Hurry up and Wait?

hungry4more · Aug 8, 2010

Need advice:

An editor contacted me three weeks ago saying she liked my short story, asked if it was still available (YES) and that she would be emailing me a writer's contract.

I haven't heard a word from her since. I sent a gentle reminder email, but still no response. How long should I wait before offering it to other takers?

san_remo_ave · Aug 8, 2010

When I received an offer from an editor on my short story, she sent an email summarizing our conversation, so I had something in writing confirming the offer. I'm glad I had it because it took their legal department over a month to send me the contract. Otherwise, I would have wondered if it was just a dream. Heh.

Do keep following up.

Do you have other offers or are you just thinking to continue querying? If you have other offers, you might explain to the first one that you'll be accepting another offer if they don't get you something in writing by x date.

hungry4more · Aug 8, 2010

I don't have other offers and if she has changed her mind, I would like to continue to query.

I will send her one more email. If she doesn't answer, I'll assume it was a dream (lol) and keep on trucking.
Thanks for advice.

NicoleMD · Aug 8, 2010

I'd give it another month or two at least. This business can be SLOW and patience is a virtue. If she said she's interested, then she's interested. Maybe she's on vacation, or busy trying to get out an issue. Three weeks is nothing.

Nicole

Susan Coffin · Aug 8, 2010

I say wait as well. However, I think it's always okay to confirm these conversations in email. If you have already sent her a reminder, that is confirming for now.

Jamesaritchie · Aug 8, 2010

Why wory about a timeline? Wait as long as it takes. Spend your time writing other stories, not worrying about this one.

TWErvin2 · Aug 8, 2010

If it's a market you really want to see your work in, then wait a bit. Editors often have a lot in their plate, and they have other lives...as was indicated--vacation or trying to get a current edition out. Maybe they're reading to try to find other stories to fill the same edition of the magazine or the anthology your story will appear in.

Since things in publishing often seem to go slow, the time will go faster for you if you're busy writing and getting something else out on submission.

hungry4more · Aug 8, 2010

This is my first short story that I have had accepted, so I am little anxious.
I am going to keep busy working on my next story, and push #1 to the back of my mind.

Stijn Hommes · Aug 11, 2010

Since we're in the middle of summer, I wouldn't be surprised if the editor sent out the email to confirm interest before she went on holiday. Just be patient a bit longer -- 1 or 2 months with occasional reminder mails. If you don't get any sort of response by the end of October, you might want to consider withdrawing.

You seem to like the publication too. If it was me, I'd wait till next year if I had to.

Gray Rose · Aug 11, 2010

Acceptances are rare enough that in your shoes I would wait patiently. The fact that one editor loved it does not guarantee that another would purchase it. Concentrating on your next story is a good plan.
Best of luck.

johnnysannie · Aug 11, 2010

Patience is a virtue all writers need in vast quantity and if you don't have it, try to gain it.

The publishing world works on its own timetable. We all want to see our work in print NOW, we want those payment checks to come NOW, and we want our royalty money NOW. It just doesn't happen that way most of the time.

Payment on acceptance is good but it's becoming less common. Often I wait for sometimes up to 3 months for payment after publication for short fiction.

Be patient, do what James Ritchie suggest and write something else, and wait.

hungry4more · Aug 15, 2010

Woohoo! Got my contract today!

Stijn Hommes · Aug 17, 2010

Congrats!

Hurry up and Wait?

hungry4more

san_remo_ave

Back at it

hungry4more

NicoleMD

Onomatopotamus

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is

Jamesaritchie

TWErvin2

Raises Turtles in his Basement

hungry4more

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...

Gray Rose

Beware of the Thorns!

johnnysannie

hungry4more

Stijn Hommes

Know what you write...