Interesting publication journey. I've stubbornly resisted submitting to publications, valuing the independent spirit with my lackluster views, lol. After a year of only publishing in one small pub, I've branched out and am now part of 5 or so, including Word Garden, which is growing fast. Its been fun and more profitable. No rejections yet, although one article was sent back, ultimately, I've pulled the plug before rejection couple times. Been rejected before, I can appreciate your growth from this, indeed. There is a balance between staying unique and conforming to the standards that bring monetary success.