Middling It

LolaVelo

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
Messages
107
Reaction score
3
Location
Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
Anyone else with something stuck in the Abyss and Apex backlog? Mine's now at 162 days... They released a slew of rejections last week, with stories submitted right up to August 29th...and mine was submitted August 30th...
 

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 28, 2008
Messages
11,882
Reaction score
1,557
Location
Just north of the Deep South
Anyone else with something stuck in the Abyss and Apex backlog? Mine's now at 162 days... They released a slew of rejections last week, with stories submitted right up to August 29th...and mine was submitted August 30th...

They seem to be backed up on all aspects. I queried about a possible publication date for a story they ACCEPTED last fall. Got a fairly quick response from Wendy Delmater to say she was forwarding my email to the new fiction editor. Then got an email from Carl Rafala asking me to send him the story again. Been nearly two weeks and I have not heard anything else. I'm having flashbacks to my experience with GUD. >_<
 

LolaVelo

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
Messages
107
Reaction score
3
Location
Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
They seem to be backed up on all aspects. I queried about a possible publication date for a story they ACCEPTED last fall. Got a fairly quick response from Wendy Delmater to say she was forwarding my email to the new fiction editor. Then got an email from Carl Rafala asking me to send him the story again. Been nearly two weeks and I have not heard anything else. I'm having flashbacks to my experience with GUD. >_<

Arrgh!! I hope they get back to you soon! I had a rewrite request a couple of months back, put it in, and haven't heard a squeak about it although I saw the report that the anthology is now in layout. The communication with the press was so odd (bordering on unpleasant), that I haven't bothered to query.
 

alexshvartsman

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Messages
2,049
Reaction score
156
Location
Brooklyn, NY
55 days or so at F&SF. *Twitch*. The good news is that I can query early next week and at least find out whether the story was short-listed or lost in the mail.
 

fihr

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 21, 2011
Messages
1,013
Reaction score
158
Location
Sydney, Australia
Good luck Alex, and everyone middling and with long crickets. Gosh Aggie, you have my sympathy with that request. Ugh. Hope it's just a glitch that works out. And good luck with your rewrite, LolaVela.

I've had some nice news re one of my crickets. My submission to Aure@lis has been passed to the next round. I'd thought it was taking so long due to the holiday over Christmas, so it was great to hear instead that it's been passed up. They also sent me some of the most pleasing reader feedback I've yet received. :) I wanted to write back and thank them, but held back for fear of clogging the editor's mailbox.
 

Eliza C

We’ll see what happens from here…
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 21, 2010
Messages
944
Reaction score
77
Wow, 55-days at F&SF! Fingers crossed for you. Good luck to you too, fihr, Aggie and LolaVelo!

I just moved into query territory at W@ylines. My second round bump was 3 weeks ago today and the bump letter said if I hadn't heard in 3 weeks to query. I've gone from hopeful it's being seriously considered to thinking it's more likely been lost in the shuffle. I'l wait a few more days and see if I hear anything.
 

Project Deadlight

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 30, 2011
Messages
857
Reaction score
43
Location
The Shire of Warwick
RE: W@ylines: I would def query as I had a story at 30 days, when I queried they said they'd sent me an R after 8 days. Wasn't in my spam folder or anything so the error was more than likely their end.
 

Eliza C

We’ll see what happens from here…
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 21, 2010
Messages
944
Reaction score
77
Sent a query off today and received a prompt response that the story has moved to the final round of consideration. Should hear soon...
 
Last edited:

fihr

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 21, 2011
Messages
1,013
Reaction score
158
Location
Sydney, Australia
Oo - that's good news Eliza. Hope you get in, and also everyone else bumped up at W@ylines.
 

Chalula88

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 21, 2005
Messages
449
Reaction score
94
Made the short list for Crossed Genres, but they didn't go with my story. I'm still pretty excited about it though, this was only my third short story submission.
 

Sai

Book lover/Spy
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
2,392
Reaction score
394
Location
Back home
Website
www.kuri-ousity.com
A story of mine made the longlist for the James White Award :D:

http://www.jameswhiteaward.com/news

I can't say which one is mine (this is supposed to be an anonymous contest, right?), but it's on there. This is my best middling news ever. Seriously, I'm as happy about this as I've been over some acceptances. I love Interzone, I'm a big fan of Aliette de Bodard (one of the judges), and I know a lot of talented people send in submissions, so I'm really happy that my story's done as well as it has.
 

alexshvartsman

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Messages
2,049
Reaction score
156
Location
Brooklyn, NY
A story of mine made the longlist for the James White Award :D:

http://www.jameswhiteaward.com/news

I can't say which one is mine (this is supposed to be an anonymous contest, right?), but it's on there. This is my best middling news ever. Seriously, I'm as happy about this as I've been over some acceptances. I love Interzone, I'm a big fan of Aliette de Bodard (one of the judges), and I know a lot of talented people send in submissions, so I'm really happy that my story's done as well as it has.

