In message <000601c08578$d6e55f60$f28c49d5(a)marian-de-haan.multiweb.nl>,
Marian de Haan <maya(a)multiweb.nl> writes
>Julia, I can understand this kind of thing happening and my question wasn't
>meant as an attack on you or other hard working, human editors. My gripe is
>with those editors who systematically refuse to respond. It is extremely
>frustrating to be unable to get a reply, especially as it prevents the
>writer from submitting the work elsewhere.
Unfortunately, a lot of what's been written in this thread (which did
include other people) gave the impression that it is an editor's duty to
*accept* (or reject) immediately, not merely acknowledge receipt.
Even as far as acknowledging receipt goes - editing is something that
for most people has to be fitted in around other commitments, and it may
take a while before someone gets around to reading their email. I have
the advantage of my own host, and therefore an address set aside
specifically for handling queries about submissions, but not all editors
have that luxury.
I know how frustrating it is to not get a reply, especially when this
keeps happening. However, as Tavia has already pointed out, you are
*not* obliged to leave the piece with an editor until that editor
responds. You can formally withdraw it, and send it elsewhere. I
personally would send the notice of withdrawal on a piece that had been
submitted electronically to the same email address as I sent the
submission, with no paper follow-up, but I tend to the bloody-minded.
Another form of defence, although one that a beginning author is not
likely to think of, is to send a querying email first, and not send the
submission until there's a response to that query. It may be bloody
irritating to the editor, but if she's getting a lot of this it might
give her a hint that she needs to improve her response times:-) I've
also done this when I happen to know that the editor might be having
Real Life problems, as it gives her (or him) the chance to say "Not
right now please, but in a couple of months' time".
Should you feel the urge to try the other side of the game, the language
problem need not be a problem. After all, the Americans manage to
produce zines, and they don't speak British English either <grins, ducks
and runs>. There are people willing to help (I know, I used them, I
don't speak standard British English but a weird amalgam of various
dialects).
--
Julia Jones