A Little Bit of Disappointment

I've written many times about rejection and all in entails. I've always tried to have an upbeat attitude when a rejction comes sailing my way. Every piece you write is not for every editor, or it doesn't work within that particular editorial calendar. There are lots of reasons an editor rejects some submissions and selects others.
My motto has always been to take a good hard look at the piece of writing, then either revise and send it off to another editor or send as is if satisfied with it.

This morning I received a list of finalists for a new anthology put out by the Cup of Comfort series. This one is Cup of Comfort For A Better World. I'd been happy with the story I'd written and submitted to Colleen Sell, the editor. I thought it had a good chance of being accepted.

The list of 66 finalist stories popped up in my In-box, and I scanned it looking for my name, but no such luck. I must admit that I felt very disappointed. I've set a personal goal of having a story in a Cup of Comfort book and this time I thought I'd do it.

Then I went back and read the editor's message above the list. She wrote that it had been difficult to narrow the choice to 66 stories from the over 2000 that were sent in. 2000? I wondered what the odds were that one story made it out of more than 2000. That means a lot more than 1900 people faced disappointment today just like I did.

Somehow, I didn't feel qute so bad any longer. I still have a finished story that can be marketed to other editors where it may someday find a home. And there's a Cup of Comfort book for golf stories that still has an open submission. I've had a golf story spinning in my head for a few weeks now. This would be the perfect time to write it. Disappointment on its way out....