I sent a freelance peice and got this back, what does it mean ?

that isn't very constructive. he doesn't say WHY he passed.

sounds pretty straightforward. but if you want further detail, you'll probably have to ask. most editors are rather brief in their initial explanations, in my experience.

yeah he does - it's 'interesting' and posesses 'flair'

if this wz unsolicited, than that's on the mid-low end of routine polite brush-off (if commissioned, he owes you much more detailed)

(if shawn = william shawn, then he is friskier than you'd expect, all things considered)

maybe he sent it into the shawn kemp self-run fanzine, although that part about passing wouldn't make sense then (shawn kemp never passes!)

It means that it was too interesting and had too much flair and that next time you should tone it down.

"I'm going to have pass" = he is not really an editor anyway

ok i got another email and it is not first persony enough.

What do you mean? Show us?

But yeah, what was said up thread, did you get asked for a piece or did you just think they'd like it and sent it in? If the former then that's actually more than a lot of people get.

Rough translation:

There is some interesting material and writing flair here,

...I hate this job. Writers are so blasted sensitive. That should
keep him from stalking me with a straight razor and using my hairless
legs for a strop. Who knows? Maybe he'll submit something I can use
next time. Submissions are awfully thin lately. But then, so are the rates I pay.

but I'm afraid I'm going to have pass.

Let's face it. My threshold for fear isn't that low. I'm just being
as reflexively polite as I know how to be without actually spending any time on thought on this. The truth is half my readers wouldn't
read past the first sentence. You have to hit them in the face with
a three pound codfish to get their attention. Doesn't Anthony read
what we put out? We're not The Economist here.

Regrets, Shawn

Should I leave a tear stain on the page or would he see through that?
No time anyway. On to the next one.