Publishing Diaries: Rachel McCarron

On her fiction story “Through with Blue,” published in Thin Skin

Welcome to Publishing Diaries! In each diary, you’ll meet a writer who has had a piece published in a literary magazine in the last year or so. They’ll share insights about writing, revising, submitting, and ultimately getting the piece published. Interested in sharing your journey? Let me know by filling out this form.

👋 Meet Rachel McCarron, an emerging writer who lives on the Northwest coast of England. She writes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Her work has been published in Mslexia and Thin Skin. She is a forum moderator at Litopia.com – the world’s oldest online writers’ group.

Rachel has 3 publications and would rate her experience level with submitting as Beginner.

This Q&A with Rachel will focus on her fiction story “Through with Blue,” (read it here) published in Thin Skin in October 2025.

How did this piece start?

It was originally written for a themed submission to print magazine Mslexia along with another story on the theme of “blue.” The other story was selected and published, so it didn’t really feel like a rejection for “Through with Blue.” Those were my first-ever lit mag submissions, and it amazed me that one of them was published. I’ve had plenty of rejections since, though.

When did you start writing it?

I wrote it towards the end of May 2025.

How long did you work on this piece for?

It was unusually quick for me, about three days to write and a week to edit. But I remember the intense process of being totally absorbed for several hours a day before and after work, and thinking about it constantly during work, then doing nothing else but working on it on my days off.

How many drafts did you do?

I tend not to count drafts because I work on a live document, continually editing.

What was your revision process like?

I got feedback from other writers in the Litopia Lab, an online writers’ critique group. I put the project up for a week and got lots of feedback to aid revisions.

How did you know it was ready to submit?

I was working under a deadline for the first submission, but it locked into place a couple of days ahead of schedule. I knew it was done because I found I could enjoy it as a reader without wanting to keep editing as a writer.

How did you decide which publications to submit to?

I researched publications through resources such as Lit Mag Lounge, Lit Mag News by Becky Tuch, Chill Subs, and the Fish List. Then I read some issues of the magazines that looked like my kind of thing. I only wanted to submit to places that publish the sort of writing I enjoy reading. There’s no point in submitting to places that aren’t my bag, even if they have a higher acceptance rate or pay well. Being amongst other writers I respect is more important than amassing publishing credits or pay.

Being paid for publication is nice, but not important to me. I can’t imagine anyone doing this for the money. Most lit mag payments are nominal, and if you calculate the hourly rate for the time spent writing and editing a story, it’s only pennies. Nobody can make a living wage out of this, not editors or writers. That’s not what it’s about.

I’m not averse to paying a tip jar, cup of coffee kind of fee to submit to cover costs, but I set my limit at $5/£4. Publications that charge higher fees are crossed off my list, not necessarily because I can’t afford it, but out of principle.

I don’t have a preference for print or online; they each have their advantages. The tactile experience of your work published on the printed page is hard to beat, but the reality is that a story will get more readers in a quality online magazine.

I selected five publications for simultaneous submissions after the initial submission to Mslexia. I sent them out on the same day. I was particularly interested in Thin Skin because they only publish writers over 50 years of age, and the quality of writing is very high. They only have a 2% acceptance rate, which made me feel like it was a long shot, but made the acceptance all the sweeter.

How many rejections did you get before the piece was accepted?

From those five simultaneous submissions, I had two rejections before the acceptance from Thin Skin. Then I withdrew from the other two. Chances are they would’ve been rejections, but who knows?

Likewise, if I had only submitted “Through with Blue” to Mslexia, and not the story they actually published, would they have chosen it? Probably not.

Rejections are part of the process. It’s disappointing but shouldn’t be taken personally.

What advice do you have for other writers submitting their work?

I think my early success is probably atypical. My third short story also got picked up on first submission for a themed anthology, but I’ve got three other stories out on submission with no takers yet.

So, I’m a novice at this, but I’ve had beginner’s luck. Feel free to ignore the advice of someone who’s been submitting to lit mags for less than a year, but here it is anyway.

• Get your writing as good as it can be. The bulk of your work should be editing. This is the real craft of the writer. Lots of people can come up with story ideas but bringing them up to a high standard on the page takes a different skill.

• To this end, get feedback from other writers and readers. Online critique groups are ideal because you don’t have to face anyone in real life, and you need their honest opinions. The criticism is of the writing, not you as a person, so don’t take it personally, but use it to make your story shine. I’ve found critiquing others improves my own writing, too.

• Submit to magazines you love reading and would be proud to be published in. You have to go with the one that accepts you first. There’s no waiting around for other decisions.

• Don’t be put off by low acceptance rates. Rejection stings less because most of their submissions are rejected, and acceptance is far more validating than a magazine that publishes 50% of submissions.

• Don’t do it for money; there isn’t much to be made.

• Do set yourself a budget for submission fees and make the most of free submissions.

• If you’re over 50, consider Thin Skin. It’s a great magazine. The standard is high and submissions are free.

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You Could Be Next!

Thanks for reading the latest installment of Publishing Diaries! I’m currently looking for more writers who want to share their publishing journeys. If you’ve had a piece published in a literary journal within the last year or so, and it’s available online for people to read for free, please fill out this form and I’ll be in touch!