Postal Submissions

Asha Leu · Nov 28, 2011

So, in the next few days I will be sending off my first non-electronic submission (to Fantasy & Science Fiction, to be specific). As I've never sent a manuscript by post before, and, more to the point, I've probably only used the postal service about twice in the last four or five years, I'm slightly nervous about it and wanted to check I was doing everything correctly.

Firstly, the submission guidelines state that a letter-sized SASE must be submitted: does that mean an ordinary sized envelope, or something big enough for an actual manuscript to fit in? (I don't care about getting my manuscript back, I'll add.)

In addition, whats the best way to go about including the cover letter and SASE with the submission? Should the cover letter be in a separate envelope as the manuscript (and the SASE included separately), or is it acceptable for it all to be in the one envelope.

Oh, and there's anything I would need to take into account when mailing a submission from abroad (I live in Australia)? F&SF's guidelines ask for an International Relay Coupon (I'm assuming just one?) or 98 cents in US Postage: will that suffice for my SASE to be mailed back to me?

Adam Israel · Nov 28, 2011

Hi Asha,

I got back on the postal submission wagon a few weeks ago myself, to F&SF, from Canada. Your manuscript should be marked as disposable, so all that will be mailed back will be a single piece of paper (presuming a rejection; I suspect acceptances might get an email). A business sized envelope for the SASE is sufficient in that case.

I included my SASE, cover letter, and disposable manuscript in a 9x12 manilla envelope. I may have used a paperclip on the manuscript but definitely no staples.

One IRC is fine, or sufficient US postage for the envelope if you have it.

It took about 17 days door to door, with a postal holiday in the middle. YMMV with the overseas travel but F&SF is very good about response times. The longer the wait, the better the chances you made it to Gordon Van Gelder's desk (or your sub got lost in transit).

Good luck!

MJNL · Nov 28, 2011

1. Regular buisness sized envelope with proper postage affixed.

2. Cover letter and SASE go right in the same envelope as the manuscript--A cover letter is called a "cover" for a reason. It goes right on top of your story.

3. Can't really help you with the international aspect, I've never had to mail a sub abroad.

Also, if you have the ability to get delivery confirmation (not sure how that works on something internationl) I'd say it's worth paying for. You'll at least know if your submission arrivied if you find you've had a longer than usual wait for a reply.

Hope that helps.

Asha Leu · Nov 28, 2011

Thank you, that's very helpful.

Jamesaritchie · Nov 29, 2011

Despite what you pay for it, an International Reply Coupon is worth exactly one first class stamp in all countries that use them. So, yes, one IRC will pay whatever it costs to send your business sized envelope back to you.

But forget all about delivery conformation. This requires someone to sign, and no magazine wants this. Think abut how many manuscripts a magazine receives. Signing for them all would be impossible. It's not only a pain in the rear, but odds are very high there will be no one available to sign.

The Lonely One · Nov 29, 2011

Congrats on your decision to send out! I sent a story there recently and got a "didn't hold my interest" comment. OMFG F&SF TALKED TO ME.

Haha I was just proud to send there, and will likely do so again. I'm actually reading the new journal that I picked up from B&N, in the middle of the Tim Sullivan story which is interesting.

Good luck with it!

I probably do it wrong, but I usually get two manuscript-sized envelopes, fold one in thirds with my address printed on it and proper postage (SASE), and place it in the other envelope with the manuscript, addressed obviously to the journal with postage.

Probably only need a regular sized envelope for the SASE if you're not asking the MS be returned, but it's just my habit I guess. I like to waste money, get my rejections in style, I guess.

Again, good luck.

MJNL · Nov 29, 2011

Jamesaritchie said:
But forget all about delivery conformation. This requires someone to sign, and no magazine wants this. Think abut how many manuscripts a magazine receives. Signing for them all would be impossible. It's not only a pain in the rear, but odds are very high there will be no one available to sign.

It doesn't require a signature in the US (ETA: confirmation of receipt does, but that's different than delivery confirmation--the first lets you know it actually made it into someone’s hand. The second just lets you know it got to their mailbox.). But it very well might internationally. I'd just do some research to see what options are offered. And yes, under no circumstances should you make anyone sign for your manuscript.

Buffysquirrel · Dec 1, 2011

'Letter' is a paper size in the US. It's 8.5 by 11 inches. Not quite the same as A4 (8.3 by 11.7), but an A4 envelope should work.

If you want the ms back, you'll need more than one IRC. But as my local Post Offices have never been able to make IRCs intelligible either to me or to themselves, I always mark the ms disposable.

Jamesaritchie · Dec 2, 2011

MJNL said:
It doesn't require a signature in the US (ETA: confirmation of receipt does, but that's different than delivery confirmation--the first lets you know it actually made it into someone’s hand. The second just lets you know it got to their mailbox.). But it very well might internationally. I'd just do some research to see what options are offered. And yes, under no circumstances should you make anyone sign for your manuscript.

I did not know that. How does that work? If the post office loses the manuscript, what happens to the confirmation process? Is it a separate thing, not connected to the manuscript itself?

Interesting.

