Though I’ve become acquainted with the process of submission over the last six years, this does not mean I have found success with every attempt. If anything, the more times I submit my work, the more chances I have to be rejected. It’s the truth, which many writers avoid discussing because it’s not the outcome we wish to dwell on.
Alas, decisions are often beyond our control. I hoped to be be announced the winner of the Backlash Best Book Award. Despite making it to the shortlist, my work has not been chosen.
Rejection is just redirection.
While this news might be a little more sad than usual, it is by no means discouraging. I refuse to give up on this full-length poetry manuscript, which began in 2017 with me finding my voice as a poet again. The journey of this collection will not be over until THE HALF-LIFE OF LYING finds its forever home.
Looking at this letter, I am so proud of the obstacles my work overcame, climbing to a shortlist of three other manuscripts out of two hundred submissions. And I must admit, I do not know the word quit. I do understand the importance of hard work and diligence and perseverance.
In the past, I always liked the saying close, but no cigar. It felt a little out of time, which is how I often felt growing up. But despite the old soul connection of those words, I no longer find them to be applicable. And why is that? Well, dear reader, throughout the last year, I have learned the importance of celebrating even the smallest victories.
This world is not always kind and life is not always easy. Some days, survival may be all we can manage. But on those other days when we can enjoy the rain or recall how hard we’ve worked to get to a certain point, when we can love ourselves despite imperfections, and when we can take a step back and marvel at just how far we’ve come, those are the days when close is better than best because it means we haven’t given up.
So if you, dear reader, find yourself faced with rejection, I hope you will remember it is just a redirection. There will be a new journey, a different press, another chance to make your dreams a reality.
Believe in yourself. Take a deep breath. Drink some water because you’re probably dehydrated. And keep trying.
