I had a story accepted last November by an online/print mag, the agreement being the story would be published in the Winter/Spring issue (online only, possibility of it being in the print version as well).
I waited a few months with no word, and in March I sent a followup email. The response: "not for a while, we'll let you know."
I sent another email about two weeks ago. No response.
I sub'd the story in March 2014. I can appreciate the request for patience but this is kinda ridiculous, no?
I had to wait close to three years one time for a story to reach print once it had been accepted. Riduculous--yes--but sometimes that's how it shakes out.
Are you getting paid for the story, and did you already agree to any sort of contract? I had a crappy one that I got stuck in once that tied a story up for a year while the publisher crashed and burned.
I agree that it is a bit ridiculous. Have you seen any other activity out of the publisher? Are they publishing anything else, maintaining an active presence online, etc.? Honestly, if you aren't getting paid, and it has taken this long to get nowhere with it, are they going to be able to provide you with any sort of beneficial exposure anyway?
There are a lot of things I would have to consider if I were you. There are definitely markets that I would wait for, but I've also seen situations like this where I ended up waiting around while a market gave its last death rattles.
If they have a Facebook or Twitter, you might check to see if any other writers are trying to get a hold of them and if those writers are getting any sort of response. Just check their "posts to page" or search their name on Twitter. When White Cat had its issues, the first indications that I saw were that a lot of other writers weren't getting paid and weren't getting responses from the owner.
I absolutely hate withdrawing stories that have been accepted. It feels unprofessional, but at some point you start to wonder about the professionalism of the market. Sorry. I wish I had better advice for you.
three years? Yeesh, all the super significant cultural themes I explore will no longer be relevant!
And yes, I signed a contract of sorts, but the contract specified "WINTER/SPRING ISSUE", which I could argue means they have not held up their end as we are now into Summer.
And no, non paying. I'd honestly be okay with pretty much any date they gave, if they'd show me the courtesy of giving me a date and sticking to it.
The contract that I had specified the length of time that they had to produce the publication, just an extra line in there that I honestly didn't pay enough attention to when I signed it.
There could be a lot of good reasons why they didn't use it, yet, but I hope you hear something soon. It sucks, I know. Just keep writing/submitting other stuff. It will take your mind off of it. :p
Still haven't heard back. I think it's safe to say they've just decided to reneg on the contract. How unprofessional..
did you sign anything?
Digital contract. No physical signature, if that makes a difference..
Digital signature would still count, sir.
What I'm thinking is maybe they breached the contract?
Right, I got that. I reckon that's what they did. Since there was no money involved I'm not sure what kind of recourse I would have. I'm just pissed that they wasted a lot of my time (sub'd March 2014, accepted Nov 2014). They made me think less of their publication, which I had been a fan of.
I have had a wait upwards of a year after acceptance. They paid before it was published, but not "on acceptance" which is what most of the best magazines do. If there is no payment, they probably feel no urgency to publish, and might be looking for an issue in which it will fit best.
Have you checked to see if they are they still publishing?
Yes they are. And the contract was for the "WINTER/SPRING 2014-2015" edition, which of course has come and gone. So they've technically not held up their end.
If you don't mind me asking, what was the name of the publication?
