Rejection, I Spit in Your Face

In the amateur business of pursuing fame through publication in (mostly) online publications, one dances with two partners — acceptance, and rejection.

Not every partner wants to dance, at least not with me. Polite and formulaic, their notes of rejection arrive with stinging frequency in my Inbox.

Little do they know, however, that their encouragement and best wishes for acceptance by others actual achieve results. Notes of acceptance also arrive. Lovely people with lovely little publications — every bit as virtually magnificent as the online presences of what some might consider better, or certainly more revered publications. Oh, joy! Someone loves me. Let’s dance.

For you, of course, this means free short fiction of your choosing. Not a penny from your pocket. Just click on over to contents of the Publications tab. Just think of it as the “Best American Stu Stories.”