(no subject)

[intothewood]

A few questions for discussion re: manuscript submissions -

Following up on submissions - yea or nay? Benefits, drawbacks?
If yes, when and how?

I've found very little advice on this topic, and would like to know what your opinions are.

Comments

[intothewood]

Thank you, yes you're absolutely right that it is most important to look at the submission guidelines.

I guess I was unclear, I was thinking more about the debatable aspects, for instance some writers think it's essential to follow up, while others think it's a bad idea, as it might cause a publisher to give a manuscript short shrift just to get it off of their plate. Others think you do nothing, just leave it alone.

These things are impossible to predict from publisher to publisher of course, but it is one of those things that brings up a lot of debate.

[nightsfury]

From what my writer friends have told me, there's nothing wrong with following up as long as it's courteous and done after the waiting time the editor/publisher has specified.
A friend of mine hadn't heard anything for an e-submission he'd made. When he did send a query he found out they had never received it. Apparently, it had gotten lost in cyberspace.

For myself, I don't see it as much of an issue as long as one is courteous, and waits at least as long as the publisher specifies. Maybe even a week or two longer since responses could be delayed for any number of reasons. From what I've heard, one thing that really gets editors boiling is simultaneous submissions. (unless their guidelines say it's ok). So, following up to find out if a piece is free to send elsewhere just seems like common sense to me. It's funny that you mention it as debatable. I've never heard that argument that an editor might give a piece short shrift just to get rid of it because an author sent a query. But, I'm still pretty new to submitting.

Apologies if I was preaching to the choir.