Rejections, Rejections.

"Thank you for your submission for the End Piece department. While I enjoyed your piece, "My Necessary Strugles..." While I enjoyed the piece it is too long fo rhte redesigned magazine. Our maximum word count limit is 550."

Thank you for considering XXX

XYZ

Editor/Co-Publisher

No, this is not a rejection letter from an X-rated magazine. Nevertheless, it is a rejection letter from a magazine. And no, that is not my typo; it was disclosed in this manner.

How did I react? At first, I didn't. I couldn't. My daughter was sreaming for a cookie.

Once I provided for my cub, it was time to ponder. The first thing that popped into this thing they call a brain, I sent this submission waaayyy back in November of 2006. It may as well have been 1986 it was so long ago. Second, I'm too busy with other projects to be preoccupied with self-pity. Third, um, well there is no third. Let's just say I've grown violently irritated with moral victories. I'm ready, like any good crusader, for blood and sweat glory.

I've been "lucky" enough, I am further told, to have had editors take the time to personally write me a note telling me how much "they enjoyed my work but they do not fit the needs of the magazine at this time." Or "very interesting but we're not sure how we can use this." Aw, golly gee. Punch me in the jaw. Anyway, back to this particular rejection letter. This is the first time I've been turned down because of word count. What's next? I used the wrong font? At the time of my submission the guidelines stipulated 700 words and that's what I gave them. In the interim, they reinvented themselves and ta-da! 550.

Here's what I don't get: If an editor likes a particular piece of work (as they claim) aren't they the ones who make the final decisions?

I'm too much of a pragmatist and realist to wallow. It is what it is and the reality is that I simply did not get the job done - though I must profess how some writers are lucky enough to get paid for the trivial drivel they spew. The bottom line is if editors liked this scrawny little scribe's midlding thoughts so much they could have found a way to fit me in. A more genuine response would have been "we liked your piece however it does not meet our new word count guidelines. If you can cut it back please feel free to resubmit and we'd be glad to give it a second reading."

Right?

Right.

The unfortunate thing about all this is that I may no longer have the luxury of time to further refine my craft. Writing takes so much time and energy. You can't plan your day around writing. You write when the spirit moves you.

I don't want to go into "what coulda been" bin but it's becoming increasingly hard to fight these battles. Though I am happy with the potential I have been accorded with my new businesses, God gave me a talent and it would be nice to explore it more; to have the chance to mature and grow. For example, I write/contribute for a magazine called 'Exceptional Family". The editor, God bless her soul for giving me a shot, feels I have "the goods" as she put it. However, in order to reach the next level I need to professionalize my work. And getting to that next stage takes massive effort. I can't do it with the limited time on my hands. We'll see moving forward.

If you want to read the actual article please feel free to ask me. I don't know how to link a word file on blogger.