Friday, 20 February 2009
Anybody heard anything about The Lady competition?
It's been two months since the closing date of the latest competition in The Lady. Has anyone heard anything? Does anyone know when to give up hope, and when your story will be free to send elsewhere? I can't find anything on their website about it.
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16 comments:
I've been looking on their website too. I did consider emailling their "contact us" address and asking. We're always advised not to "bother" editors but this is a bit different. They specifically said they wouldn't return stories or discs so you might just never know.
Thanks for posting this womag :o)
A certain lady we know in Bournemouth (she who is the fount of all knowledge) said she had heard of people finding that their Lady comp-entries had been used (and paid for) months after the winners had been announced. I don't know if any notification was sent prior to publication.
Is there anything in the small print about them holding on to stories for future use?
The Lady are notoriously bad at taking ages to make a decision. Or, if I win, they're a wonderful organisation full of generosity and kindness... ;-)
If they never reply, how on earth do we know if and when those competition stories are free to go elsewhere?
The Lady have already had a couple of my stories for almost a year, and I haven't heard anything.
I was so glad to see this query on the blog. Being very new to all this, I entered a story and assumed after hearing nothing by the end of January, it was all over. Might still be a glimmer of hope! Love this blog - never used one before. What a friendly bunch of people.
Please can I interrupt this thread to ask some advice on a related matter? A couple of weeks ago I sent a story to WW enclosing the usual postcard which they normally return quite quickly with the received date on it. This time it hasn't come back. I think this has happened before and the story had in fact been received because it was duly rejeced (!!). What do other people do when this happens - assume it's just been missed, or that there's a bit of a build up and it hasn't been opened yet or do they ever send the story again with an explanatory letter? It's just I'm trying to stay on top of it more. If you don't hear for ages, you get hopeful and it would be a shame if it was because they'd never received it!
Hi Kitty
I never bother with postcards. I just assume the submission will get there eventually. I've only once had to resend a submission which apparently got lost - only to have it rejected twice when they found the original copy!
gKitty, I do know that the Fiction Ed is off work at the mo, so there might just be a delay with one pair of hands fewer at the pump.
Geri
Ha, thanks folks, that's very reassuring. The inside know-how available on this blog is so invaluable. If I ever manage to sell one, I'll certainly know who to thank xx
Having read everyone's comments - and having also given up hope - I rang Janina at The Lady who said results weren't available yet, but they would be letting winners know at some point. Also said that they are always on the lookout, so do keep sending stories in. Have had a story published by them before, and can confirm response is very slow!
Thanks very much for doing that, Amanda.
Thought you might be interested in this - just received from Pat at Best:
I am very sorry indeed to have to tell you that, very shortly, BEST will be dropping its Fiive Minue Fiction page, and no longer accepting short stories for consideration. A small number, already set aside, are up for a second reading - and may make into print before the axe falls - however, as I don't know which will be approved, or exactly when we will stop, I am not identifying these, as I don't want to raise false hopes. I can tell you that the story which I am returning herewith is NOT under consideration, so you are free to submit it elsewhere. And I can assure you that any stories in the 'possible' pile will get a response, either way, within the next six weeks.
Please note that we cannot change existing, 'in print elsewhere' guidelines for Fiction submissions to BEST, which might, if ypu come across them after reading this, imply that we are 'back in business' for Fiction. However, this message that you are reading now supercedes any such entries in Writers & Artists yearbook, etc. We are, sadly, not going to print any more fiction.
In closing, I would like to thank you for your past submissions, whether successful or not. They have been the lifeblood of a sectionn I have gained enormous pleasure from editing. I shall miss it as much as I know you will.
Kindest regards,
Pat Richardson
Good Lord! That's shocking! I've never subbed to them - or maybe once or twice over the years - but there must be some writers who sub to Best as a first choice and will be absolutely gutted by this. As is Pat, obviously, as presumably she no longer has a job.
Thanks Caroline - I have copied that into a post of its own, hope you don't mind.
I've subbed a few to Best over the years but had no luck with them.
Don't know if it's too late to leave a comment on this string - but The Lady has published my story 'Scarab' this week - it was entered for the competition originally - and wasn't placed. So it's still possible that if you entered you could be contacted. Good luck! Lesley
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