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Hesitation Blues

What do you do when you feel like you've been waiting a really long time to hear back from a literary journal? What do you consider a long time? 6 months? 9 months? A year? Do you contact them to tell them you are sending it somewhere else, or do you just send it elsewhere and contact them if it gets accepted?

I sent a story to a well-known litmag last April, and haven't heard a thing. They say they respond in 10 weeks, sometimes a little longer. Should I just assume they're not interested, and send the thing somewhere else? I got burned once before in a similar situation, where I thought another mag wasn't interested because they were taking so long, and then when it got accepted somewhere else the first mag suddenly decided they wanted it and they got pissed at me for doing a simultaneous submission. Once bitten, twice shy.

Thanks for your input.

By stephser at 02/15/2006 - 9:30pm | Doing It | previous forum topic | next forum topic

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before i read the last part

before i read the last part of your post i was thinking when a magazine really wants your piece you hear right away.

i would think that if they say they respond in about 10 weeks and it's been close to a year, that it is a no go. there have definitely been plenty of times that i have submitted things and never ever heard a peep. when it is a place that i *know* responds, then i will usually send an email to check the status.

www.fertilegroundzine.com

By staleyg at Fri, 02/17/2006 - 3:13pm |

do you have another mag in mind already?

If so, I would write withdrawing the submission. That way you're not simultaneously submitting and it's clear that Mag 1 has lost its opportunity to print it.

If not and you *really* would like to be in this particular magazine, you could send a polite note saying something like, "I sent you this piece xxx weeks ago and would like to know if you are still considering it." Something polite but letting them know that you would appreciate an answer rather than dead silence.

By PhoenixRising at Fri, 02/17/2006 - 5:30am |