I got a rejection for a short story yesterday. Due to the tangle of circumstances in which it arrived (and which I don’t care to explain) I find myself tired, empty, and struggling to keep writing. This will pass, I’m sure. I’ve already resubmitted the story. I expect to be rejected from this new market as well, but I acknowledge that I’m aiming high. While I’m in that happy, not-yet-rejected limbo for a few days, I think it may do me good to review my writing goals for the year, and see how many boxes I’ve ticked.
First, my craft goals for 2019: writing and rejections. I am currently drafting a fantasy novel, and I want to have 50,000 words by March 31st. So far, according to my spreadsheet, I have 30,000. At 500 words/day for the next 40 days, I should get there.
I want to write at least 6 short stories this year. 12 is better. I finished one, titled “An Exile and an Orphan, I” and it’s already been rejected once, which brings me to…
I want a total of 50 rejections. There are a couple of articles that advocate aiming for 100, but I don’t have that arsenal of submittable things right now. Currently I have 9 active submissions (some from 2018) across my verse novel, a poem, a couple of flash pieces and “Exile.” I have made 8 submissions in 2019, and my rejection total is 7. Sigh. So much for this being encouraging. I know. At least the work is getting out there.
I’m doing better on some of my other, business-oriented, goals. I’m going to the Muse and the Marketplace in April, and I have a stack of business cards to show and share. I signed up for ReaderCon in July. I’ve written some fan letters to authors whose work I like, and I will write more.
And I made this website, my digital business card and home on the web. It has a newsletter which you should totally sign up for, because as down as I am right now, I’m not giving up yet. My stories will get accepted, my verse novel will be published, and you will want to know about it.
All right. Back to work.
Jessica Lévai, Writer 