Two days ago I published a link to my latest published haibun. That night I had an email to discuss some changes to a submission I’d made just before Christmas. I’ve made them so I’m hoping for an acceptance there. Then last night I had a n acceptance for four poems. They are senryu rather than haiku (based on human nature rather than nature) but the line is blurred in English language Japanese-style poetry. It was a bit unexpected as I’ve never been much good with the short poems and, to be honest, never expect much. To have four accepted at one time is close to being unbelievable, and puts my total of short poems published (well, theoretically published – they won’t actually be published until next month) up from two to six, which is a big jump.
It’s quite a good way to end the year – all I need to do now is find a good way to start the New Year.
It goes to show what happens when you set your mind to something. I had a rest at the beginning of the year. I had had a series of rejections, one of my favourite magazines closed and there was a change of editor at another one – a man who has never accepted anything from me, and continues to accept nothing from me. I admit I did give up for a time, but you can’t keep a good man down and at the end of July, after a lapse of nearly a year, I started submitting again.
Twenty submissions. Nine acceptances. This includes an acceptance from a magazine that turned me down three times previously.
The moral of the story is never give up. And if you do give up, remember that you can always start again. It’s not meant to be easy.
This is a lesson that can be applied to many things, and one which I really ought to remember, because I’m very bad at letting things lapse.
Latest News – just had confirmation the changes are acceptable and I therefore have another acceptance. This is a good end to the year.