Sunday, June 12, 2011

W1S1 Check-In: Week 23 (Week 2)

Blech.
Great start to the week, a not-so-great finish. Started out with a from-scratch rewrite of an old, previously non-w1s1 story entitled "Magic Words" which I wrapped up in a couple of days. By Thursday I had a new story near completion, but for whatever reason I just wasn't feeling it anymore, and now I'm pretty sure it's headed for my "Bits N Pieces" folder.

I did manage to sub two stories this week, however. "The Machine" went out again, which, if you recall, is my most well-traveled story to date. It's been in the slush pile of another magazine for over 70 days, which is 40 days longer than they say to wait for a response. My query has gone unanswered for over a month, and so I've decided that I'm sending it elsewhere, and if this market wants it, well, they better hurry the hell up. 

Once again, there are no acceptances or rejections to report, so the wait continues. I have a knack for amassing three and sometimes four rejections in a week, and I have a feeling that another week like that is on the way. Or maybe I'll get four or five acceptances! Fingers crossed.

4 comments:

  1. Yep, I hate it when editors don't respond to querie. It's so stressful. Fingers crossed indeed, Joe.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, fingers crossed here too. I know what you mean by not feeling it any more, but sometimes, I find, setting somewthing aside for a while rekindles the thrill for it. Keep it in that folder for later!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I need to get better about querying markets that are silent past their due dates + sending my work elsewhere if my queries go unanswered. They're not doing us any favors. It's our work, and we're offering them the opportunity to publish it. They snooze, they lose. On to the next!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Deb: Yes, it's been a pain in the butt, especially since I am not a person who simsubs anything. I appreciate that some markets are willing to allow it, but there's a potential for complications and embarrassment, and I want to avoid that. But in this case, I think they've I've been faithful long enough.

    Simon: Absolutely, thanks for the advice. My one story written this past week was just that--a story I had set aside nearly a year ago. A quick rewrite later, and viola! Never throw anything out.

    Milo: I agree wholeheartedly! It appears this particular market is learning that they (the two or three of them running the show) can't handle it alone. That's all well and good, but my query has been in their inbox for almost 40 days, and I didn't even send it until the 30 days had passed without a word. Get in touch if you're backlogged, ya know?

    ReplyDelete