I got a rejection from a lit magazine today. Nothing interesting or unusual in that, as I’ve collected, and will continue to collect, my share of rejections. What was unusual was that, for the first time EVER, I was happy to receive the rejection. Relieved.
Email and online submissions are mostly a beautiful thing. Better and faster and cheaper and way less hassle than the old manila envelope and SASE dance. But the email and online submissions add a new wrinkle, because now it’s possible to submit to a publication on impulse, which is exactly what I did this time. Normally, an associate at my agent’s office shops my short fiction around. Which is to say, all my good short stuff is currently in her hands and out in the world. So when I came across a publication that was accepting submissions for an issue guest-edited by an author I like, I kind of had to dig around for something to send in. And then I just sorta sent it. Never mind that I was sending something I’d deemed not good enough for my agency to shop around. The worst bit was that I am a terrible fit for this publication, and I knew it, and I submitted anyway. They publish work (good work) that is VERY different from mine. Not the right market. I threw the (kinda weak) piece at them anyway. And as soon as I hit send, I regretted it. This is a very good journal that I have no desire to appear in. What they’re doing just isn’t my thing. Which of course meant that I was running no real danger of acceptance, anyway. They know when something’s all wrong for them. But still, it was a weird feeling, to get that rejection and be happy about it.
PS: Oh…and to the person who arrived here with a google search “free toast wife 40th birthday”? Yeah…you let me know how that gift goes over.
OK, so you have totally cracked me up–maybe he was looking for a “toast” as in raise your glass of bubbly and say something nice about his wife on her 40th birthday??? 🙂 Let’s hope!!!
Submissions are so crazy making and I have been guilty of many impulsive submissions, especially late at night.
What? Free toast? I’m so confused. What does that even mean?
That’s like the time I discovered that someone had made their way to my humble little corner of the internet with the google search “Moms gone wild”. Let’s hope the moms in question are wild about free toast!
Yes, I think Suzanne has it right. You gotta give him credit for trying, I suppose, if he knows he can’t write or say anything intelligent on his own.
So glad that the impulsive submission turned out the way you wanted it to.
Awesome! Free toast… hmmm… I might go for cinnamon and sugar, but plain? I don’t think so.
At least you tried. The more you do it, the less you’ll feel weird about short story submissions.
Congratulations on your rejection! :o)
Who knew a rejection could be so welcome?! I am happy for you since you wanted it that way. It is amazing what you get with a google search…