Languishing
For example, when a market's posted response time is 90 days and it's been 120 since I sent them my story, I know it's time to email a friendly query like the following:
Hello Editor,
On date, I submitted "Title" to Market. Is my story still under consideration?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Last weekend, the time came to send out 10 queries on stories languishing in various slush piles. I'd been keeping an eye on most of them, but a couple had slipped under my radar, and they'd gone far beyond the grace period I normally extend to editors. Of the 10 queries, I heard back from two markets almost immediately.
From Bards and Sages:
"We'd like to include your story in the July issue."
"We'd like to include your story in the July issue."
Very welcome news. "Autonomic Zen and the Art of Destruction" was my Write1Sub1 for Week #24 last year, and I've been trying to find it a good home ever since.
Then from Aoife's Kiss:
"As regards "Dahlia's Feast", I did not receive it. Please resend, and I will read it right away."
"As regards "Dahlia's Feast", I did not receive it. Please resend, and I will read it right away."
This is always one of my fears, that my submissions have never even reached the editor! I re-subbed my work posthaste and received the following reply a day or so later:
"I'm going to accept "Dahlia's Feast" for the March 2013 Aoife's Kiss."
"I'm going to accept "Dahlia's Feast" for the March 2013 Aoife's Kiss."
More welcome news! This story was my W1S1 from Week #12 last year, and it features a new character who will make her first appearance in the Triangulation: Morning After anthology this summer.
My other queries reaped 2 rejection letters, and I'm still waiting to hear back on 6. How long would you wait for a response before you subbed those tales elsewhere?