elanya

Copntinuing the theme of me getting hoardes and hoardes of mail this week, I got my story back today from Challenging Destiny.

While the story was basically rejected, it was a much kinder, gentler rejection than I have received from any other publishers so far, so I'm not unhappy. The format of the return is as follows:

A form letter kind of thing, with check boxes for the editor to fill in. It is a letter that is generally friendly in tone, despite it being pre-formed... It tells me that of the various possibilities (one page, a few pages, most of, etc), he read all of my story. The reason given for not using my story was "You've got some interesting ideas here, but the story didn't quite 'do it' for me." Which is one checkbox away form the best-yet-most-embittering answer that could have been: "There wasn't anything wrong with the story - It just didn't rise above some of the others I've received recently."

On top of that, there is a little handwritten scrawl at the bottom of the page, saying that he did think it was very well written and encourages me to send him more :)

On top of *that*, there is actualy proof of his having read my story, from real editorial comments in the returned copy.

So I am generally pleased with the rejection. It is a lot less unfriendly than some other I have received. I'll have to finish up my newest story in the next couple of months and send it back out. He also sent a subscription form to the magazine, but I can't afford it, I don't think :/ I'll have to see.

Oh, and on another note, I'm not sure that the self-adressed envelope was actually mailed. the stamps on it are unmarked, and it looks like someone tried to pick them off. Hmmm...