Grab the reader's collar, or beckon with a mysterious smile?

Michael Merriam has an interesting post on what it's like to go from the writer's side of the desk to the editor's. The good news: he's not jaded by slush--quite the opposite, in fact. (I must say, I have never personally received a "nasty" rejection or anything that was other than professional--but I have heard, more often than I'd like, of this happening to other writers.)

I also love this snippet from Cynthia Leitich Smith, inspired by a bumpy plane ride: "What stands out most in my memory ...