thick skin report

I received a rejection for a submission last week. This one was a little different in my experience. It was for my story “Velvet Elvis” which you know was already published in Bartleby Snopes more than a year ago. I had come across a listing calling for submissions of stories related to art and the creation of art, and it welcomed previously published works.

I figured I had nothing to lose, so I submitted. I suppose my snarky attitude toward the “art” in my story didn’t sit right with the editor; she declined it in a form letter. That’s fine. It’s her call. I would have been glad to see it get a little more visibility and some fresh readers, but that wasn’t to be, as they say.

I think my attitude about reprints is that they are perfectly fine. If I can get my stories in front of a new set of readers, that seems like a worthy thing to do. The only drawback, as far as I can see, is that resubmitting already-published work could replace writing and submitting new work. That ain’t gonna happen to me. My “passion” for my Fathers and Sons stories is as hot as ever lately, and I even came up with an idea for a new story to add to the list. (The relationships between fathers and sons, you see, can be quite complex, and it can even involve mothers sometimes.)

I have two other of my previously published stories out for consideration at other mags. Perhaps they will see publication again.

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