Why Your Articles Are Rejected

1. Controversial questions given extreme or one-sided treatment. Special pleading. Argumentation full of unsupported generalizations.

2. Problems raised without any effort at solutions -- inconclusive, pointless.

3. Lack of coherence, unity of theme. The various parts of the article do not "tie together."

4. Subject matter traditional or trite. No fresh insights. Hackneyed, stereotyped, warmed-over ideas and illustrations.

5. A human-interest lead elaborated or allegorized beyond reasonable limits.

6. Trivial or worn-out theme, elaborating the obvious.

7. Shallow or superficial treatment of the subject. Insufficient analysis or research.

8. Lack of structure, plan, or clearly developed theme. Rambling, unbalanced, repetitious.

9. Inarticulate, ungrammatical writing. Poor use of words.

10. Mistaken attempt to be "cute," light," "airy." Too colloquial, chatty.

11. Preachy -- talking down to the reader.

12. Reactionary, depressing, defeatist in mood or emphasis.

13. The opposite error to #12; a local or particular instance treated as if it were universal or general.

14. Excessive wordiness, redundancy.

15. Material carelessly put together. No evidence of serious effort to communicate meaningfully.

16. Material or theme without practical application to the present.

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