The Undiscovered Country

Twenty-Two Days

That's the average response time to short stories submitted to a magazine that publishes fantasy, science fiction and horror. I've read three issues so far, and think my short story that won 2nd place in last year's Writers Digest competition would make a good fit.\

We'll see.

In approximately 22 days.

The worst part about the whole process of submitting articles and short stories is hitting that awful "submit" button (or dropping that proposal or query letter into the mailbox). Once I do, there's no turning back. No more chances to edit out any mistakes, make any other changes to the plot, grammar, setting, characters . . . nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. It's like sending a child away to school, or discovering it's time he left the house to create a life of his own. My story is now out of my hands, out of my control. It's my heart and my mind on display, and I can't help but think, "Now I get to find out if the editors of this magazine thinks the story is good, or if it's crap."

Not submitting it is always easy, because in my dreams, my stories always find a place. They receive nothing but accolades.

But it's not real, and reality can suck sometimes. I'm like most writers in that I often prefer my fantasies. In my fantasy worlds, I am in control. Submitting stories and articles for others to judge is purposefully relinquishing that control, and my opinions and biases are shown to either be spot on, or completely spot off.

It's a terrifying thing to step out of my made-up world and take a chance that in reality, everything I created is nothing like I believed and hoped it was.

That said, in case my story is rejected by this magazine, it doesn't make my story crap. It simply means they didn't find it a good fit for them. There are other magazines out there, and in fact, I have another in mind (I went back and forth for a few days trying to decide which to try first. It boiled down to response time. The one I submitted to is a bit quicker). Like many others, neither magazine takes simultaneous submissions, so I have to submit it one at a time.

Time will tell.

I'll keep you apprised.