A few weeks ago I posted a minor rant about a story of mine that was rejected because the editor didn't believe I had the science right. As I said before, that story started with the science research, so I was pretty sure I had it right. Like I said, I sent it off immediately to the next market. This is probably poor form, but I also sent a letter to the first editor citing where I got the idea for the science, and included a short article I found on the internet that showed the concept. I wasn't telling the editor he was wrong to reject my story or asking him to reconsider -- it was just a friendly note saying here's where I got the idea, and gosh, isn't it interesting?

So yesterday, I received an email from the editor asking me to send the story back to him for another look. I replied, telling him it was sitting in another market's slushpile at the moment, but I'll send it back to him if it comes back. Frankly, I'm heartened that this editor read my letter and asked for a second look, rather than just dismissing my letter as another angry response to a rejection letter. I know it's not usually a good idea to argue with editors' rejections or critics' reviews, as that's likely to mark you as a whiney amateur, but I got away with it this time. If the second editor buys the story, I'll actually be a bit sorry to have to tell the first editor it's been sold elsewhere.

I also received some very nice news in email yesterday, but I'm sworn to secrecy for a few months until it's official. It's very good news, though.