...look, what do you want?

[ajodasso]

I have mixed feelings about today. For instance, these things are good:

• Successfully interpreted some difficult Latin abbreviations in this morning's transcription.


• Turned in about 2500 words' worth of Chapter 1 draft to supervisors.


• Found a pair of Dolce & Gabbana jeans for 70% off.

However, several things about today completely suck, such as:

• The headache, which is carry-over from last night.


• Strange Horizons rejected WW&WS. Actually, that was yesterday.


• Poetry London rejected the four poems I submitted back in January.

The former rejection was actually nice, as they told me the story was "very well written" but "didn't have the kind of content that fits [their] present needs." Okay, fair enough; at least they haven't rejected Journeying yet. The latter, however, sent a form-slip, the tone of which seems to say, "Right: you're not Seamus Heaney or Carol Ann Duffy, so we're not interested." They included an entry form for their 2007 competition, which is expensive.

(What do prospective publishers want? Above and beyond offering what talent you have, assuming you're talented, do they want a miracle? Water into wine isn't my style. I'm tired of the editors' responses not matching my readers'.)