Take the Wins
But Don't Be Fooled By Social Media
Received my author’s copy of Wyrd Warfare: Forgotten Fronts this week.
Very happy my story was selected. Wanted to take a moment to celebrate because for most of us the wins are few and far between.
Just this morning, I received another rejection form letter. I average about one per week. So far in 2026, I’ve submitted over 30 short stories receiving three personalized notes from editors complimenting my rejected stories, and two acceptance letters.
Of course, rejections are so common, few of us bother posting to social media about it. Who wants to dwell on the defeats? The danger, of course, is that anyone who follows our social media only bears witness to our seemingly unbroken string of successes. That creates such a distorted perception of reality.
When my acceptances begin outnumbering my rejections, I will stop posting about them because there’s nothing newsworthy about the commonplace. Right now, I need to bask in the triumph and savor the unfamiliar taste of success because I do not know how long it will be before I have the good fortune to experience this feeling again.