(no subject)

[erastes]

Grumpity Grump Grump

I'm sorry publishers but I'm getting a bit sick of this sort of thing

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URL: http://www.dandelionmagazine.ca/
Est. Response Time: up to 7 months, only responds to submissions that are accepted
Submissions:
editors@dandelionmagazine.ca
OR
dANDelion Magazine Society
c/o Department of English
University of Calgary
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada
DO NOT send a SASE w/submission--will not return

-----------------------------------------------------

What is the rationale behind this? It doesn't give a professional impression, it pisses people off, and frankly for twenty-five quid I wouldn't get out of bed, to be brutal.

If you are accepting email submissions then it doesn't take an Einstein to set up an auto-response saying that the submission has been received.

Anybody can create two mailing lists as submissions come in - accepted - Not accepted. It doesn't take long to be polite.

And if someone follows all polite conventions and sends a SAE, what's the difficulty in sending it off?

If massive publishing houses can be polite enough to send at least a form rejection, then I would think that a local university press would follow suit. Sheesh, they can't be THAT inundated. They might be prestigious for all I know, but I know smaller and larger places who take the trouble to deal as professionally with their authors as their authors do with them.

/Grump

Comments

[logophilos.livejournal.com]

And I expect they don't take simultaneous submissions either. Gee, I'm so not tempted, really.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I bet that, too. "you have to be perfect but we don't, arseholes" is what I get from them!

[tammylee.livejournal.com]

And they're only a couple hours away from me...
In my mind this is fine art writing version commercial art writing.

This press doesn't think they need to be polite because they don't really need you to come back and they don't need sales to justify their existence as they are supported by donations and patrons.

Commercial publishers are polite because they need good writers and good repeat writers.

I doubt I'd ever submit to a University press.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I still don't see that excuses them from a basically rude submission call (and I've read a lot worse)

And frankly, what else have they got to do, in between marking papers and having bloody long holidays?

[tammylee.livejournal.com]

I don't think it does excuse them. I just think that's why they're so rude.

Ahahaha! Excellent point! It's obvious they don't take etiquette lessons in their spare time. I'd blame it on being cowboy scholars (University of Cowtown there) but cowboys are generally pretty polite.

[morgan-lowri.livejournal.com]

People have become lazy about correspondence in the last decade or two.

A few summers ago most of our city was out of work, including myself, my partner, and my parents. We lived together to share the bills. I spent that summer running all over town looking for work and I filled out at least 100 applications. Of the 100, I got 4 call-backs and one No Thank You card. That's literally 5%. I was grumpy and irritated about it. My father, who was having a similar experience, was absolutely horrified. He couldn't imagine why someone couldn't take an hour to make some phone calls or print up some post cards and at least acknowledge the existence of the applicants.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I guess it's like supply and demand, but it still doesn't make it right. *grrrrs on your behalf *

[rwday.livejournal.com]

I don't ever submit to markets that can't be bothered to send at least a form rejection. Why would I want to work with rude people, or have my name associated with them? Of course, considering how long it's been since I submitted anything to anyone, I guess my boycotting them is pretty meaningless.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

yes - and there was no need for that submission call to be so bloody rude.

grrrrr

[haydenthorne.livejournal.com]

Not all commercial presses respond to their hoped-for contributors. Alyson never responds to rejections at least for their anthology calls, and they don't want people querying after submitting something. Some submissions never made it to their inbox, and we'll never know the truth. That's why I don't even bother submitting to them anymore.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

It's wrong, and no matter how busy people are, there's just no excuse.

[haydenthorne.livejournal.com]

Oh. My comment was supposed to be in response to tammylee's comment. I've been hanging around wordpress for so long that I've completely forgotten how to properly post on LJ. Hee.

[copperbeech.livejournal.com]

It is amazing how much legwork we as authors have to do for publishers' jobs to be easier. I swear it's all exercises in boot licking as much as it is judging your work.

*frowny pants*

[erastes.livejournal.com]

It annoys me specifically that we have to jump through a million hoops to get to them, but they don't have do ANYTHING to make us happy. I know it's supply and demand and me withholding fic from idiots like this publisher achieves nothing, but it makes me feel better.

[clarediva.livejournal.com]

It's just bloody bad manners and you're right, there's no excuse. Like they're doing us a big favour. I spent days with my son sending out CVs for him a few months ago, and got NOT ONE response, not even an acknowledgement. Wherever I've worked, from funeral directors to media distributor, we *always* respond to correspondence, even when you're inundated with applications for a job or replies to a postal campaign or whatever.

I've sent out lots of submissions, and I will always treasure the kindness and politeness of those who've bothered to respond, even though it was a refusal. And even if it's a standard letter, at least it's an acknowledgement. Not asking for personal lurv, just manners. