Monday 20 July 2020

All quiet?

Is it just me, or is Womagland very quiet at the moment? I have quite a few stories 'out there' but it's starting to feel as though I'll never get a response to some of them. Perhaps more concerning, a couple of recent queries to editors have gone unanswered.

Last week I had just one communication from an editor. As it was a sale (to The People's Friend) it went a long way towards convincing me it's worth sending more stories out. I've not done a lot of that lately, and even less writing of them, but I've been working on other things. I've started up a newsletter. The latest novel is, I hope, in the final stages of editing, with all the rewrites behind me. And I've released a new short story collection.


We choose our clothes to help us stand out, make a statement, or to hide inside. They may show who we really are or be our disguise. Perhaps they'll help us play a part, get the job done, or be a means for revenge.

Clothes can warm, comfort and reassure us. We might buy or borrow them, damage or repair, give them away or have them taken. The items in our wardrobe might bring back memories, express hope for the future, or offer a surprise.

From glasses to shoes, fancy dress to fancy dresses, designer wear to charity donations, the clothes we wear all have a story to tell. This book contains 24 of them.

You can get it here.

This week I'll be polishing the novel, and making a few womag short story submissions. If I'm lucky, I'll be doing some of that from the campervan. What are you planning to do?

16 comments:

carrie said...

Hi Patsy. You're right. It does seem very quiet in womagland. I've got a number of stories out that I'm waiting to hear back on - fingers crossed it will be good news.
I've got a number of ideas I'm working on, and want to send my children's book off to some agents so will be doing some research too. Hope you and everyone else has a good week :)

Chris Sutton said...

You echo my feelings exactly... I have so many stories out there in the ether, just waiting on a verdict. Good or bad, it would be nice to know, so they can be reworked if necessary.

Lynn Love said...

Glad it's not just me! Definitely a longer than usual response time from my editor at the Friend and I've been waiting months for a response from an agent who is considering a novel of mine. I'd assume I was being ghosted if she hadn't emailed to apologise in the meantime.
Is it all fallout from Covid, do we think?
Here's wishing everyone waiting good news

Charlie said...

Apart from my first acceptance from yours weeks ago, nothing else but got loads out there, so keeping my fingers crossed! So glad it’s not just me though!

Marguerite said...

Just despatched one to Yours - but I know the timetable so, well,er...,??? Better get going on some more!
Have a good time when you are 'on location'!

ChrisC said...

Can anyone advise on the normal wait time from yours? Had some in since February. How long should I leave it before assuming it's a no? Waiting on a few from TPF too, so hopefully hear from them either way in the not so distant future.

Charlie said...

Yours states can take 6-12 months and if not heard after 12 months then it’s a ‘no’ - just wish they would reply to every submission to makes things easier for us all. Fingers crossed for you - I still got a submission to TPF from October last year, I’m not giving up hope!

Liz said...

I received an acceptance from The People's Friend on Friday, and that was the first one for a couple of months. I still have 10 on submission with them, including one I submitted last September. I'll keep submitting more.

In terms of women's magazines, I'm only submitting to TPF right now, though I'm planning to enter stories in a couple of Aussie competitions and submission call-outs over the next two or three months.

ados123 said...

I had an acceptance from TPF for a story submitted last October last week - so don't give up hope folks. I work on principle that the longer they have it the more likely it is to be a yes!
Have a good break, Patsy. A campervan sounds grand at the moment.
Alyson

New girl on the block said...

Like everybody else - still waiting! I've had a couple of stories with TPF since November - was wondering about gently chasing, but if they're still only just replying to stories sent in October, I'll leave it for a while. Good luck everybody who's waiting for news!

Charlie said...

That gives me hope for my story sitting with TPF since October - I’ll keep my fingers crossed!

Nicola Martin said...

Congrats on the new short story collection!

Glad to hear I'm not the only one experiencing the tumbleweed rolling past as I wait for responses on stories. Oh well, patience is a virtue and all that. ;)

Anonymous said...

Yes, it's been very quiet for me on the writing front, too. PF has a bunch of stories of mine but they haven't been read yet. Given the copyright changes, and less magazines to write for, I'm not writing very much at all. As I said in a recent post, I, and my husband, have just channelled our energies into fighting the installation of a 5G mast adjacent to the fabulous community woodland - once a severe anti-social area - we fought for over twenty years ago. We've did our research and compiled a 15 page technical report with 21 objections, put together a petition, mobilised our community, and we've won! We're not having to have a 75foot 5G mast looming over our community woodland. I can't tell you how delighted we are. I'm starting on a campaign to save hedgehogs next. I do hope to get back to writing sometime soon, when I - hopefully - feel a little less disillusioned with the Womagmarket. On a positive note, I have a few stories soon to be published in My Weekly, another in TAB Fiction Feast - submitted before the changes, and I had a lovely person from TAB send me a scan copy of a story I couldn't get the magazine for, along with the front page of the mag so I can get the ISSn details for ALCS. Good wishes to all Kate Hogan

Patsy said...

@ Carrie – I hope you get good news soon.

@ Chris Sutton – No one likes rejections, but they're much better than no response at all, aren't they?

@ Lynn – COVID might be something to do with it, but I don't think it's just that.

@ Charlie – Definitely not just you.

@ Margeurite – getting on with something else while we wait is sensible.

@ Chris and Charlie re Yours – apparently Marion who edits the regular mag always replies eventually, but Katharine who edits Yours Fiction only does if it's a yes. But in my experience sometimes stories don't go to who they were addressed to, and sometimes they pass them over to each other so it isn't quite as simple as that!

@ Liz – Congratulations on the acceptance!

@ Alyson – Congratulations to you too. I agree, a longer wait often is good news with TPF.

@ New Girl – I'd give it a little while longer. Hopefully they'll be back in the office soon, and things will speed up a little.

@ Nicola – It has gone all tumbleweedy!

@ Kate – Well done with the campaigning! Maybe one of the magazines would be interested in an article on the subject?

Anonymous said...

Good idea, Patsy! I've actually sold quite a few environmentally themed short stories, maybe an article is a possibility. Thanks. Good wishes to you and all.

Jenny Worstall said...

Yes, in common with so many, I have quite a few stories languishing out there, one for over a year...the main problem I find is that I need a bit of feedback so that I know whether or not I'm on the right track. If I send in more, I might just be repeating the same basic error that means they don't want to publish it. Ah well! Difficult times for all. I even wondered if perhaps editors are a little hesitant about sending out rejections in the present circumstances (as they don't want to cause upset). Sure there's a big pile of rejections with my name on waiting for me!