Submission Queries

Melinda Moore · Mar 8, 2013

How long do you guys wait before querying about a submission? I have a novella out, and the editor said to give her 4-8 weeks. It's been 12 and I'm wondering if it's appropriate yet. Thanks for the help!

Aggy B. · Mar 8, 2013

Melinda Moore said:
How long do you guys wait before querying about a submission? I have a novella out, and the editor said to give her 4-8 weeks. It's been 12 and I'm wondering if it's appropriate yet. Thanks for the help!

I usually wait the stated response time + 1/3 - to 1/2 that time before querying. So, if it were me, I would query at 12 weeks if the stated response time was 4-8 weeks.

(There are exceptions. If the response time is stated at 90 days or over, I query as soon as I pass that mark. But for faster responses, I usually wait a little longer.)

When you query be sure to be polite. It never hurts to phrase the query in terms of "I want to be certain you received this." You might also ask "Is this still under consideration?"

Aggy, had a few things get lost in the submission queue before

alexshvartsman · Mar 8, 2013

Welcome aboard, Melinda.

Most markets have very specific guidelines and say "query after X days/weeks/months." I have no problem querying almost immediately after that time has passed. If the story is still under consideration than the editors will tell me so -- but if it or the response has gotten lost, I would rather know sooner than later.

Unless the specific market/editor you submitted to advertises longer guidelines than what the editor has told you directly, a brief polite query shouldn't be problematic at all.

fihr · Mar 8, 2013

alexshvartsman said:
Welcome aboard, Melinda.

I have no problem querying almost immediately after that time has passed.

What do you do if you know the magazine is still alive and well, and they acknowledged your initial submission, but after you politely query them four months later, they still don't get back to you, after say, 10 days? Do you query again? (Feels like pestering, but like you, I like to know if they've lost it or if an email response has gone astray.)

O'Dandelo · Mar 12, 2013

Aggy answered a L0RE question the other day, saying that she received a second-round bump from them months ago. Their guidelines say their response time is "up to 90 days" and that they've "fallen a bit behind but are catching up quickly." I'm at 96 days and have seen perhaps 30 responses on Duotrope/The Grinder for stories much younger than mine, as well as several that were older than mine, a few beyond the 150-day mark.

Anyway, I'm thinking of querying them at 6 days past 90. I never received any correspondence from them since the day I submitted. Since I never got a bump email, I'm assuming they haven't read my submission yet. If you lovely people were in my shoes (blue Sauconys), would you query or wait a while longer? I've actually only queried a market once, and it turned out my sub was in the incorrect folder in their email. Granted, L0RE sent me a "submission received" email immediately.

kd1984 · Mar 12, 2013

O'Dandelo said:
Aggy answered a L0RE question the other day, saying that she received a second-round bump from them months ago. Their guidelines say their response time is "up to 90 days" and that they've "fallen a bit behind but are catching up quickly." I'm at 96 days and have seen perhaps 30 responses on Duotrope/The Grinder for stories much younger than mine, as well as several that were older than mine, a few beyond the 150-day mark.

Anyway, I'm thinking of querying them at 6 days past 90. I never received any correspondence from them since the day I submitted. Since I never got a bump email, I'm assuming they haven't read my submission yet. If you lovely people were in my shoes (blue Sauconys), would you query or wait a while longer? I've actually only queried a market once, and it turned out my sub was in the incorrect folder in their email. Granted, L0RE sent me a "submission received" email immediately.

I think you are probably fine to query now. If you still feel a bit hesitant, would it make you feel better to wait for the 100 day mark?

O'Dandelo · Mar 12, 2013

Yeah, I've considered waiting four measly more days. 100 is such a nice round number. I'm more concerned with whether to query in four days or in, say, 30 days.

kd1984 · Mar 12, 2013

O'Dandelo said:
Yeah, I've considered waiting four measly more days. 100 is such a nice round number. I'm more concerned with whether to query in four days or in, say, 30 days.

