One day I am going to print out all of my rejections, bind them together, and turn it into my own coffee table book of depression.  I’ll need to buy a table first, though.

I waited for this rejection for a while.  I submitted “Jenny Kissed Me” to Gulf Coast February 26th, 2013, a few days shy of their deadline.  Apparently, they were unable to read mine before they stopped reading for the summer, and they weren’t able to get back to it until after September 1st, 2013, when their submission process reopened.  A long time, yeah, but at least I know, and I can now move on with my life.

I still have five potential acceptances waiting in the wind, four, if you ignore the magazine that looks to be on permanent hiatus, or even three, if you discount the one that never even acknowledged my submission in the first place and never responded to my query.  One of the five is for “Jenny of Lebanon”.  The magazine I sent her to has rejected other works after mine was submitted, so maybe, just maybe, I have a chance.  I won’t hold my breath or anything because I’d probably die, but my fingers are crossed SUPER hard.  She’s been “in-progress” with them for over two months now.

The others are all for “Jenny Kissed Me”.  Two magazines are “in-progress”, but I know that only means that someone has been assigned to read her, not that they have and are trying to decide my fate.  Fingers are still crossed, though, because you never really know until they tell you one way or the other for sure.

I do wonder if when the magazines get my submission, if they Google my name and find this website and see how many rejections I have accumulated.   Perhaps posting all of my rejections was not the best decision in the world, but oh well.  I wanted to show others that rejection is a part of life and that it sucks but that there is always hope out there somewhere.  That hope dwindles with each rejection, but it never fully goes away.  Who knows, maybe one day a magazine will see all five hundred of my rejections and take pity on me.  I’d be okay with that.

Rejection Letter #26 – Gulf Coast

Dear Writer:

Thank you for your recent submission to Gulf Coast. We appreciate your patience while we read your work. However, we’re sorry to inform you that your work was not the right fit for us at this time.

Thank you again for submitting, and good luck with all your writing endeavors.

Sincerely,
The Gulf Coast Editors

Ah, the sweet smell of rejection, how I’ve missed you.

Clearly, I’m kidding.

At least I didn’t have to wait six months to get this one.  Just a mere 8 days.  For that, Subtropics, I thank you.

Rejection Letter #25 – Subtropics

Dear Gabrielle Olexa,

Thank you for sending us “Jenny of Lebanon.” This piece isn’t going to work for SUBTROPICS but we appreciate your thinking of us and wish you the best in finding the right home for it.

Sincerely,

The Editors

In other news, I finished another story, and I will soon start submitting it to magazines.  I’m also submitting a short piece to a Halloween contest.  I’ll come back and tell you how that goes.

Got this last night right before I turned off my bed side light.  Meh.

Rejection Letter #24 – Glimmer Train

Dear Gabrielle,

Thank you for submitting “Jenny Kissed Me”. While we won’t be publishing this piece, we appreciated the opportunity to read your work! Because we read so many stories, it is not possible for us to give specific feedback, but, if you’re a relative beginner, you may find something of interest here: Editors’ Input.

Glimmer Train Press Reference#: 408135

I received the following rejection letter right before midnight on June 12th.  It made me sad.  All rejection letters make me sad, but every time someone says thanks but not thanks to “Jenny of Lebanon”, another piece of my soul dies.  Of the six places I originally sent her to, there is only one remaining.  If they say no, I will have very few possibilities left.

Rejection Letter #23 – Big Fiction

Dear Gabrielle Olexa,

Thank you for letting us take a look at your work for Big Fiction. We regret that although we enjoyed reading “Jenny of Lebanon,” ultimately it was not a right fit for us.

Writing is hard work – we know, we’re writers too – and we appreciate the quality and diversity of submissions we receive from writers like you. Thank you again for sharing your work with us. We hope it finds a home soon.

Sincerely,

Heather Jacobs, Editor

Woo hoo! Almost a quarter of the way to 100!  This one actually came a few days ago, but I’ve been lazy and didn’t feel like posting about another one of my failures.  I particularly hate it when a rejection letter doesn’t come with my name.  But I suppose they didn’t sign with their names either, so maybe we are even.

Rejection #22 – Ninth Letter

Dear Writer:

Thanks for submitting your work to Ninth Letter. We’re sorry this submission wasn’t right for us. We appreciate your interest in our magazine, and wish you the best of luck placing your work elsewhere.

Sincerely,

The Editors
Ninth Letter

So, I get home from running some errands and just a few minutes after I walk in the door, my phone goes “ding, you’ve got mail”.  Not really, but you know what I mean.  Like always, I clicked on my inbox and held my breath, but there was nothing breath holding worthy.  Just rejection letters.  One for “Jenny Kissed Me” and one for “Jenny of Lebanon”.  Both were very standard and offered me no hope.  There’s always tomorrow, right?

For anyone keeping count, that is  number seventeen for “Jenny Kissed Me” and number four for “Jenny of Lebanon”.

