Rejection

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a writer in pursuit of publication must bear a lot of rejection.

And that is all right, because we know that great, very good, pretty good and not so good writers have all gotten rejections. The one thing certain is that rejection does not make you special: not especially good, or (gulp) especially unworthy either.

So the other day I got a rejection from a periodical to a non-fiction article I submitted. It was a long shot, not only because I rarely write and never submit those, but because, well, any submission is a long shot. No biggy.

But the friendly editor sort of gushed about my article, the one she was also rejecting, and ended her letter with an emphatic invitation to see more from me. Her tone was not only friendly, but included a cute pun.

Not having another non-fiction article in my arsenal, but wishing to show appreciation for the warm and jest-full response, I replied with a ‘Thank You' and this off the cuff ditty:

I wasn’t kidding                

When I said

I have objection

To rejection.

The most forbidding,

Which I dread,

Shout interjection

Of affection.

So if you’re going to tell me ‘NO,’

Please do not sign, “I liked it so.”

Which I thought was the end of that, unless and until I think of something else to write which may be a good fit for her periodical.

A week later I got a note from her, saying the poem did not work for her, so she regretfully must reject it.

Now I do feel special. I’m one in the distinct group whose response to a rejection got a rejection.

Any and all marvelous rejection stories welcome-