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February 18, 2004

A Promising Occurrence

I sent my latest short story to almost thirty publications, picking from a list of smaller literary magazines that offer little to no remuneration, but allegedly a better shot for a writer with no publication credits. I must admit, I threw in several of the bigger publications, just in case. You never know if you?ll get lucky, and in this business, I think luck might have more to do with it than talent (which is subject to personal digression), though both come second to perseverance.

Over the past three months, I?ve received about fifteen rejections for my submission, and most of them from the long-shot publications. I always enjoy receiving a rejection, and I always know what it is before I open my self-addressed, stamped envelope. It makes me feel, even though I?ve been rejected, that someone at these publications is actually reading my work. I?ve submitted to publications that have never responded to me, which I think is unethical and just plain rude; they even ignore my follow-up letters and presumably pocket the postage on my SASEs! So I write these off as a scam.

A few weeks ago, I got a rejection from a publication I?ve submitted to before, but this rejection was different from all the form letters or post-cards I usually receive. It actually had handwritten comments included at the bottom of the form post-card. This had never happened to me before, and while my husband looked slightly apprehensive at my jubilation (I ran around the house screaming, ?Yes! Yes! Yes!?), he was proud of me, too. Here are the comments:

?I enjoyed reading your story. You write great dialogue! Not quite plot-driven enough for Zoetrope?Best of luck to you!?

I am not embellishing these comments one bit. The underlining, exclamation points, and em dash are all original, as included in the handwritten comments. There was no signature, so I don?t know if the editor-in-chief made the comments herself, but it doesn?t really matter. I?m also not concerned about being ?plot-driven? enough, though I?ll definitely take that into consideration if decide to try that publication again; I?m a character-driven writer. Those comments gave me that little bit of encouragement, that shot of confidence, every writer needs. If I ever figure out how to post pictures on the web, I?ll scan this glorious rejection, for all the world to see.

I?m not the type to paste rejections on my walls, as a reminder to myself that yes, I am trying. Instead, I?ve framed my rejection with comments and keep it on my desk as a constant reminder to me that I am on the right path. For even though the story wasn?t right for that particular publication, there?s still hundreds more to chose from that might be willing, and happy, to call my story home.

Posted by mary at February 18, 2004 11:51 AM