Sorry Vocal But Over a Month In Review is Simply Not Acceptable

There are currently two stories sitting in my "Your Stories" submitted section that are still "under review." One of these stories entitled "Subtitle Required - The Most Puzzling, Ridiculous, and Downright Stupid Publishing Rule on Vocal" has been in this story purgatory for over a month, while the other "On the Importance of Precision in Language - Misuse and Abuse of Language is Not Without Consequences" has been languishing for 23 days now. While I have little hope the first story will ever see the light of day on Vocal given how critical it is of the site overall, accurate and factual criticisms though they may be, I cannot for the life of me understand what problem Vocal might have with the second story and fully expect it to be published at some point. Both stories have already been published on a competing web publishing platform as an fyi.

Whether they are ultimately published or rejected is the subject for another story for another day. My concern in this instance is not the ultimate disposition of them, but rather why they have been languishing "in review" for so long. If you want to reject them, go ahead and do it. Give your reasons, but do it. Holding them "in review" is the worst kind of cowardly tactic and suggests the editorial staff and reviewers at Vocal do not have the guts or the brains to put their money where their mouths are so to speak. It says to me and everyone else that they really do not want to publish these stories, but they cannot find a way within their "rules" to reject them outright. Therefore, instead they have decided to just sit it out. Wait for me to forget about them I guess, or hope for the day when they might change their rules to address the particular problem or issue they may have with one or both stories. On the one hand it is commendable that they have rules and seemingly believe in them, on the other hand it is an egregious violation of my rights as a writer and a person, an abrogation of justice, and another great example of just how flawed the Vocal censorship system really is.

At this point I am sick and tired of railing against this unjust system. I have said my peace and hope I have been heard. I have moved on in the hopes that smarter brains and cooler heads at Vocal will prevail and some day they will recognize the grave mistake they have made in the construction and implementation of their site censorship policies. My continuing to knock them about it at every opportunity is unlikely have any positive impact at this point. However, it is one thing to have a set censorship policy and to enforce it. It is quite another to have a flexible censorship policy that can seemingly be adjusted at the will of who knows who within the Vocal leadership and reviewer teams. I say the following with the utmost of respect and hope that it does not offend but I just cannot think of a better way to put it. Grow a pair Vocal. Accept or reject stories on their merits and as they do or do not fit into your censorship policies. If you are hoping that I might forget about these stories or let you off the hook for them, you obviously do not know me. I will not. Publish the damn stories or reject them, but don't just sit there, do something!