“A decision on your submission”

In today’s mailbag:

Dear Philip:

Thank you for submitting your work to [redacted]. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept it for publication at this time. We enjoyed the ease of your prose and would look forward to anything you have to submit in the future.

Sincerely,
The Editors.

Thank you, The Editors.

Hmm. I don’t seem to have any liquor handy. Too bad.

So.
Very.
Angry.
.
.
.
.
.

On these occasions, all that’s left is to scrutinize the rejection notice with a pathetic gaze, searching for a jot of encouragement. The previous rejection of the manuscript in question cited the story’s “lovely writing.” This latest notice notes “the ease” of the prose in the submission. So, er, yay?

The writing’s fine, but the story itself blows. That’s probably a fair assessment.

Carrying on, then.

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