvious reasons) and usually when they reject, they just send a pre-printed leaflet stating their requirements. To get a page and a half of actual feedback from the editor is a great accolade for you and I hope you will gain a lot from what you've been told.

However, I'm sure that if the editor had wanted to see your stories again, she would have asked, or been happy to edit those that came close to their requirements. So don't send them back to that magazine when you've rewritten them. What I'd suggest is rewriting them, according to her tips - assuming you agree. You don't have to change anything unless you feel she has a valid point. Then once they're rewritten, you can send them to different magazines.

There's nothing to stop you sending new work to this publication though, and I wish you the very best of luck with all future submissions!