Simultaneous Querying

[larrypotter]

What do people think? Send an idea to one magazine and wait (maybe months) for a rejection before sending it to the next mag? Or send it out to several magazines at once?

I see that Linda Formichelli says to go for the simultaneous submission in her The Renegade Writer. And, in searching through these very forums, it looks like more and more people are leaning this direction.

I have never sent out ideas to more than one magazine at a time, but I am going for it. Here's my question: what happens when (notice the confidence!) more than once editor accepts my idea? Has this happened to you? And how have the editors responded (hopefully, they kick themselves for not getting back to me sooner!)? And is there any hope that they'll accept some twist of my original idea?

Post soon... I'm working on my simultaneous query as you read!

Cheers,
Larry

[JenNipps]

Unless it is a highly-customized idea/article for a specific market, I query more than one magazine at a time. For example, I sent my latest query to 3 magazines. Two have already rejected it. It's still under consideration at the third.

[ritinrider]

Larry, I am just now getting back to the sending query stage of writing (took a very long leave of absence :)) and yes, I'm sending the simultaneous queries to like minded magazines (in my case parenting publications), that don't have overlapping readership.

I posted once about a friend/mentor who used the job hunting analogy, you don't just apply for one job, wait until you hear from them, then apply to the next job, and so on. However, as someone on this board wisely pointed out, once you get a job, you won't be going back to those previous employers who turned you down. You don't want to burn any bridges.

I will still submit to multiple editors, but if/when two or more of them accept, I use different sources, and different quotes. For example, in the one I'm working on right now for an Oklahoma magazine I might mention the weather and how it will play a part in my article. I won't mention the weather for a California publication, because it won't really be a factor.

I know a lot of writers like to sell reprints, but with so many publications having an online presence, I'm not sure how much longer that will be effective. Of course, on the other hand, what are the chances someone reading a parenting magazine in Oklahoma, will check out a California online parenting publication?

If you need help re-slanting your idea send me a pm, I may not submit much, but I'm a darn good idea person, just ask jennipps.:)