Middling It

victoriajakes

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Thanks for the info, Deadlight. Man, that sucks though! Hopefully I will have better luck.

Incidentally, my slush reader friend-ed my Google+ profile. Not sure what that means either...good, I hope?
 

victoriajakes

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Ok, so after snooping around the internet a bit, it seems like I definitely got bumped up to the next level at Apex, which is really exciting! But now I have no idea how long the wait will be to hear back. I will be sad if I wait another 100 days for a form. But that's the game, right? And it's worth it at an awesome market like Apex, I think.

I'm overdue at three other markets right now for different stories, so I'm feeling pretty jittery. Might also be the giant espresso I just drank...
 

katsincommand

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I'm overdue at three other markets right now for different stories, so I'm feeling pretty jittery. Might also be the giant espresso I just drank...

Me too and I hate focusing on it. First I don't want to get my hopes up only to get crushed upon a late rejection... one time I thought I'd moved up, they never even received it. :(

But I'm trying at least to take the energy and put it into new writing. What else can we do?
 

mhaynes

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Me too and I hate focusing on it. First I don't want to get my hopes up only to get crushed upon a late rejection... one time I thought I'd moved up, they never even received it. :(

But I'm trying at least to take the energy and put it into new writing. What else can we do?

I am so right there with you and Victoria... I've got two in particular that are at pro-rate markets and I'm watching Duotrope like a hawk and rejections are coming in for things sent a good bit before mine. And I'm getting all excited. And I know I shouldn't. Still, like you said, what are you going to do? :Shrug:
 
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zanzjan

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Yeah, I'm right there with you all, 149 days at Analog, and I've got the top duotrope pending# at another market. Figure it's the holidays and I should just try not to think about it until the new year, but that's easier said than done.
 

victoriajakes

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I'm worried about the holidays. I feel like if I don't hear by the 23rd, I won't hear til after the new year.

Really, this shouldn't be such a problem. I should just be more patient, because I know from experience that editing is hard work. There's just that little Violet Beauregarde voice in the back of my head: I want it and I want it nooow! :tongue

Glad to know I'm not alone. :) And I'm doing what I'm supposed to and writing and subbing more! Gonna sub another one out tonight or tomorrow.
 

KitCat

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lol the crickets are echoing here too

I've kinda resigned myself to the fact that no matter how many times I click refresh on gmail (a lot) that I won't see a new message until someone's actually sent a message out (which obviously isn't yet lol)

Hurry up and wait doesn't do well for my patience either :)
 

zanzjan

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no matter how many times I click refresh on gmail (a lot) that I won't see a new message until someone's actually sent a message out

Although if anyone can solve that, you know it'd be Google.
 

mhaynes

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Watching the # of remaining subs at a certain market (which doesn't carry over any subs into the new year...) slowly tick down on Duotrope to smaller and smaller numbers is both thrilling and maddening...
 

victoriajakes

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I've got ten days left on almost all my big subs, according to duotrope, which means I'm either getting a bunch of news on Friday, or I'm waiting til the new year, right? The first week of January will be a big one for me I suspect.
 

V1c

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I'm with you all, especially Zanz, as my analog is in the 140s now too, sigh. I do hope for good holiday news and to not start out the year with a bunch of Rs - I have three out now, two well above the other duotrope return times.
 

alexshvartsman

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11 days to a senior editor bump at Penumbra (though it will likely be a long wait now, I have a story up for consideration for another issue there that's been held for 76 days so far). Also, 1 day to a senior editor bump at Drabblecast. I was lucky in that the editor who read this reprint submission had already read it when it was originally published at DSF, and liked it ;)
 

KitCat

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you've likely more experience than me, alex, do you have a guess at how long the wait could be after it goes past first eval? Does it depend on the issue subbed for?

(that's the one i've been antsy for as it's my first to go to the next round)
 

alexshvartsman

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you've likely more experience than me, alex, do you have a guess at how long the wait could be after it goes past first eval? Does it depend on the issue subbed for?

(that's the one i've been antsy for as it's my first to go to the next round)

Are we talking about Penumbra or Drabblecast?

Penumbra is too new, so it's difficult to say. I know several other writers who've been waiting for around 2-3 months after being bumped up to the Animals issue. My own story was read and bumped up on the same day I sent it in (though Duotrope shows they take about 12 days to do that now) and I've been waiting 70+ days since then... If I were to venture a guess, I'd expect that we'll hear back this month, but it's only a guess.

Drabblecast varies a lot. My understanding is that once you got past the first round it could be anywhere between 2 weeks and 4 months. It's only my 3rd sub there, and only the second to advance past the slush reader, so I'm not speaking from personal experience in this case.

Hope this helps!
 

mhaynes

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To add to the Penumbra info pool, I got bumped up for one issue within a couple of days of submitting and then had an almost-exactly two month wait for the "You made it to the final round, but..." note.
 

KitCat

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Sorry, the question was for Penumbra and it does help, thanks to both of you :)
 

victoriajakes

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I'm supposed to get two or three responses today and the anticipation is killing me. Luckily, I have work today and it won't be like yesterday, just sitting around refreshing my e-mail. Still, crickets are screaming and I'm biting my nails :p
 

mhaynes

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Well, I finally broke down and sent my first query. I've hit almost two months at Stupefying Stories and wanted to make sure that there hadn't been a message lost in one direction or the other. We shall see...
 

alexshvartsman

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Well, I finally broke down and sent my first query. I've hit almost two months at Stupefying Stories and wanted to make sure that there hadn't been a message lost in one direction or the other. We shall see...

Ohh, let me know what happens...

I just saw a couple of 60-65 day acceptances on Duotrope, which makes me want to query less (I'm at 48 days on two stories).
 

alexshvartsman

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Just written a story that, I think, would be a good fit for DSF but I've just submitted to them yesterday. Darn.

DSF takes about 15 days to respond (unless your story advances to round 2). I would suggest sending it to FFO, who seem to be responding in 10-12 days with first-round rejections and about 20 days with final decisions. That way your FFO sub will be back shortly before, or after, your DSF sub, depending on your success rate.
 

mhaynes

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[... FFO] seem to be responding in 10-12 days with first-round rejections and about 20 days with final decisions.

Very interesting. My story at FFO (which received an "Almost" note from DSF -- but I suppose that meant "Almost made it to the 2nd round") has been there for 19 days. Thanks for the information!
 

alexshvartsman

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Very interesting. My story at FFO (which received an "Almost" note from DSF -- but I suppose that meant "Almost made it to the 2nd round") has been there for 19 days. Thanks for the information!

That likely means you made it past the slush pile, Michael. That's excellent news. You'll know for certain when you get a response. Final round entries get a few tidbits of feedback from multiple readers (like at ASIM).