Has anyone heard from Weird Tales?

[erazmus]

A rejection? An acceptance? Anything from the editorial office since Ann Vandermeer took over the whole shebang?
I only ask because, well, I'd gotten used to getting a rejection note from AVdm every couple of months, and I kind of sort of just kept sending her stories every couple of months, and didn't notice I wasn't hearing back. Normally I try not to double up on an editor. I wait for them to reject one before offering them another.
I find I now have four stories in her queue. Four! Going back six months and not quite evenly spaced, plus a poem going back to '07, but she just got the poetry thing and the former poetry editor did respond to my queries and said it was still under consideration (in '08 and again in '09).
Its my goof, I shouldn't have stuffed her in box. But I'm wondering, has anyone else been rejected from WT in the last half-year? just interested to know.

Mike

[erazmus]

Does anyone else even have submissions there?

Mike

[Rob K]

Yes, she responded very quickly and politely to a query of mine recently (like, within an hour or two). I think Weird Tales is still going strong, but just hasn't been quick to respond for whatever reason. Maybe you could query and explain the situation with the extra submissions?

The magazine that I haven't heard back from is Dark Discoveries. I've had a story there since October 2009 and my query went unanswered. I sent another query recently, so we'll see how it goes. I always try to be polite and professional, follow the guidelines to the letter, and send my best stuff, so I don't know what to make of it.

[John M. Whalen]

Oh, man. This is bad news. I sent a story to Weird Tales a week or two ago and to Dark Discoveries a month ago. Sounds like they'll be in limbo for some time in the near future. There's got to be a less frustrating way to spend my time and energy. Long response times seem to be becoming the norm. Even Abandoned Towers print has a long response time due to a volume of subs, according to the editor. If you want to try one that is really quick try Clarkesworld. Tops 3 days, but a sure rejection. Shortstoryme.com is quick. Usually within a week. But token payment. Wish I was a blacksmith, I'd like to pound the hell out of some steel right now.

[iryadragyn]

The last time I subbed to Weird Tales was back in '07. I've got bad news about Dark Discoveries though...

I sent a story to them in 2007. Queried several times and they said that they'd get to it and that they were backed up with subs. In 2009 I finally got a personal rejection. That's a 647 day wait! Since then I don't even consider them anymore for subs.

[darkbow]

I haven't sent them anything in a while now, but I did send a few stories soon after Ann took over. She always responded within a few weeks.

[SilviaMG]

I've sent 6 subs since 2007. Been rejected at the 70 day mark, on average. I have something out over 100 days now.

[erazmus]

I have been reliably rejected by Ann in the past between seventy and ninety-nine days, I now have two of my subs at 144 and 130 days. I don't want to get my hopes up just because she got swamped. I'm not worrying about getting rejected (I just don't worry about that any more, I got almost two hundred rejections last year. No worries.) I was just worried that she might not have gotten my submissions, or that I had finally managed to piss her off and get blackballed at one of my dream markets. Really, I guess I'm just not happy without something to be nervous about.

Mike

[erazmus]

I've made sixteen submissions there since 2007. None has ever taken this long, but this is still faster than the old teams responses.

Mike

[SilviaMG]

This is the longest I've been out with them too. I am assuming she is merely swamped and I'll be getting my rejection any time soon.

[darkbow]

Ann got promoted to editor in chief early this year, and a couple of new people came on staff. I'm not sure who is filling Ann's former role as fiction editor. Maybe nobody. Could be the changes have slowed things somewhat, or perhaps they're just swamped with submissions.

Haven't checked WT's guidelines in a while, but at the six month's mark I'd say it's time for a friendly e-mail.

[Rob K]

Good news: James Beach of Dark Discoveries answered my query today and said he'd look into the matter.

[erazmus]

Dark Discoveries has always been a very slow market for me. I think I've received four rejections from them in three years. The first went a couple of rounds before getting nixed, they've had a flash of mine in the slush since Feb. The last rejection came much, much quicker than the early ones.
Mike

[Ropespor]

Tangentially related: I've queried a couple times about payment for a poem they ran about three years ago, plus wondering about another one they accepted for publication about four years ago and still haven't run. I haven't gotten any response.

[erazmus]

Well, so long as they are meeting their publication schedule I'm willing to cut them a little slack. They've had a poem of mine for three years, responded to queries but not made a call on it. I let them, its one poem and I'd like it best in their pages. When ever it starts to annoy me, I write another poem and send it somewhere else.
But stories are another matter. I generally like to hear back on a short story within a year. Anne isn't really close to that yet. John O'Neil at Black Gate is past it with me, but he's always been very slow to say yes, so I'll wait. Its not like I have other editors paying more and knocking on my door asking for stories.
But if anyone gets a rejection from weird tales, let me know.

Mike

[Scott M. Sandridge]

I got a WT rejection back in either January or February this year, from a sub I had sent about 8 months prior to the reject. Ann apologized for taking so long to respond, so it's probably a case of WT just being swamped.

As for Dark Discoveries. Yeah, they've always been slow on response times (and sometimes slow on payment, assuming the payment ever comes). They pay on published instead of on acceptance, and apparently my review they accepted didn't get published so I didn't get my $5, but, since the book they sent me to review was a $50 book I'm not complaining.

At least I don't think it got published. Has anyone here got a copy of DD #9, and if so, was there a review in there with my byline?

[erazmus]

Eight months, huh?I guess I'll just wait and hope for the best then.

Mike

[alrobe]

I'm glad I found this post. I was beginning to worry that my submission (sent in January) ended up in their spam filter. I guess I will just wait a little longer and see what happens.

[erazmus]

Its usually best to wait a bit, but not too long.
Aberrant Dreams responded to a recent query about some poems I'd sent in. Seems I sent them just before or as they implemented a new submission system, and they hadn't received them. So I resubbed, no problem. I'm glad I didn't wait longer. but sometimes markets, especially very good markets, do get swamped. I think there are two ways a market can deal with that. they can go on a rejection rampage, turning down stories for the slightest reason, until they've cleared their slush, or they can try to be fair and fall behind while they look at everything they've got. I know which response I like and don't mind waiting them out.

Mike

[erazmus]

Well, the unique magazine just closed to submissions, so I guess Ann really is swamped.

Mike

[alrobe]

They're starting to make thier way through the slush, I just got a 170 day rejection

[erazmus]

Thanks.

Mike

[Ropespor]

Heard back from Ann--payment's on its way for my poems "Faeries' Hoax" (which ran in 2007) and "Pungent Reading" (accepted in 2006 but hasn't run yet).

[erazmus]

Hopefully she's getting a handle on things.

Mike

[Samuel Mae]

According to duotrope responses are flying out thick and fast. I have a story that's been there for 150 days, so i figure i'll be hearing soon.