My very first rejection landed in my inbox this afternoon. Yay! No, really. The only way to survive as a writer is to not take it personally. When an editor says "it's not right for us", that's exactly what they mean. Not that I suck as a writer, or my story sucks.

Maybe I'll find it a little tougher to keep this perspective as my rejection collection grows, but I'm going to do my damnedest to stay positive.

So...on to Duotrope I go to find the next submission candidate. Wish me luck!