Here's another one I think it's time to give up on. After 273 days and no response I'm calling it on this submission to The Atlantic. They used to say they responded with in 45 days if interested. They don't say that anymore, but I think the practice might still exist. And I'm pretty sure it's safe to give up on this one at this point. I know several markets can take longer to respond than this, but when a publication has a history or practice to only responding when interested, at some point it's time to call it a rejection. This is one of those times.
So, from what I'm reading about your submissions, I take it that some people just don't bother replying at all.
A lot of them tell you if they only respond when interested. I have a few older than these ones, but I do know those places should eventually get back to me. It's sort of a judgement call and sort of knowing the market. The ones I'm considering rejections right now are pretty safe calls.
They've been out a long time, in other words. Still, it's only an email, and a perfunctory one at that, on occasion. You would have thought they'd take the time. Anyway, hope you get some good luck soon.
Got a high tier form rejection (or maybe personal, it's hard to tell) on that Honorable Mention story. From the sound of it, the story was rejected over lack of space more than anything else.
As in too many good stories for the desired total word count or available funds for payment. But yeah, it's nice to know there's nothing wrong with the story itself and that it fit the market. If I'd been able to submit it earlier, this market might have taken it. The editor did say he wanted to see future submissions from me, which is always a good sign.
You looking for the author? No name on the folio? I think you found your man,it slipped my mind, I'm glad you liked it my twist in under 100 words, or was it 200, maybe longer if you could just scratch my name along the top?
The first thousand is tight, as is the second thousand, the third thousand is good, the last thousand is silly and rather messy still with misaligned, hanging def and indef articles. One might still see the lines, the cracks, I feel. But y'know are they really going to read the whole thing? I mean it's so good they'll just read the beginning and get on with things, ask me to make it pretty for the front cover?
I guess it depends on how much promise they see in the first parts. I can't imagine they wouldn't read it all, you think they won't read it all?
I was playing, riffing @KP... I've had perfect drafts up to word 2980 - just can't, y'know,umm, umm, how do I umm, end the story? The next day he arose and simply dropped dead in the supermarket. Life is strange END. 'Wow, yeah...' 'I get that,' '#Great ending, I think'
LOL, well, life is strange, we write about it every day. Dropping dead in the supermarket? They'd probably charge the family for removal of the body and the stress of seeing such an event. 'He should never have allowed himself to die in this supermarket madam, please pay the sum of...And by the way, our commiserations.' I'm one of those people who, if not before, usually have the ending around the same time as the beginning.
I just sent another where I said I wasn't a subscriber. Should have waited til tomorrow. Still, I really enjoyed my rush after those horrendous read-thrus So, 1 away to little mag 1 no-hoper to big lit mag, should chop it down, it is 'senseless.' 1 good one away to big lit mag 1 funny one to the Sci-fi fantasy proper, proper pros, probably they shoot down those lit mags out of the sky with their billion readers. I mean sci-fi readers are real people, not just the beardies down the Uni, just saying, y'know when you read the bios 'Bob Beak is a Creative Writing Professor at the university of adult learning, Toronto, kneejerk, kneejerk, his poetry vomit vomit published through Viagra Press, Sparkly Bra. He believes children are the future Mat di Bigot-magott.
Oh my, you really are bonkers aren't you lol. Um, perhaps by 'proper proper pros' you mean Clarkesworld or Science Fiction and Fantasy? The latter is the largest mag I think. I have very nearly, closely, almost closely, finished my short. I think the mags I listed will be the ones I will be looking at, plus a few others. But it takes up to 8 weeks to hear back from SF&F and you can't send anywhere else.
TFF? TTP...I can't remember anymore. They have 3 titles - so - if you fail on one they have a little scratch of the jar, jaw...and send you the stock rejection anyway. No, all good Inthezone? [joke]
F&SF don't tend to take that long unless they are going to buy your story. On duotrope the average rejection comes in at 6.4 days. The acceptance time is listed at 118 days. When I have submitted to them my rejections came between 2 and 15 days.
Hmm, can't say as I know those. So, if you do and then it takes longer it might mean, by default, that you will, quite likely, be published. Interesting. Better get
