First Rejection Letter

I submitted the first ten pages of Chalk to a literary development company named "Paper Lantern Lit." Based on what I have read (from sources external to their website), they seem to be a great company for writers who are just beginning their careers. Yesterday I got a form rejection e-mail from them. Here it is:

Subject: Your Submission

Thank you so much for your interest in Paper Lantern Lit! Your work stood out among our other submissions, but unfortunately we don’t see a fit for any of our projects at this time. We think your work has merit and potential, and urge you to keep writing.

Best of luck,
The Editorial Staff
Paper Lantern Lit

As my first form rejection, it was very polite, maybe even kind. The people at Paper Lantern Lit clearly know what it is like to be rejected, and have written their form rejection accordingly. I'm extremely grateful for this. After all, it always hurts the most the first time, right?

I'm proud to report that last night I stayed the course. I wrote my daily two hours, spending most of the time on a new beginning to my Untitled novel. I'm okay. I'm moving on. And it's not in spite of Paper Lantern Lit. They gave me their time and consideration. I appreciate that. I wish them success in their endeavors. I returned to my writing desk yesterday because someday I hope to be worthy of getting an entire novel published. Maybe I'm not today, and that's okay. After all, art is a journey, and I have just taken another step.