A Clearing in the Wood II

I submitted “A Clearing in the Wood” to a digital fantasy magazine that pays professional rates (update: it was rejected for the anthology). They only take submission for a brief period each month and receive hundreds of submissions, so I knew going in that it was probably a long shot. They state:

Be aware that we expect to receive several hundred submissions during our submissions periods. As such, we cannot offer personalized feedback on each story. If we say “send more” it means we really do hope to see something else from you.

Well, my rejection came today. But it came with personalized feedback AND a request to see more. After letting me know why they rejected it, the editor said that my writing is good and they are looking forward to seeing more from me in the future. And they hope I can place this story elsewhere.

How exciting is that??? I think this has to be one of my favorite rejection letters.

It should be noted, which I don’t think I’ve ever explained before, that my definition of success in writing has very little to do with financial gain, but a lot to do with exactly this: a respected professional in the field affirming that my writing is good. I’m sure I would have been happier if they had accepted my story, but to me, it doesn’t get much better than this.