Posted by K. S. Dearsley on Sunday, April 8, 2012
I never thought I'd say this, but I miss old-fashioned rejection slips. Most of the time they would be nothing more than an impersonal compliments slip, but at least I could put they to some other use. I could scribble ideas for my next great work on the back of them, or shopping lists, or I could fold them into wads to stop cupboard doors swinging open, or to prop up table legs. I could do origami with them, make paper planes, scribble doodles.... If they arrived on a bad day at least I could lighten my mood by tearing them up. I used various techniques: the long, smooth rip that produced a sizzle of sound; the quick snap of the wrist that divided the slip with an electric crackle.
Now, most replies to submissions are e-mailed, even if you have to send your manuscript via snail mail. Clicking delete might obliterate the distasteful news in an instant, but it simply isn't as satisfying. That's why I intend receiving as few of them as possible!
Tags:
rejection