Spontaneous submission...

areteus · Nov 7, 2011

I'm usually quite careful with submissions. I take care to work on the synopsis and cover letter, double check the piece for errors and so on... I take more care over that than I do on many job applications (seriously, usually its fire off email with CV attached. I've even got many jobs this way...).

So, this evening I must have had a brain fart because I was browsing Duotrope, saw a market, thought 'that will work for that fantasy piece I've had kicking around since Tor.com rejected it', rattled off a quick submission cover letter, attached the file and pressed send... took me less than 10 minutes and that included the time to eat the pizza (Red Dwarf reference for anyone who gets it

). And yes, I did check the guidelines and stick to them in that time too...

So, anyone else been so spontaneous before? Has it ever worked?

I'll be sure to report any response I get (apparently they have a fast response turnaround time - less than two months).

backslashbaby · Nov 7, 2011

I have gotten it pubbed, yes

My only regret was that I might've gotten it pubbed with a more prestigious credit. It's not a big regret at all, but I should probably watch out for doing that too much, you know?

backslashbaby · Nov 7, 2011

Oh, and good luck!

Jersey Chick · Nov 7, 2011

I did this for my first Samhain book. They'd been closed to submissions and the day they reopened, I thought "What that hell?" I wrote up a quick query and synopsis and sent it off. Within 24 hours I had a request for a full. A month later, they made an offer of publication.

Siri Kirpal · Nov 7, 2011

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Yes. Oh, Yes!

I was reading a favorite newsletter (back in the days when the things were paper) and noticed a tiny request for manuscripts from a publishing company. It's a tiny niche publisher, in exactly my niche, and highly regarded in our tiny market. I already had their other books (all three of them).

So I wrote and asked for their guidelines. This was back in the dark ages when I wrote things by hand, and I thought it would be a good idea to have their guidelines before submitting...to them or anyone else.

Two days later, I got a request for a chapter and an outline. I spent the next day typing the chapter and TOC (it was really detailed, so it served as an outline) and emailed them at the end of the day. The following morning I had an offer to publish.

True story.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

kct webber · Nov 8, 2011

I've had this happen twice. The first time, I heard about a magazine's need for a fairly specific kind of story, but subs were closing the day heard about it. So I wrote it in about an hour, gave it a quick edit, and shot it off. I got an acceptance about 4 days later.

The second time, I heard about an anthology taking subs, and once again, I heard about it at the last minute. I had a story sitting around that seemed to fit the bill, so I gave a quick read to make sure that if there was any poop in there it didn't smell too bad, and shot that one off. I got an acceptance in about 2 weeks.

Sometimes it can certainly work. It's actually made me wonder if I often over-think things when I'm submitting the 'normal' way. :tongue

augusto · Nov 8, 2011

Just had it happen. Saw in duotrope a post for a themed issue: 50 Stars and a Maple Leaf. I thought of a chapter I had about a guy heading for Canada during Vietnam. It was Halloween and I noticed the submission deadline was October 31. I dashed it off.

I thought the magazine was Canadian, especially when the guy emailed saying it might be translated into French, but it turns out to be in the UK. They accepted it on Sunday. Now I wait to see what language it might be in.

scarletpeaches · Nov 8, 2011

I'm an erotica author and this thread's title meant something way different to me...

areteus · Nov 8, 2011

Scarlet: You are assuming I wasn't aware of that

Mind you, I don't post here as my pen name so maybe I should keep quiet about that...

Loving all these stories and I think there may be something in the overthinking submission thing...

Spontaneous submission...

areteus

backslashbaby

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backslashbaby

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Jersey Chick

Up all night to get Loki

Siri Kirpal

Swan in Process

kct webber

Squirrel, Sekrit type, 1 ea.

augusto

scarletpeaches

areteus

Spontaneous submission...

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Up all night to get Loki

Swan in Process

Squirrel, Sekrit type, 1 ea.

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