A good rejection?

As writers we talk about rejections being either good or bad (good being personal and complimentary/bad being form and/or less than complimentary about the work).

But it's hard dealing with all rejections. I just opened my email to find a much waiting for response on a followup to a book I'd submitted months and months ago. The praise about the story, the characters, the writing was glowing. And yet, there was no place for this piece--this picture book written specifically for this market. A second rejection in a year from this same publisher, each time full of praise for my work and the story, yet each time 'no place for it here'. And each time a 'please send us more of your work, we're anxious to see it.'

So, though the rejection was a nice one, a personal one, even a hopeful one as they do like my ideas and style and want to see more...it still hurts like heck. Sometimes I find it's harder to get past these 'close calls' more than the no chance/no way rejections. It's the 4th one in a year that came very close.

I'm stubborn and I move on and forward, but I still can't say that a close-call rejection is truly good. It's just not horrible.

Writer's rule # one million and two. Go ahead and have that pity party, then get over it and move on.