calculated insanity

I might be going nuts. More so than usual.

I just finished another story. I'm debating sending it to Harlequin. I... pfft! I'm not sure I can articulate what that would mean to me. Harlequins were the first romance novels I read. I started when I was six, the same age I was when I started writing my own fiction, and I've devoured them in large numbers ever since. When I made my first serious attempt at writing a romance novel, I felt sure that would be the publishing house I sent it to. (And if I ever finish that one, I'll still want to send it to them. :-p) The enormity of what getting published by Harlequin means to me on a personal level is something I can't quite put into words except to say that my inner child would be doing an ongoing happy dance for weeks.

But...what if they reject it?

All right. They are longer the only romance publisher I read, and I've gotten pretty good and realizing not everyone will find my writing to their liking, but that doesn't mean I'll be able to handle a rejection from them with the same I'll-just-edit-and-resubmit attitude I would approach anyone else. The question is, am I brave enough to try? Am I ready?

I think I need to edit this story a dozen more times. Just to be sure.