Submission"Declinations"

AKA Rejections

hand stamping a document "Rejection"

Last week I sent a congratulatory email to a poetry acquaintance who, along with me, was named a finalist in a literary book award contest. The response back was “yes, good for you to be a finalist…”, which to me, clearly conveyed a deep sense of disappointment on their own behalf.

Yes, we both did not win, but I sincerely believe that if winning is all our writing is about we might as well put our feet up and eat bon bons. I write because I must. It is a compulsion, a desire to manipulate language and create.

This evening I received a refusal, and admit to a pang or two, but it was an encouraging one, at least in my eyes-

Dear Nancy Sobanik--

Thank you for submitting your work to the BPJ. Though we did not ultimately select it for publication, we read it with genuine interest and hope you’ll continue sending poems our way.

Warm regards,

Editors, Beloit Poetry Journal

I used to feel self-conscious posting on social media about poems that got published. I really don’t anymore.

Should we not celebrate life’s small victories, especially when it is evidence that our work is well crafted, or at least appreciated? And allow mentors, friends and supporters to celebrate with us?

We accept the challenge and keep submitting because we love to write, and poetry lifts us out of ourselves.