Irritating Submission Windows

Serendipity

Serendipity

A Traditional Eccentric!
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I'm finding submission windows irritating. Part of it is due to being unable to have simultaneous submissions - if a story is offered to one publisher then it is locked in with that publisher until that publisher either accepts or releases it. There is no issue with those magazines that have a very quick turnaround time. But a lot of these will hold on to stories they are seriously considering publishing longer.

Then an anthology pops up with a submission window that asks for submissions which are a good fit to a story that is locked in elsewhere. That story is not released until after the window for the good fit anthology closes.

I don't know how often this happens, but it has got to the annoying stage with me.
 
Serendipity said:
I'm finding submission windows irritating. Part of it is due to being unable to have simultaneous submissions - if a story is offered to one publisher then it is locked in with that publisher until that publisher either accepts or releases it. There is no issue with those magazines that have a very quick turnaround time. But a lot of these will hold on to stories they are seriously considering publishing longer.

Then an anthology pops up with a submission window that asks for submissions which are a good fit to a story that is locked in elsewhere. That story is not released until after the window for the good fit anthology closes.

I don't know how often this happens, but it has got to the annoying stage with me.
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I'm in a FB group that shares open calls, and I'm one of the most prolific persons there, so I'm always scavenging markets. I agree that many pro-rate, oft-touted markets only open for a week in the whole year, if anything. It happens a lot. But it's never been "irritating" for me because: 1) I have many stories in my trunk, and I write everyday and fast, so I always have something new to sub; 2) There are many markets that are open year-round and are pretty fast. Some of them have obnoxious seven-day or twenty-one-day cooldown periods, but some do not. Cooldowns irritate me, but markets with small submission windows do not because I always have something ready for them.

Sub early and often, my friend!
 
@alexvss I really appreciate that you post opportunities there. That's the only resource I have for finding where to submit.
 
@Serendipity You could choose to only submit to magazines that allow simultaneous submissions and/or have a quick turnaround. Some state turnaround times on the websites and Submission Grinder and Duotrope include average response times. You can also withdraw submissions from magazines if you feel your story is a better fit elsewhere, though I wouldn't make a habit of this. Many publishers have hundreds of submissions a month, and given editors/slush readers often have day jobs and/or are writers themselves, it's just not possible for them to get through them quicker than they do.

alexvss said:
Are you there? Cool, glad to be of help! :cool:
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I wonder if I'm in that Facebook group too. I don't have much to submit at the moment though. I did recognise you when you popped up in the WotF forum of course. :)
 
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