This is a tale of luck.

It’s also a typical story of how a short story gets published. I’m relating this tale to assure those of you who may feel discouraged about selling stories and depressed about rejections, that rejection is common even for multi-published writers. And–in the shared misery category–to assure you that all writers hate to be turned down.

And how you persevere and sell the damn thing anyway.

My little tale goes like this: A couple years ago I read a news article that inspired me to write a science fiction short story. I finished the thing and thought it was quite good. Quirky, a little slow. But original and moving. And if you’ve been following my blog, you know I like stories that tap your emotions.

I promptly sent it off to a prominent SF magazine which, with lightning speed, said no. So, I thought, that is one benefit of being a published author: you sure get your short stories read and rejected right away. Read More…