The Book of Dark Wisdom Rejects...

The title says it all, folks. The Book of Dark Wisdom rejected a story of mine. "Codependent Traits" is a good story. Not great, not earth shaking, but I like it and it's good. Maybe it has some issues, maybe it wanders at one point, but I like it. The editor at the Book of Dark Wisdom said it didn't fit in the magazine, which may or may not be true. He said he liked the story, which also may or may not be true. But it was a nice email and that's the thing that gives you hope, that makes you think maybe he did like it and it just didn't fit what he was doing. That's okay. That means my story might be good after all, even to someone other than myself and my girlfriend.

The thing is, he sent me a nice rejection that was personalized and I realized that indeed he had read my actual query letter and also that he put that together with the fact that I had sent him another story after not hearing back from the first. He was very gracious about what is normally a faux paus: Multiple submissions. I would never intentionally do that unless a magazine said it was cool. But I hadn't heard back from them and the editor said they are behind so I can understand that. Things happen, schedules suffer.

The thing is this. I feel better about this week's rejections because at least I've sent some things out, at least I feel like I'm working at it rather than wanting to work at it. There's nothing wrong with wanting it but don't say you're doing it if you're just wanting to. That's a fault of mine. I might go through a dry spell and not write or edit for two months or longer but still consider myself to be doing rather than wanting to do. Well, now, folks, that just ain't how it is. But I'm working on it, I really am, and ANY feedback is better than sitting at home thinking that some day you could write some cool story and get it published. Better rejections on fifty bad stories than one acceptance on your only story...

Jb