Congratulations and good luck in the final round(s)!
 

Eliza C

We’ll see what happens from here…
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 21, 2010
Messages
944
Reaction score
77
Exciting news, Sai! Best of luck!

And good going Chalula - CGs is a great market to get shortlisted at no matter what and very impressive on your third story out :)
 

squeaky pram

oldie turned newbie
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 22, 2011
Messages
255
Reaction score
25
Location
UK
A story of mine made the longlist for the James White Award :D:

http://www.jameswhiteaward.com/news

I can't say which one is mine (this is supposed to be an anonymous contest, right?), but it's on there. This is my best middling news ever. Seriously, I'm as happy about this as I've been over some acceptances. I love Interzone, I'm a big fan of Aliette de Bodard (one of the judges), and I know a lot of talented people send in submissions, so I'm really happy that my story's done as well as it has.

Wow. Very nice, Sai. Congratulations!

And congrats and/or fingers crossed for everyone's good-middler news!
 

fihr

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 21, 2011
Messages
1,013
Reaction score
158
Location
Sydney, Australia
Awesome news, Sai - good luck with the final round! And well done, Chalula88, especially for your third sub. The story must be strong, and hopefully will find a place elsewhere.
 

squeaky pram

oldie turned newbie
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 22, 2011
Messages
255
Reaction score
25
Location
UK
I've got some very loud crickets (including a 198-day one at C-0bscura) that, according to recent D-trope trends, should cease chirping any day/hour. The anticipation is driving me batty. They're all stupid-long shots, so I'm not expecting much to come of them, but every time I check my email I'm torn between wanting to 'get the bad news over with' and relief that the little darlings are still chirping away.

Signed,
Squeaky, currently cradling broken arm while obsessively refreshing inbox
 

W.L. Marks

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
127
Reaction score
11
Way to go, Sai! Best of luck. :)

And you guys can add me to the crowd middling it at Waylines. Just got notified of the bump...
 

Marzioli

Could be worse!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 26, 2011
Messages
969
Reaction score
59
Location
Salem, OR
Good luck Sai! They cut me loose, so you have all my emotional support on this one. :D
 

LolaVelo

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
Messages
107
Reaction score
3
Location
Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
I finally queried Abyss and Apex this morning as my story just hit 169 days... I've never done that before; why is it so anxiety producing?

And best of luck, Sai!
 

W.L. Marks

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
127
Reaction score
11
I finally queried Abyss and Apex this morning as my story just hit 169 days... I've never done that before; why is it so anxiety producing?

Because you're afraid that they're going to be so frustrated with the fact that you dared to bother them that they'll auto-reject you! At least, that's what I always get all paranoid over. Which is dumb on my part, because almost every editor I've contacted has responded promptly and politely to my query.

I've got a story sitting at A & A for 275 days. It was sort-of, kind-of a rewrite request from the editor, and I'm worried that they've lost it in the editorial shift. But I haven't queried because I'm crazy and I don't know where else I want to send the piece. I think you've inspired me to take care of that.

On another note, I'm at 205 days with a sub at IGMS...just waiting to hear back. (Alex, if you're reading this, did they ever reject/accept that story you were also waiting on?)

And then there was W31rd T4les, which I recently queried regarding a story that had been with them for over 200 days. No reply. And I was :Shrug: . Queried a different contact e-mail. No reply. And I was like, this plus that whole Save the Pearls fiasco, that's it -- :flag:. Waited a week and sent in a notification of withdrawal.

No reply. :rolleyes:


And I'm the one who ends up feeling like I've done something wrong for withdrawing the submission...


But that's the first time that's ever happened to me! Most editors are super nice and super cool, so we should get over our fear of querying.
 

Niccolo

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 19, 2012
Messages
513
Reaction score
49
My Middling news is driving me crazy! My first-ever anthology submission is sitting at 85 days. They're supposed to be making final decisions "mid-February 2013". Been having good feelings about this one lately, but getting so close to the deadline is making me nervous. I even checked today's date not to make sure it was February, but to make sure it was February of 2013 :Shrug: I need to take a breath...or two...