HUH???

Had a WTF moment the other day. I'd seen a submission call for a certain genre which seemed to fit one of my stories. I emailed the owner and asked if I could send it to see if there was a possible 'fit'. She said yes, so I sent it off, along with the information it wasn't ready for publication, but I was currently waiting for a yes/no on the previous book, and if it was given a 'no', I'd send it. I just wanted clarification on the genre, and to see if my stories were in synch with their thinking.

Imagine my shock when three days ago, I received a contract for the work! I wrote back and explained why I was refusing the contract.

Maybe it was my fault; I sent something off with no intention of having it published. But at the same time, what does this say about the quality of work this publisher is accepting? Are they a) so desperate for manuscripts it doesn't matter how bad they are, and are willing to publish anything, or b) they recognize they have something good and don't want it going anywhere else? In this case, I'm so tired of certain shennanigans, I'm going elsewhere with my work. I've been lied to; communication is a bitch unless I throw a fit; and I had lengthy email and phone conversations with two other authors who have already severed ties. I'd really like to get published where my friends are! The chats would definitely be more lively:)