Pointless Question

The number of places (counting twice if you have more than one story subbed to the same place). If you have five copies of the same story out to five different venues, that's five submissions out. If you have a second story sent out to one of those same five places the first one is submitted to, I would count six subs out there.

Submission

I don;t believe in making simultaneous submissions, even if the market allows it, so if I say I have five pieces out, I mean five separate stories. And I don;t submit a second story to a magazine until I've heard back from the first, so it also means I have stories out to five places.

Instead of doing a simultaneos sub with short stories, I usually say in the cover letter that if I don't get a response in 3 months I will submit the story to another market. Whenever a market asks to hold a story longer than the 3 months (and it happens often), I always allow another 3 months.

If I state I have "X" number of submissions out, that means I have that many short stories currently out, as once the three months is up, I no longer consider that short story "out", unless the market has asked for more time, in which cause I wouldn't yet submit it to another market.

Instead of doing a simultaneous sub with short stories, I usually say in the cover letter that if I don't get a response in 3 months I will submit the story to another market. Whenever a market asks to hold a story longer than the 3 months (and it happens often), I always allow another 3 months.

If I state I have "X" number of submissions out, that means I have that many short stories currently out, as once the three months is up, I no longer consider that short story "out", unless the market has asked for more time, in which cause I wouldn't yet submit it to another market.

writeroffthelake said:

Instead of doing a simultaneos sub with short stories, I usually say in the cover letter that if I don't get a response in 3 months I will submit the story to another market. Whenever a market asks to hold a story longer than the 3 months (and it happens often), I always allow another 3 months.

If I state I have "X" number of submissions out, that means I have that many short stories currently out, as once the three months is up, I no longer consider that short story "out", unless the market has asked for more time, in which cause I wouldn't yet submit it to another market.

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I've made a great many very good sales after waiting six months or more, and one big time sale after waiting two years. I'm in no hurry for a response. I'm too busy writing new short stories.

Jamesaritchie said:

I've made a great many very good sales after waiting six months or more, and one big time sale after waiting two years. I'm in no hurry for a response. I'm too busy writing new short stories.

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Yes, a three month window of availability seems pretty short to me and I'm afraid if I were an editor given such a time limit, I would be likely to pass it on up.

a three month window of availability seems pretty short to me

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I have had editors immediately ask for more time or say they'll have to pass, which is fine because the whole purpose of the time limit is that I then know 1) how much time they want, and 2) that they've received the ms. Few editors have minded since I'm willing to give them more time - as long as they let me know within the 3 month (1 month for email subs) time frame.

I've found that most of my sales are made immediately - in less than a week for snail mail, usually the same day for email. When editors keep the manuscript longer, even if they've let me know they received it or have said they're interested in it, the ms then tends to get lost in the shuffle. They either say they don't remember getting it, can't find it, or have returned it and I never received it.

Another thing I do is when an editor wants to buy something and pay on publication, I will allow it with a stipulation stated in my acceptance letter: I demand that after 6 months they must either purchase the story for the price agreed upon (whether they print it in 6 months, 20 years, or never, is, of course, up to them) or return it to me and I will then submit it to another market. I've never had an editor not agree or return a story without purchasing it within the 6 months.

It's MY manuscript, I'm the seller. It's MY decision how long I feel comfortable allowing an editor to take to make a purchasing decision. And it's the editor's decision to tell me to take a hike if he isn't comfortable with my wanting to know within 3 months (1 mth for email) if s/he needs more time.

Set your priorities, and make the marketing decisions that are right for you, then you won't have any regrets.

Time

Having been an editor, I can tell you there are many times when I won't even open most envelopes until more than three months have passed.

Yes, it's your story, but it's a buyer's market, and the moment any writer makes demands about time or money in a cover letter, that's a rejection from me. The writer, any writer, gets in line. I pay attention to him only when it's his turn, I pay him the same way and at the same time I pay everyone else, and, as I said, it doesn't matter what's in the cover letter because I won't even read it until I work my way through the stack and open the envelope, which can take months.

At the last magazine I worked for, I received twelve hundred manuscripts per month. I had time to read less than half of them. So they built up fast. This meant that, two or three times per year, we'd hold a slush party, and anything about time demands, or money demands, in a cover letter moved that story to the reject pile.

writeroffthelake said:

It's MY manuscript, I'm the seller. It's MY decision how long I feel comfortable allowing an editor to take to make a purchasing decision. And it's the editor's decision to tell me to take a hike if he isn't comfortable with my wanting to know within 3 months (1 mth for email) if s/he needs more time.

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True enough but your methods may cut off your nose to spite your face. If that is how you wish to operate, then do so - but your work will not even have a chance for consideration in many, many markets. That is how this business works but of course, it's a free country and you're welcome to your own modus operandi.

I'm sure I've lost at least as many sales as I've made with my "tactics". I have had many editors write after the 3 months (1 mth for email) and say they'd just read the story and if it's available they're still interested. If it's available, fine, and if it isn't, then they'll usually just as to see something else.

I'm well aware that I'm against the industry standard, and I think it's important for all of us to know what's considered "correct procedure" so that if we choose to deviate we do so knowing there may be consequences.

I'm not that young, I'm not that healthy, and I've been published enough times that if I never make another sale it's okay. I think that attitude may be necessary if you want to go against the norm.

If it works for you, then more power to you!

But for those of us who make our living (and plan to continue to do so) writing, it is not in my best interests to give my work a short shelf life or piss off an editor by saying it is only available for a brief window of opportunity.

I'm often a rule breaker and risk taker but not when it comes to the profession I have chosen and that earns my living.

I don't usually make simultaneous submissions. Plus, I never know how many things I have out because I don't really keep track. I just know whatever is out is only out to one place.