You have submitted your short story, but you haven’t heard from the publisher. Here are some tips on what you can do.
By Lanee' Blunt
New writer’s often worry when their short story has been submitted to a publisher, and they have received no reply. (What is the editor doing to my story? I worked hard on that story and deserve a personal letter). Your imagination may play tricks on you about what is happening with your story.
The short story market does not permit you to send multiple submissions to publishers, so waiting can be a hair pulling experience. A follow up letter is a means of helping to solve the problem of that story in limbo. It is an effective professional approach to withdrawing your story and moving on.
Give the Short Story a Reasonable Time Period
Read the latest edition of Writer’s Market; find the entry for the magazine you sent it to. What is the latest it says the editor can keep your story; you must allow the editor to have this time before you panic.
Don’t assume that the editor has stolen your story, or that she has used your story without your permission. Usually, that is not the case. Resist the urge to pick up the phone and call the editor to ask her has she received your story.
The Follow-up Letter
The purpose of the letter is to get the editor to respond. Maybe your short story is on the editor’s desk and she is undecided about using the story. A letter from you might make her decide to use your story, or decide to send the story back to you.
Magazine editor’s are busy and have many other tasks besides reading slush pile manuscripts. Don’t expect the editor to remember your short story.
The Follow up Letter Should Look Professional
Write a standard business letter that contains the editor’s name. You can use a template with your word processing software of a professional business letter. Write the title of your short story, and the date that you sent your story. I usually write a letter stating when I sent the short story, maybe it was lost in the mail, and I am sending another story for their consideration.
Included in the envelope with the letter, attach another copy of that story and send a self addressed stamped envelope (SASE).
After waiting a month and still no reply you can move the story to another publisher. “After all, editors are remarkably like humans. They even want to be treated with the same dignity as you. A kindly reminder can’t hurt; it might even prompt a more thoughtful second reading of your query,” according to Gordon Burgett’s book, How to Sell More Than 75% of Your Freelance Writing, (Prima, 1995).
A short story can only be sent to one publisher at a time, but after sending a follow up letter you may shop for another publisher.
