Two Poetry Book Rejections and Rejection 296

Both the incredible Sator Press and Tarpaulin Sky do not want my poetry book. I think the book will take a little nap now, a little rest away from submission for a while.

An essay was also rejected by the Oxford American. 

And the Illinois Arts Council officially notified grant applicants that there are no longer funds for the arts grants we applied for, so that was a sadly useless application I gave my time to. I feel for the IAC though. I see their social media trying to point people to other sources of funding and I feel for the people doing that good work. I know they are probably more frustrated than the rest of us. 

Some real talk: I've been working on this funny little novel for over four years. That's not even that long, but I've found it's taking a toll. Working on something longer means that you don't get those little boosts from sending out stories and essays and individual poems and having an editor say, "Yes, this is great! We'll take it! Keep going!" When I started working on this manuscript I felt the odd loss of that encouragement and then I made my peace with it. I think it's worth acknowledging that that sense of loss and insecurity has returned. It's fine. My confidence will return, but it's been helpful to me in the past to know that even the most successful people doubt themselves and worry that they've been fooling the world and will be revealed as the fakes they feel they are. I try to stay thankful and remember that these lows make the good news feel all the better, but it's a tricky dynamic and I wish you all the best in navigating your particular version of it.