For the people here who actually write; a question:
Do you submit to multiple markets? Obviously, only if the market allows it, but do you think it hurts your chances? Or, if the publisher knows it's out there, have you ever had multiple subs help speed your submission through the process? Or, does it not affect your chances at all? Anyone have any empirical data to support a particular approach?
I'm cycling through my multitude of finished shorts, but once I send it out, I hate having to sit on it for 3 months to get my invariable rejection email. Should I start blasting out stories to 3 or 4 markets at once?
I am just getting into submitting seriously, but I always submit one story to several places, most places allow it, and if one place accepts it, you just have to pull the submission from other places. I don't have anything empirical, but talking to other writers, I've found that this is pretty common, and doesn't hurt anything.
Submit simultaneously. The markets don't like that but fuck it. Electric Literature took close to a year to tell me they were passing on a story of mine.
Just make sure that if you get accepted to let the other markets know about it.
@Brandon: Thank you.
What Brandon said. Duotrope is good tool for this.
I submit a single story to about 20-30 people and eventually someone bites then once it gets accepted and you get a rejection from someone else for the story, you can say, "It just got accepted for such and such mag so you were wrong, bitch!!" Thats a good strategy for making connections. Everything I write is gold though so I never get rejections. I have had a few people say, "I'm sorry, sir, your writing is so good if we published it, it would make our other writers look like shit." So there's that. Happy submitting!
Yeah, I think Richard told me that. I'll have to check though. I have seen some places that say "We don't like simultaneous submissions. If you get accepted elsewhere, please let us know"
They know we're doing it.
Thanks everyone - I guess I knew I should have been doing multiples (heh heh) all along, but something in my Canadian upbringing thought it seemed rude and presumptuous.
@JGB: I don't think it's as presumptuous as the metality certain markets have when they tell you not to do simultaneous submissions. It's the writing equivalent of filling out a job application at a restaurant and having them tell you, "You better not apply to any more restaurants while we take the next three months to go over your application." When someone goes out of their way to tell you they hold all the cards, it's practically your obligation to jam it in their ass.
Brandon hinted at this but it's Simultaneous Submissions what you're talking about, and if some place says NO SS then yes, ignore them, they expect it anyway. When you pull the story you don't have to mention that it's been accepted somewhere else, theoretically you could be pulling it because it's taken too long for a response, or you want to do another draft. Good excuses.
Multiple Submissions, though, are when you can send the same market a couple different stories if they allow it. A few good places do this, and it's good to take advantage of at places that take longer for responses, so pay attention when reading through Submission Guidelines.
I have a plan. I'm going to submit the same story to the same magazine fifteen times under fifteen different pseudonyms. There will be a final email that says: "Pick the right one or your family dies."
He'll pick one in panic, and I'll be published, and his family will be safe, which will make him feel like he was really very lucky to have picked the right one.
Unless I am explicitly told not to make multiple submissions in the submission guidelines I make multiple submissions.
It's never hurt my chances.
@Fylh: But then you're stuck with a pseudonym. You'd better make them all good.
Fylh--that's really altruistic. You'd be doing the guy a FAVOR! He'd feel so relieved, so heroic! Great plan. Everybody wins!
On the other hand, I suppose it would make me feel horrible, you know, with all the pain I'd put him and his loved ones through.
But still — publication credits! I'm so torn between what's right and what's easy...
duotrope has this cool feature that tells you the average response time - I try to fill up timeslots... Meanings: A mag - 5 days averagere response, B mag 12 days, C mag, 20 days, D mag 30. that way it's at least a little spread out - and (lord forbid) - you get two acceptances for the same piece and you have to turn one down. But even that isn't that important. get the damn thing out - find it a home.
publication credit trumps others personal pain 100% (and personal pain like 99%) - just saying
I don't remember the last time I submitted anything, but I do know that I hate it when people email me asking me to consider NOVEL for PUBLICATION but also warn me that NOVEL is BEING CONSIDERED by FIVE OTHER PRESSES. The answer at that point is: Haha, aww.
Hehehe. In order to say something is being "considered", does that just mean you submitted it? Because in that case, my stuff is being "considered" by like...20 different places RIGHT NOW!
Exactly. That's the problem. It's so easy to see through, and it's a waste of time.
When I submit my heartbreaking-work-of-staggering-genius-that-will-make-both-of-us-millionaires to you, I will be sure not to say that.
That sounds good. I like to think you'll keep that promise.
"Pick the right one or your family dies.""
Hmmm, perhaps this will make it into my query letters.
Wow, you guys, it's not like anyone already wrote a story like this about a psycho who threatens a guys family to get published and it's written through query letters......
One of the great things about being a leo is, I don't have to remember shit. But seriously yeah I recall. It was funny. Post it again
Guys, please take a look at this post. Bear in mind, however, that this post is currently being condidered for entry by seven other threads.
Buy now while supplies last!
Can queery letters get married?
I wouldn't ignore it if the guidelines say, "no simultaneous submissions" if the stats on duotrope show that they have a quick response time. Otherwise, ignore.
That is definitely something to plug into the equation, Bradley.
Also, I loved Rico Slade WIll Fucking Kill You - so thank you twice.
Thanks, Jeffrey!
