Rejection: Go Jump in the Lake

He is most powerful who has power over himself - Seneca the Younger

Yeah, but, writers must defer to the almighty, all powerful editor and his/her ability to give a thumbs up or down. Acceptances and rejections ebb and flow like the tides. I send out my goodies with lovely cover letters, praise for journals, and the abject desire to be selected for a publication.

However, too often it's a quick thanks, but no thanks.

Sometimes, it's nicer - I liked your poems, but not enough to publish them. They were a little too literal for my taste (but that is a matter of taste). I can accept that and it does give me something to work with in regards to my poetry.

For a recent flash - our first readers read your story with interest, but in the end didn't love it enough to send it to the second round. Well, darn. What if I begged and pleaded?

Getting published is a huge game. I have to improve my craft and provide the editor/reader with a treat. It's also subjective - a matter of timing. Hit the right person on the right day with the right piece for the mood.

I chuckled at a WSJ interview (4/29/11) with singer Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane). In regards to American Idol she said she, "loves the show but no way could I be a judge. I have no middle ground. I'm a buzzer or a gong, far more negative than a Simon Cowell."

In another piece (3/16/11), Mr. Eddie Rabin has been playing piano for singing auditions for over thirty years. He said he can tell within three bars if a performer has what it takes. I"m sometimes tempted to say "Kid, you haven't got it." But it's not my place. And I figure they'll find out for themselves in a few years.

There are days when the rejections seem to pour in and I'm ready to jump in the lake. But then, sunshine and glory (the ding in the Inbox) announces an acceptance, and I'm once again validated as a writer. Type, type, type and roll press ... for a few more years.