After this latest batch of rejections, I decided to take a break from submitting my work to magazines. I understand rejections and I accept them, but they nonetheless sap my will to write. Because honestly, no matter how used you get to them, they hurt.
The worst are the ones of the 'great work but our next issue is already full' variety. If it's a deserved rejection because the work is not good enough, I can take it. I'll go back to the drawing board and re-write it. But when you give me the impression that I'm not getting published because I submitted a day too late, that just makes me frustrated and sad. Because I'm having serious bad luck when it comes to submissions. Three of my submission emails got lost in cyber space just in the last two months so that my pieces never even made it to the editors. When I submitted to a magazine, years ago, and my story got longlisted, the mag went bankrupt even before it trimmed the subs down to a shortlist. The editor of another magazine that accepted my story, had a heart attack before publication. (I wish him a speedy and full recovery. Hopefully, it wasn't my story that triggered it.). If that isn't a motherload of bad luck, I don't know what is ...
So I need to boost my self-esteem with delusions of greatness. ;) And I can only do that if I don't have editors firing rejections my way.
arriving here by way of yb!
ReplyDeletea post i totally relate to!
a prominent journal accepted my work 2 years ago and yet will not respond to my queries as to when the poem will be published. another journal recently sent me a check for my poem (as per the contract they had me sign) and yet the summer 2011 issue it is to be in has come out without my poem in it. another editor sent me an acceptance letter, and two days later sent me a rejection letter for the same poem.
it is hard at times to keep the faith, but i am glad that you write and that you mostly keep your faith in the way you write!
sherry o'keefe
Thanks for your comment, Sherry.
ReplyDeleteI see you've had similar experience with submitting. It's frustrating and makes it hard to believe in one's writing. But the persistence is what makes us better writers (and people), I hope. :-)
I hear you. It's hard to keep your writing mojo when you have rejections coming in!
ReplyDeleteYes, it is, but that's why it's so precious. :)
ReplyDelete