Well, well...no sooner do I open my big yap, then a card saying I've got something at the Post Office shows up.

In my head, I'm thinking: It's too soon to get any of my manuscripts back, right?

Wrong.

I went to pick it up on Tuesday, but the disgruntled clowns had misplaced it and urged me to try again later, of course after making me wait 15 minutes while they searched through their bins. So, I decided to give it another shot today and I kind of cringed when I saw the wobbling postal worker woman limp to the window with a familiar, thick manilla envelope in her hand.

Hoo boy.

I didn't open it right on the spot because I figured it had to be bad news, so I waited until I got to to work and slit it open with an exacto knife. I noticed there weren't any postage marks, so I couldn't tell if it had come from California or Georgia. I slid the contents out and saw my manuscript was still strapped between the two pieces of cardboard and rubber bands I used to hold it together. What...they didn't even look at it?

Wrong again.

I unwrapped the package and saw a letter on top of the cover page of my manuscript. It went a little something like this:

Dear Kingsley,

Thank you for offering your work to Peachtree Publishers. Regrettably, we are unable to accept your manuscript for publication. Of the 20,000 queries and manuscripts we receive each year, we can only publish about 20 titles per year.

Our decision to decline your work does not reflect on its quality or on the ability you bring to it. As you know, publishing is a very subjective business and another editor may feel differently about your work.

We would like to give you a more personalized response but time and the volume of submittals does not permit this; please know, however that your manuscript received a thorough reading and full consideration by our editorial staff.

Best of luck in your publishing endeavors, and thank you again for considering Peachtree.

Cordially,

Helen Harriss

Editorial Department

(beneath that was the following handwritten message)

Though the story is a workable concept, it is much too long for the age group targeted.

Not a bad rejection letters, I guess. I mean they could've been complete jerks and just stuck a slip in there that said "Thanks, but no thanks friend."

The question I have is this, and I'd love to hear people's take on it: When they talk about the age group targeted...do they mean the age group THEY target or the age group I'M trying to target?

I'm hoping it's the group Peachtree is trying to target. I'd hate to cut it down to any more than I have just to shorten it for a younger audience. As it stands, I think the story is kind of lean enough.

Then again...what do I know?

So...that means I need to send it out to some other 'lucky' publishing house. Remember kids! Trying to get published is FUN!!!