anybody who has experience with Baen Books slush pile? (merged w/Baen thread in B&BC)
Ok, I'm not quite sure if this belongs here, but anyway: Baen Books have a slush pile, and there is mention about a 9 to 12 months for response on their FAQ, but from what research I have done it's actually more 'several months over a year' right now. Plus that is only if the answer is a rejection at the first stage, if the first reader passes it the manuscript goes to Toni Weisskopf, and then it might take several years before she has the time to look at it, and find out if they can buy it if she likes it. So, I'm mainly curious if there is anyone here who has gone through the longer process with their slush, am I right about how that system works and the big question: how long did it take?
So, there aren't that many publishers who have a slush pile now, and that seems to be the slowest one of them. I do have a manuscript in there, and I suppose the best idea with the one I'm finishing now is to see if I can find an agent for it. Just wondering how long it will take before I'll get that earlier one out - it's been in there long enough that if the first reader rejects it I should be getting that rejection about now. So if it takes a few more months without that email I have to decide if I can bear waiting possibly several years for the final answer. Since that damn thing is the first novel length thing I have written that will probably be 'no thanks' anyway, but since it's the first novel length thing I have written and if it manages to get past the first gatekeeper maybe I should just leave it in there and concentrate on working with other things while I wait...
Oh hell, I'm probably agonizing over this way too early anyway. I'll probably get that rejection within a few weeks.