I have submitted to Clarkesworld and they say they usually respond within 50 days. Well, fifty days has been and gone (3 days ago) and I checked their website and they said they are closed for submissions '...for the entire month of February. Any submissions received during this period will be deleted." I sent mine there on 28th December. I sent a query a few days ago to the same address (email) but have heard nothing back.
What do I do? Has anyone else never heard anything back about a submisson?
Posted by jeffrey.hite (Member # 5278) on :
The advice that I have heard, give them a week or so after their deadline then send them a letter saying that you would like to withdraw your submission and send it to the new publisher on your list.
Posted by Inkwell (Member # 1944) on :
If they did lose it, there's always a chance that they will find it later and contact you. That happened to me back in 2002. I'd submitted to WoTF back in 2001, and they lost the manuscript in their mail room, or something. I kind of forgot about it (I know, I know...unforgivable), and received a letter in 2002 from the contest. They were very apologetic about the whole thing, and quite generous in offering me a few choices as to what I'd like done with the story. I just told them to put it in the current quarterly contest.
It ended up a quarterfinalist. Go figure.
So don't give up hope.
Inkwell ------------------ "The difference between a writer and someone who says they want to write is merely the width of a postage stamp."
Posted by jeffrey.hite (Member # 5278) on :
quote: "The difference between a writer and someone who says they want to write is merely the width of a postage stamp."
I really like that. Is it yours? It is so very true.
I have one that says basically the same thing but it is about butt in chair and keyboard time and not as catchy.
Sorry for the off topic discussion.
Posted by tlmorganfield (Member # 3461) on :
According to Duotrope's recent responses page, Clarkesworld is returning subs at about 93 days right now. Sounds like they're just behind in the slush so I'd hold on a bit longer. Though if you're past their stated response time, you can always send a query to ask if they got the story and they'll probably give you an updated response window.
[This message has been edited by tlmorganfield (edited February 19, 2008).]
Posted by Inkwell (Member # 1944) on :
quote:Posted by jeffrey.hite:
I really like that. Is it yours?
Actually, it's anonymous as far as I can tell (and paraphrased because I can't remember the original). I've always copy-and-pasted it into my posts, and this time I accidentally missed selecting the "-Anonymous" tag.
So no, it's not precisely mine, although the paraphrasing and italics are.
Inkwell ------------------ "The difference between a writer and someone who says they want to write is merely the width of a postage stamp." -Anonymous
Posted by DebbieKW (Member # 5058) on :
Yes, I got back a personalized rejection from Clarkesworld on 1/31/08. I sent that submission in on 11/2/07. Hope this helped.
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
Alas for these days of easy electronic submissions...I've only rarely done it myself, so I have little to go on.
Back in the bad old days of printed submissions (but, then again, I still usually do it that way), I've lost, oh, [stops and counts on fingers,] five seperate MSS somewhere along the way. But that's out of about a hundred eighty works submitted well over a thousand times. (I was more prolific in those days than I am now.)