Another One Bites the Dust

Last year, around the end of November, I submitted a story to Tor.com. Today I received notification that they rejected it.

That's not a problem; after some 35 years of effort, I'm used to it by now.

It's what they said that got to me:

Your story isn't quite right for us.

I call that the blue screen of death for writers. I mean, what the hell does that mean, exactly?

They didn't say. I'm not asking for a detailed critiqued, but surely a single sentence is not beyond human endurance? Like, we don't like stories about flies. Or, we don't want to see stories about two codgers sitting around a camp fire doing nothing but talking and drinking.

Something like that.

Yes, yes, I read the guidelines, and a few sample stories. I thought my story would fit right in. They didn't agree. Duh.

I've pretty much come to the conclusion by now that "it isn't right for us" is code for, "It sucked!". Fine, whatever. I don't expect everyone to like my writing. Hell, I'm surprised anyone DOES like my writing. But why not just say so?

Then they conclude with a statement that left my mind reeling:

Be sure to send us more stories. (paraphrase)

WTF?? You didn't like my story, but you ask me to send you more? But if you really liked my story well enough to ask to see more, why not just buy the one I submitted?!

I'm so confused!!

Seriously, the best way to encourage people to continue to submit is to BUY a story now and then, especially their first. Continually saying, "This story isn't right, but please send more!", just ends up causing either the writer to finally say, "Yeah, right. Up yours, pal!", or to his cats committing him to a loony bin for sitting in one place too long dribbling on his keyboard.

As mine are about to do right now. No, wait, here's some tuna!

In one sense, this is good news, because it gives me another story I can publish in the near future, maybe with two or three others (it is a flash piece). I just need to come up with some cover artwork.

However, it just confirms that, for whatever reasons, the general public (or at least one tiny deranged portion) likes my writing while virtually all editors do not. How such a lopsided result can exist in a quantum universe run by random chance I'll never figure out.

Maybe I'm just paranormally unlucky.

Okay, I confess, I will submit to Tor again. Someday. But only because I'm a masochist who loves ridicule and punishment.

Why else would I own cats?