Sigh...

Well, I just received a rejection on a short story. I knew the market was a long shot (it's in Australia, I'm in the U.S., and they like to publish mostly local authors), but it still makes me sigh. No one likes rejection letters, but I understand the necessity of them. In the case of this magazine, not only is it in Australia, it gets hundreds of submissions every week, which makes it a long shot for everyone who submits.

The question on my mind now is: Where else can I submit this story? It's chick lit, around 1,700 words, and has been previously published in an online mag. I love this story for a couple of reasons. One, I had a blast writing it; and two, it's my first (and so far only) successful attempt at chick lit. I'd love to get paid at least a little for its publication, since the online mag was a non-paying market, but it's hard to find a paying market for short fiction that takes reprints.

Ah, well. In my spare time (ha ha), I'll keep looking for another market. Who knows? Maybe I'll come across a market that will work for a different story. I actually ran across the Australian magazine while looking for something else. If nothing else, at least I gave it a shot, even if it was a long shot.

Today's advice that applies every single day to writers and everyone else: Never give up. Things may get tough or frustrating, rejection happens, and life goes on. The important thing is to keep going right along with it. Make adjustments as necessary, but don't give up because you hit a bump in the road.