Good news and bad news.

I finished the first draft of WOLFLANDER around 2:00 yesterday afternoon and it felt great.

Sometimes typing that last sentence, I get a small wave of euphoria.

Not twenty minutes later I got a rejection from the horror publisher I'd submitted to.  It was the nicest rejection I can imagine:


Hey Duncan - 

I've been reading Nearly Human and I keep coming to the same conclusion: I like you, I like your writing, I would love to work with you, but this is the wrong book for Books of the Dead. 

Sorry about that, man... but I think you'd be better off with a Fantasy Publisher. 

Talk soon.

 

So that's obviously a downer.  I had already suspected I didn't meet the editorial direction of this publisher.  The capitalized words "Fantasy Publisher" is a dead giveaway.  As I've mentioned, I know I'm writing dark fantasy more than out and out horror, but I was hoping he'd stretch the definition.

I was hoping he'd be impressed enough to give me specific recommendations, but oh, well.

I'll just keep on writing.

I was lucky that the rejection didn't come sooner.  I mean, I'm feeling down right now.  I can't help it.  I doubt I'll be able to write for awhile after this.  Like I said, disappointment just sort of sinks in and take possession for awhile.  No help for it.

I know intellectually what's happened, but emotionally I still take it hard.