I've always sent everything first class, other than one thing I sent fourth class, which the post office quickly lost. But I've mailed many manuscripts of various types over the last thirty years, probably two to three thousand, all first class except that one, and the post office has never lost any of them, so I've never worried about confirmation.

These days, most magazines will accept or reject by e-mail, if you live out of country, even though they don't do so for writers living in country, largely because they hate dealing with IRCs. They are a pain. You have to redeem them, and doing so takes time and trouble.

jaksen · Dec 3, 2011

I send all of my manuscripts by the post. Never lost any, including the ones that were rejected. I never did any sort of confirmation process. I just write a cover letter, set it on top of the ms., then mail off. (They shred or recycle the ones they don't buy.)

The only time I had an issue was when I sent to Scotland or England - the post office wanted to know 'what' is in that big heavy envelope. My husband, Mike, (the mailer guy) always says, oh, my wife is a writer and it's her latest manuscript.

Then with eyebrows raised the postal employee takes it away, weighs it and Mike pays the postage. Or they used to, now they know us and say, 'another manuscript?' and treat it like it's made of gold.

Lydia Sharp · Dec 3, 2011

I've never had any of my mss lost through the USPS (email, on the other hand...).

Sometimes I used delivery confirmation just because I want to know exactly when they got it. This doesn't require a signature on the receiving end. You use the number on your delivery-con receipt to look-up where your package is in transit, from the time you mail it to the time it's been delivered to the receiving address. All that info is on the USPS website. I stopped using it, though. It was just another thing to stress over when, really, it's best to forget about your submission until you hear back from the editor.

Good luck with F&SF! I just sent them a story, too, last week.

MJNL · Dec 3, 2011

Jamesaritchie said:
I did not know that. How does that work? If the post office loses the manuscript, what happens to the confirmation process? Is it a separate thing, not connected to the manuscript itself?

.

It's a barcode sticker that gets attached to the envelope and is scanned at every postal facility it goes through, and then at the end by the deliverer. It has a number you can track online. If the package never gets delivered you can get a refund for all the postage (though, no, I've never had that happen). As Lydia said, it also lets you know the exact date and time of delivery.

It gives me peace of mind, so I don't mind paying for it, especially on a submission I expect a long wait on. That way I'm sure the manuscript is out working and not sitting around in limbo for months.

Lydia Sharp · Dec 3, 2011

MJNL said:
I don't mind paying for it, especially on a submission I expect a long wait on. That way I'm sure the manuscript is out working and not sitting around in limbo for months.

YES. For a full novel, I would use it. But I've only had to do that a couple times that I can remember. A lot of lit agencies seem to be "going green" now, and only want subs through email.

Magazines, too, for that matter. This past year Asimov's switched to an online form for submissions, and when Realms of Fantasy reopens they will be "e-subs only." I wonder how long it will be before they're ALL like that....

Jamesaritchie · Dec 4, 2011

MJNL said:
It's a barcode sticker that gets attached to the envelope and is scanned at every postal facility it goes through, and then at the end by the deliverer. It has a number you can track online. If the package never gets delivered you can get a refund for all the postage (though, no, I've never had that happen). As Lydia said, it also lets you know the exact date and time of delivery.

It gives me peace of mind, so I don't mind paying for it, especially on a submission I expect a long wait on. That way I'm sure the manuscript is out working and not sitting around in limbo for months.

Very, very cool. I'm not sure I'd bother with it for short stories. I write and submit far too many. But it sound like a wonderful idea for those times when a novel manuscript has to travel through the mail.

Jamesaritchie · Dec 4, 2011

Lydia Sharp said:
YES. For a full novel, I would use it. But I've only had to do that a couple times that I can remember. A lot of lit agencies seem to be "going green" now, and only want subs through email.

Magazines, too, for that matter. This past year Asimov's switched to an online form for submissions, and when Realms of Fantasy reopens they will be "e-subs only." I wonder how long it will be before they're ALL like that....

EQMM went electronic this year, as well, and Alfred Hitchcock will follow shortly.

I'm an old timer, but I have to admit I'm really starting to love e-submissions. I've made some sales, and received some rejections, in less time than it takes a paper manuscript to even reach an editor.

MeretSeger · Dec 4, 2011

Jamesaritchie said:
EQMM went electronic this year, as well, and Alfred Hitchcock will follow shortly.

I'm an old timer, but I have to admit I'm really starting to love e-submissions. I've made some sales, and received some rejections, in less time than it takes a paper manuscript to even reach an editor.

Do you know when Hitchcock will, by any chance? I was waiting and finally gave up and sent them one via snail-mail. Now I'm worried they'll switch over and dump everything in the pipeline... I like e-submissions, too. Streamlines everything and it's cheaper. Must increase the submissions exponentially, though.

Jamesaritchie · Dec 5, 2011

MeretSeger said:
Do you know when Hitchcock will, by any chance? I was waiting and finally gave up and sent them one via snail-mail. Now I'm worried they'll switch over and dump everything in the pipeline... I like e-submissions, too. Streamlines everything and it's cheaper. Must increase the submissions exponentially, though.

No, I don't have a timeline. The editor simply said they were going to do so, then the forum went down, and never has come back up. I'm not sure it's going to.

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