I haven’t tried just pitching, so I can’t compare it to that. But, yes, I do think they say yes or no to things by being able to really read them. Since publishing this first piece with them, I’ve published one more and today heard about my 3rd acceptance! The 2nd and 3rd were both responses to their email prompts, so make sure you’re following Human Parts and getting their weekly emails. For their prompts, you add a tag to already-published work (that’s not in another publication).

Since my initial acceptance, I submitted another draft and they kindly rejected it. I was really proud of it, but we can’t control what they’ll choose.

They said no to this piece of yours, but I say publish this one elsewhere (or work on it if you think it needs it) and keep submitting!

It was a rejection of this one piece, not a rejection of you as a person or a writer. ❤