All right, Kiddies & Commandos, we’re back with the latest update on my quest to get 100 literary submission rejections this year!

I got the idea from several friends who did the challenge last year. So far it’s been a quite effective way to reverse the emotional charge of the submission process by making rejection the target, AND ensuring that I hustle enough in my submission volume to get some positive momentum. So, where are we with a month to go?

In terms of accidental acceptances and alarming close calls, I’ve done pretty well at avoiding those since our October update. I did get a rejection from Slippery Elm, the literary journal of the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio, saying that while the piece I sent wasn’t right for them, they enjoyed my writing and would like to see more. So, a bit of close shave, but still a rejection. Whew!

My current stats:

• I figured going in that I’d need to do 143 submissions to get 100 rejections in the year. I’m currently at 124.
• That leaves 19 submissions to make in December. A brisk pace, but very doable.
• As of today, I’m at 65 rejections.
• That means I’ll need to get 35 more, or more than a rejection a day on average, in December in order to make it. Eeep!

We’ll check in with final numbers, and some concluding thoughts on the whole exercise, after December 31st…