Failing to get an article published
Not much to say about this one: I recently had an article about critical reading practices rejected for publication. I think in this case it was mainly a situation where the article wasn’t the right fit for the venue, but I don’t know for sure. I know rejection is a totally normal part of the job, and this rejection was not mean-spirited or unfair — but it still stings, right?
I know I should just send it somewhere else. And while there are some parts of the thing that are fine, I want to make some changes — ok, I want to change the article entirely — and I don’t have time to do that right now. It’s a one-off piece and I really just gotta finish this book. Yet it’s still bothersome: I’m not particularly attached to the article itself in its current configuration, but I AM attached to the many hours I spent writing the damn thing, and to the idea of having written it.
Maybe, in the utopian dream that is “next summer,” I will find the time to resuscitate the article and do something with it. And/or maybe pieces of it will just end up on this blog while I figure out what to do, little bits of mess.