Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Query: How long to wait

This is topic Query: How long to wait in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :

If a publication says they will reply within a specified period of time, how long should you wait after that period expires before you query?

Also, how should you query: letter, e-mail, same way you submitted?

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

It depends. It depends.

What market? What is the time limit? How did you send your manuscript in the first place? What kind of response times are they at right now? (Black Hole and Rumor Mill are good for this info)

If it's Strange Horizons, for example, and you've passed up their 60 days, send them a polite e-mail and they will kindly respond, probably with a note saying it was lost because they are on time 99.9% of the time.

If it's Assimov's and it's past about four months (I think that's right), send a polite and brief query letter with a self addressed stamped postcard for their reply.

There are a great many markets, and I usually approach them the way they ask to be approached in the first place when it comes to e-mail/snail mail. Some have query addresses lsited on their websites and you can go with that.

Never be afraid to query past their documented response time. You are a professional trying to run a business and they are someone you are trying to do business with.

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

I'd write as soon as the time limit has passed, and definitely by the same medium employed the first time around.

(If I bothered to write at all. According to my notes, I've got this non-fiction MS sitting at a market for nine and a half years...and another one, fiction, and accepted, at another market for about the same length of time...)

Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :

Cicada: "Allow 12 weeks for a reply."

I subbed on May 30 and waited 3 months (13 weeks). I've been checking Black Hole, and another story subbed around the same time as mine received their response in 92 days (about 13 weeks), while most the response times listed for several months before that ranged from 116 days to 160.

flashquake: "You can expect to hear from us toward the end of August."

I subbed on June 28 and received confirmation of receipt on July 2. While they still have a day, it's almost past. At Black Hole, most response times in the last year have been in the 20-40 day range with only a handful running any longer than that and only two with a response time longer than 60 days (one was a sale the other a rejection).

Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :

Cicada may say three months, but it is clear that their response times are typically mroe like 4 months. I would therefore wait one more month and then do the snail mail self-addressed poscard + polite query method. This is because they are a high paying pro market that requests snail mail submissions in the first place.

As for flashquake, I fear you may have missed your mark on that. I believe you should have e-queried them (as they do not even accept snail mail submissions) two weeks ago as they say their notification will occur by August 15 for a September 1st fall issue launch. The black hole also lists several acceptances on or very near August 15. It couldn't hurt to query now, but I fear that they have lost your submission and that nothing can be done about it save submitting for the winter issue.

[This message has been edited by Christine (edited August 30, 2005).]

Posted by Robyn_Hood (Member # 2083) on :

Thanks, Christine. I forgot to look at the submissions page for flashquake and was going off of the e-mail they had sent me. I guess I should contact them. And I suppose it won't kill me to wait another month for Cicada.