Recently I got a SASE in the mail from
Tiny Lights: A Journal of Personal Narrative. I knew what it was: a rejection slip and return of my submission to a local flash prose contest I'd entered in February. But instead of the disappointment and dread that can accompany such self-addressed envelopes penned in my own handwriting (always a bit odd, as if I'm the one delivering the bad news to myself), I opened this one with eager anticipation.
The reason?
I knew that, according to contest guidelines, one of the judges might offer written comments on my manuscript. Being in an MFA program, I've become accustomed to receiving feedback on my work. The praise always boosters confidence, but hearing from readers about what isn't working helps me see where the work needs to go. Affecting our audience is, after all, a big part of the reason we're writing.
As the editor,
Susan Bono, writes on the Tiny Lights website: "You never know what an editor really thinks about your work." In this case, I did! And it was awfully sweet.
I wasn't a prize winner, a finalist or an honorable mention. I didn't even make the lengthy list of "entries of note." But I did receive the kindest rejection (form) letter possible, along with some great personal feedback from Bono herself:
