It's certainly worth persevering, though it is hard when you've written but had rejected a few pieces that you know were good enough, were as good as or better than stuff you have seen boosted or staff picked (those staff picks, the crème de la crème in terms of distribution, often contain stuff I consider to be poorly written rubbish).

My feeling is that to maximise your chances, you need to be aware of 'the formula' without being formulaic, internalise the kind of style and structure - and, importantly, authorial voice - that is likely to fit.

And write for smaller boosting pubs that have editors you feel a rapport with.

I've had 20 of my last 40 stories boosted, though I have been in a minor slump for the last couple of weeks, with a couple of 'dead certs' (in my eyes) going nowhere.

It happens. I sometimes get fed up, take a break for a week or so, just write some silly satire or poetry, then come back with a 'boostable' article or two. Every time you get that 'Congrats!' email it breathes a little life into your sails. But there are no guarantees.

I hope this is helpful and useful. And if you have any stories about Latin America, Spain or Portugal, feel free to sign up at Iberospherical. We are one of those small boosting pubs with friendly editors eager to offer advice and support!