Question for writers

[Rrty]

To those of you who write and submit stories to online markets: anyone have any insight to a sci-fi site called Terraform, which is part of the Motherboard site? I was curious if anyone had submitted a story and how long the response time is. I sent one a while ago but haven't heard back. I'd like to send the site another one, as I assume the first submission may have been rejected (a follow-up query did not receive a reply). But I was wondering if anyone here might know the response times. Of course, they seem to skew toward already-established pros, so it might be a longshot.

And does anyone have any suggestions for online markets? Thanks.

 

[Bev Vincent]

The "industry standard" response time is 3 months, but this is a new market so who knows. Some of the top pro markets take as long as 6 months. How long is "a while ago"?

 

[Rrty]

Bev, thanks for the reply. I actually sent the story pretty much when this new market was announced, around the third week of November. Got an automated response a few hours later saying they got a lot of submissions, but hopefully would get to the submissions in one-to-three weeks.

I just wrote another story that I feel might be better than the first one I sent (although I thought the first one was pretty good). I'd like to send this one off to the site, as I think it can be safely assumed that I was rejected, or the submission was lost, who knows. But I don't want to make the mistake of sending another submission too soon. It's too bad my status-query didn't receive a reply. I'm tempted to email an editor directly, but there was something on one of the other sections of the site that implied this wasn't looked upon with favor. What I may just do is wait a couple days then send off my new story and just take a chance, the odds are against me anyway no matter what I do.

From what I can tell, this is actually a good market, considering pay rate and who owns the site and who has been published. Are you going to try it? Considering your credits, they would be more apt to publish you (a pro) over someone like me (most of my credits are in the freelance-writing arena, although I have been published on some major sites; I'll play that up as best I can). Also, the guidelines make writing a story for the site fun, in the sense that they aren't too restrictive (in my opinion, anyway). I could believe that the editors got swamped with submissions.

 

[Mr Nobody]

I'd give it the first 3 months, then maybe another week or two on top (depending on their publication dates, if an issue was coming due, etc, because my experience is that fretting authors are the last thing you need as the deadline looms, and can actually prejudice you against them/their work - it shouldn't really happen, but eds are only human. Well, mostly).
After that, send a polite query, including the story title and original sub date in the subject bar, e.g Query re: "The Burning Bog-Brush of Doom" sub. date xx/xx/xxxx
(I don't know where that sample title came from, btw. )

If you're looking for markets, either take out a subscription to Duotrope or Google The (Submissions) Grinder, which basically what Duotrope used to be (i.e. free).
Duotrope is arguably the better choice, but it's really up to you and what your long-term fiction writing ambitions are, etc. If submissions will be occasional and 'hobby-only', with your freelance writing work being what pays (some of) the bills, stick with the free.

 

[Rrty]

Thanks for the reply, Mr. Nobody. I will try to hold off like you say. Two months have now gone by, I will try to be patient for the third month. I'm also going to try the Grinder thing; I am familiar with Duotrope, but did not know about Grinder.

This site, by the way, at least at this time, publishes one tale per week. Pretty good tales, too. (There was one, though, that I thought was awful.)

 

[Rrty]

Mr. N, I checked out Grinder. Great info on it, thank you. For Terraform, if I read the charts correctly, it looks like the majority of responses come in the first few weeks, as the automated email seemed to indicate. There are some writers, however, still waiting on responses. I am getting close to 70 days, if the math in my head is correct. It also looks like most acceptances happen in the earlier timeframes, so it really does appear that I have been rejected.

However, I found out something interesting -- had no idea Asimov's and Fantasy and Science Fiction allow electronic submissions these days. That gives me more options. I always wanted to be in those markets, but I just can't do the physical-mail thing any longer. Of course, those two markets will probably be impossible to crack. Still, I will try my tales with them.

And here's a question. One of the two, can't remember which, said something like no multiple submissions, and a 15-day-waiting-period between submissions. Does that mean one can send a second story after 15 days, even if the first submission is still in the slush pile?

 

[Mr Nobody]

Re: the info, no problem at all.

Asimov's and F&SF will be incredibly tough to crack, being pro markets, but not impossible (at least according to what they say in their guidelines). Of course, being a pro market, you have to make sure your submission(s) are up to pro standard in terms of presentation, adhering to their guidelines very strictly, etc. All stuff that you've probably got a lot of experience with anyway.

Others might know better, but I'd take the 15-day period to mean after they'd informed you of their decision, rather than 15 days after the first sub. Don't take that as gospel, though, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind you asking, just to be clear. Speaking only for myself, I know I'd rather have someone ask for clarification than make an incorrect assumption. For me, it's the professional thing to do.

Best of luck, btw!