“Rejection
letters are badges of honor.” That’s a favorite slogan at Writers of Kern. We
celebrate rejections because when writers receive rejections, it means they are
writing -- and submitting to publications.
Recently, some of those responses have been "Yes."
Over the years,
I’ve amassed a body of work -- short memoir pieces, poems, personal essays, and
snippets of possible stories. And lately I’ve been trying my hand at fiction.
I’d had pieces published before I became “serious” about writing, but submitting
my work for consideration didn’t happen much until 2015. That’s when I gathered
the courage to dust some of these pieces off, polish them up, and send them out
into the world.
The result has
been affirming , gratifying, and exciting. Published in print and online
journals, my work is being read by an even wider audience.
It took some prodding and encouragement. The
taste of acceptance came when the online journal, Yellow Chair Review , picked up my first poem,
“Talk,” for its Inaugural Issue in May 2015. That sent me scurrying to my
computer and practice notebooks to look for more poems. At the beginning of this year, Scarlet Leaf
Review published my first fiction piece, “The Blessing,” and a few months
later, several poems.
Sure, I’ve
received rejections -- and wear them with pride. But, remembering those
decisions are subjective, I may rework the piece, ask for help from my critique
group, or just send it out to the next publication I think might accept it.
It’s a matter of persistence and luck. Writers must connect with the journal
whose style and subject matter fit with theirs.
Since I’ve been
putting my work out there, this spring a number of Acceptance letters flew into
my Inbox. Most recently, a flash fiction piece called “King of the Playground”
was published on a local online zine site, The Kit Fox. My poem, “Porcelain
Smile,” went up on Bitchin’ Kitsch. And, arriving in my US Mail box, was my
contributor’s copy of the 6th In the Words of Womyn (ITWOW) InternationalAnthology with my poem, “When Did I Get Old?”
In April, I was
honored to write two poems and read them at the California State University,
Bakersfield library along with a dozen or more other local poets. This event
was one held to celebrate National Poetry Month. Students, faculty, community
members, and Don E. Thompson, Kern County’s first ever poet laureate, read their
poems on the subject of Drought. Organizer, professor Matt Woodman designed a
beautiful keepsake chapbook containing all the poems.
Because these
poems and stories got out, rather than remain stashed in their file folders on
my computer, my life has become even more rich. Not with money, of course, as
most of these journals do not pay, or pay very little. But rich with the knowledge
that my words are being read and folks are enjoying or relating to them. That’s a great feeling, a good reason to
continue to write and submit my work.
~ xoA ~
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| YCR's first anthology included "Talk" |
