"Ender's Game" and other stories: editors don't know why they reject stories
Orson Scott Card explains that editors often reject stories for reasons they cannot articulate, relying on instinct rather than clear criteria.
Related stories
Orson Scott Card recounts that his story "Ender's Game" was initially rejected by editors Ben Bova and Jim Baen, whose feedback he largely ignored or adapted in his own way. He argues that editors do not know a story better than its author, and that the most useful tool for improving a rejected manuscript is time and a complete rewrite focused on what works.