submissions and etquette

[jchapman]

Here's a question for the editors.

Over six weeks ago, I submitted a story to an online publication. (I would have submitted to Mindflights, but the story exceeds the word count limit.) I've heard absolutely nothing from the editor. I queried to ask if the story was even received but have heard nothing. It's supposed to be a quarterly publication, but the last issue was from December '08. There was an update to the website in March stating that they were behind on reading submissions.

I'm uncertain what to do at this point. Do I continue waiting? How long? Query again? I hate to be annoying. Or tell the editor I want to withdraw the submission. What's an acceptable period of time to wait without any acknowledgment from the editor? I'm willing to wait. I just want to know I'm waiting for something.

Thanks for your help.
_________________
Jeff
My writing blog:
http://jeffchapmanwriter.blogspot.com

[Selena Thomason]

Hi, Jeff.

I'll try to advise you but it really depends on the market.

Have you tried checking the market's listing at Duotrope? It would list the response times reported by their users for that market and give you an idea of what the market's usual response time is. It might also tell you if the market is "dead." Duotrope labels a market dead if it meets certain criteria like 1) no recent issue, or 2) lack of response to update requests from Duotrope.

Does the market's guidelines list a certain response time? If so, I would use that as a guideline and not contact them again until after that time period has passed.

In general, I would suggest waiting at least two months before querying a market about a submission.

Since a recent update on the market's site indicates that they are behind on reading submissions, I suggest giving them more time before querying.

I hope that helps. If you want to post or PM me the name of the market in question, I'll try to give you a better, more specific recommendation.

Good luck. I know how hard it is to wait to hear about a pending submission. As a writer, that is always the hardest part for me. Hang in there.
_________________
Selena Thomason
Managing Editor
MindFlights

[NancyFulda]

You can also try looking up the publication's response times on Submitting to the Black Hole: http://www.critters.org/blackholes/

As Selena said, it's generally advisable to wait at least two or three months before querying. Some publications (i.e. Black Gate) regularly take up to a year to send a response. Also, be sure to check the spam filter on your email to make sure email responses will be able to reach you.

If the typical response time of the market has been exceeded by several months, it is perfectly acceptable to send a brief, polite query letter (unless the market's guidelines say not to, of course). When I query, I usually write something like:

Dear [Editor's Name]

I submitted my story "[insert story's title here]" to you on [date], and as yet have received no response. I'm concerned that either my submission or your response may have gotten lost in the mail.

I'd appreciate any information you can give me about this submission.

Kind Regards,
[author's name]
_________________
Nancy's blog: http://nancyfulda.livejournal.com

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[NancyFulda]

One more thing: It's unfortunate, but true, that small, new publications sometimes fold without bothering to notify the authors of pending submissions.

If you feel that this has happened, it is perfectly acceptable to send a polite note informing the editor that you are withdrawing the story to submit elsewhere. If you're not sure whether this has happened or not, I'd recommend waiting at least six months to a year before withdrawing the story.
_________________
Nancy's blog: http://nancyfulda.livejournal.com

Build your own anthology! http://www.anthologybuilder.com