Sad Tidings From The Dream Editor

There it was. The manuscript I'd sent to the dream editor. Sitting in my post office box. Battered and bruised, even. It had apparently had a rough trip back from NY, because it was filthy, torn and had been enroute for over a week. She didn't tell me my writing sucked or anything. Her letter was very kind. (As I'd expect from what I've read about her.) But she did tell me a troubling thing: they already bought a book very similar to mine. A psychologist working with vampires. That means someone wrote a book in the general vicinity of mine and sold it. Before me. And there I was, all puffed up thinking I'd written something original and fresh. That I'd be SURE to sell this unusual idea. Well, the rejection and information about the other book really took the wind out of my sails for a while. I'm struggling with gathering up enough motivation to write something else, but I'm not there yet. I guess I can say for sure that just because my first three chapters seemed to do well in contests, apparently the rest of my book doesn't cause agents/editors to pound down my door. I don't think I suck as a writer (even though I said that to my crit group), but I don't think I fit. I think that's what's on my cosmic t-shirt: I don't fit.

A Little Rain, A Little Sunshine

Well. I heard back from both agents who'd requested fulls. No dice. Thanks, but no thanks. One told me that Vampire Shrink was actually a paranormal romance. I can honestly say she's the first person to ever stamp that label on it. Usually, people tell me why it ISN'T a paranormal romance and what I should do to correct that error. The other gave the very vague, "I just didn't love it enough to take it on." Several of my writer friends who had fulls at that agency got the same reply. Not much information to work with. I was disappointed and had a rough day yesterday -- second-guessing myself, my abilities, my worth, etc. But I feel better today. I have found a couple of other author/writers who are willing to read my story and give me feedback. I definitely need practice in separating my writing from me. But when I got home from my local Colorado Romance Writers chapter meeting today I found an email telling me that Vampire Shrink won first place in the paranormal category of the Fool for Love contest. The one judged by Anne Sowards. I'm hoping that if Anne passes on VS, she might tell me why.