Yeah, that's tough. Especially with responses coming in at the 150 mark. But I do still think you are within reason to send a query. If nothing else they'd be able to tell you where you are in the que?

alexshvartsman · Mar 12, 2013

Don't squander your time. Query at 90+ days. That way you will not have wasted an extra week in case the submission is lost, and the editors should have no problem with a 90+ day query.

Melinda Moore · Mar 14, 2013

Thanks for the responses! I queried one market that didn't have a response by time in their guidelines, but mine was well over the Duotrope average. That story was accepted! So my query did not annoy them. The market I started this thread about, I still have not queried mainly because I am being a chicken. It's for a novella they requested the whole manuscript for and said to give them 4-8 weeks. I've been stalking, err watching there site and they moved to a new and better site and also the main editor moved to a new house. But pretty soon I'll probably woman up and send the query because they have been putting out new releases. Thanks for the help!

Melinda Moore · Mar 20, 2013

And as a final wrap up, I finally queried about the Novella that started all this. They actually had sent an email I never received about sending the manuscript to a second editor. It was accepted today! So querying after a reasonable time and in a polite manner does not seem to ruin anything

As another aside to the submission process, Daniel Scott the Executive Editor of The Colored Lens guest blogged on my website today. He gives some good insights into the world of the editor with Hook Line and Sinker.

Eva Lefoy · Mar 20, 2013

Melinda you are doing good! That's great!

Melinda Moore · Mar 21, 2013

Thanks, Eva! These acceptances came after a particularly long stretch of rejections, so it's been extra awesome

colebooks · Jul 13, 2013

im an not sure,on first query now

Petite Deborah · Jul 20, 2013

Mine is a querying submission to agents. It depends on how long they's stated their time frame. But overall, I'll wait for three months before querying the new batch.

CL_Hilbert · Jul 20, 2013

I've been wondering about submission queries, too. Waylines says to query them after 30 days. I hit the 30+ days last week and queried, but I've yet to hear back. I'm not real worried about it, just curious. At what point do you query after your query?

alexshvartsman · Jul 21, 2013

CL I'd suggest giving them a couple of weeks to sort things out before you re-query.

katsincommand · Sep 12, 2013

CL_Hilbert said:
I've been wondering about submission queries, too. Waylines says to query them after 30 days. I hit the 30+ days last week and queried, but I've yet to hear back. I'm not real worried about it, just curious. At what point do you query after your query?

Waylines closed to subs over the summer, with the editors out of town and gearing up for the next issue. I'm presuming you've heard something by now...?

alexshvartsman · Sep 12, 2013

katsincommand said:
Waylines closed to subs over the summer, with the editors out of town and gearing up for the next issue. I'm presuming you've heard something by now...?

Dawn, I'm not seeing any recent responses on the Grinder. Nothing since Waylines reopened to subs, anyway. Any insight as to when they'll tackle the slush pile again?

katsincommand · Sep 18, 2013

Hi Alex (& others)

We've been reading submissions last week and this week. We're using a new slushing system, too. So a few bumps on the restart and it looks like we're not doing anything, right? Hang in there if you're waiting.

alexshvartsman · Sep 18, 2013

katsincommand said:
Hi Alex (& others)

We've been reading submissions last week and this week. We're using a new slushing system, too. So a few bumps on the restart and it looks like we're not doing anything, right? Hang in there if you're waiting.

Woot! Thanks for clarification.

Submission Queries

Melinda Moore

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think

alexshvartsman

fihr

O'Dandelo

kd1984

O'Dandelo

kd1984

alexshvartsman

Melinda Moore

Melinda Moore

Eva Lefoy

practical experience, FTW

Melinda Moore

colebooks

figuring it all out

Petite Deborah

Aspiring Multi-cultural Novelist

CL_Hilbert

alexshvartsman

katsincommand

Writer, Not Quitter

alexshvartsman

katsincommand

Writer, Not Quitter

alexshvartsman