Hmmm.

Got an interesting e-mail today. The publishers of Zane's Caramel Flava anthology said that the story I submitted to Caramel Flava 1, Tomorrow's Saints, was being "seriously considered" for Flava II. They didn't ask if it was still available. They simply told me to wait for a follow-up e-mail if it's accepted.

Usually, when a story is rejected, I get it back in the hands of another editor as soon as I can. But that editor never rejected my story. I had to figure it out on my own.

Editors who can't be bothered to send out rejection letters really irritate me, because it means that I sit on a story I could sell to someone else. Most editors I submit to do act with professional courtesy. Then again, I rarely submit to an editor unless s/he has a good reputation.

After my experience with the editor of Caramel Flava, I made a decision not to submit there again. The thing is, I haven't sold that story elsewhere. It took me a while to realize the story was rejected, and since then I haven't seen a call for submissions that it fit. If I had sold it, I would relish writing the editor a note saying that it wasn't available. Right now, I'm thinking that I might politely decline the "honor" they've seen fit to bestow on me. But the devil on my shoulder is reminding me that a buck is a buck, my story will have a lot of exposure, and I shouldn't get so pissy just because some people have no professional manners.

What to do? (This could all be a moot point if I figure out a year from now that they rejected it again.)