Just as soon as we are moved and settled in our new home, I’m printing out all my rejections and plastering them on the wall.  Not sure what good that will do, but it’s my plan.

Rejection #20 – Boston Review

Dear Gabrielle Olexa,

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to review “Jenny Kissed Me.” However, we find that it is not right for Boston Review at this time. Please know that while our small staff carefully reads every submission, the high volume of submissions means, regrettably, that we cannot provide a thorough, individualized response to each submitter.

We wish you success in placing your work elsewhere. Thank you for thinking of Boston Review.

Sincerely,

Boston Review editors

Rejection #21 – AGNI

Dear Gabrielle Olexa:

Thank you for sending “Jenny of Lebanon.” Your work received careful consideration here.

We’ve decided this manuscript isn’t right for us, but we wish you luck placing it elsewhere.

Kind regards,

The Editors

I don’t think I actually believed that The Missouri Review would  publish “Jenny of Lebanon”, but I had hoped, in some crevice of my damaged heart, that they would have written something more meaningful to me when they rejected me.  But alas, they didn’t.  Hope, it really is an awful thing.  And standard rejections forms are equally as horrible.  I have two other places considering her still, but I won’t be hearing back from them anytime soon.  And my hopes aren’t very high for them either.  They are prestigious literary magazines, and I’m just a random nobody who can string words together.  Outside of them, I’m not sure where “JoL”  will end up.  Like I’ve said before, her length is keeping me from sending her to other places.  I’m not sure if I should sit on her until I can find a place, or just self-publish and be done with it.  If you happen to know of a magazine that accepts 14,500 word manuscript, please leave the info in the comment section.  Thanks.

Rejection #19 – The Missouri Review

Thank you for giving us the chance to consider “Jenny of Lebanon” for publication in The Missouri Review.  Though it does not fit our current needs, we appreciate your interest in our magazine and your commitment to quality writing.

Rejections suck.  Rejections on Fridays suck worse.  Rejections on Fridays after finding out you don’t have enough debt to get a loan is the worst.  Yep, you read that right.  We don’t have enough debt to qualify for a home loan.  Excellent credit, excellent history, but not enough debt.  I don’t know how that is even possible.  The American Dream is exactly that, a dream.  Maybe getting published one day is a dream, too.  Sorry for the depressing post.  I’m depressed.  And now my Braves are losing and my dog is sick.  I’m just going to go put my head in the sand.  I’ll come back when I feel better.

Rejection # 18 – from Black Warrior Review

Dear Gabrielle Olexa:

Thank you for giving us at Black Warrior Review the opportunity to consider your work. The editors have read your submission and regret that it does not meet our present needs.

We wish you the best of luck placing your manuscript elsewhere.

Sincerely,

The Editors of Black Warrior Review

9 days, 7 rejections.  The good news is that there are more days left in April than remaining possible rejections.  Someone, somewhere is bound to accept one of my stories, eventually, right?  RIGHT?!  I hope so.

Tomorrow I am going to a writer’s group.  Maybe I’ll make some friends and gain some motivation in the process.  Some local friends would be really great about now.  And some motivation wouldn’t hurt either.

Rejection #17 – Qwerty Magazine

Dear Gabrielle Olexa,

Thank you for submitting “Jenny Kissed Me.” Unfortunately, we have decided not to include your work in our upcoming issue. We receive many more submissions than we can possibly publish, but we wish you the best of luck with your work. We hope you will consider submitting to us again.

Sincerely,
Qwerty Magazine

I’m really beginning to hate April.  It’s been brutal so far.  Rejections for 6 out of the 7 days(the 8th day is not over yet) I’ve lived this month.

Rejection #14 – Tin House (it came on the 4th)

Dear Gabrielle,

Thank you for sending us ‘Jenny Kissed Me.’ Thank you, also, for your patience in waiting to hear back from us. Unfortunately, we must pass at this time.

Best of luck placing your work elsewhere.

Sincerely,

Tin House Editors

Rejection #15 – The Canary Press (came a long time ago, but I only realized it on the 5th)

Dear Gabrielle,

Thank you for sending us ‘Jenny Kissed Me’,
We really appreciated the opportunity to read your work, but unfortunately this story didn’t make our final cut.

We only publish a very small percentage (less than 1%) of the submissions we receive.

Thanks again for sending us your story and for supporting independent presses. Our first issue is coming out soon…ish. We hope you’ll enjoy it and try us again some time.

Best of luck with your writing, Gabrielle.

Warm regards,
Robert and Andy
– The Canary Press

Rejection #16 – Indiana Review (came just before I went to bed on the 7th)

Dear Gabrielle Olexa:

We have carefully considered your submission, “Jenny Kissed Me,” and regret that we do not have a place for it in Indiana Review at this time. We appreciate your support and hope you try us again in the future.

The Editors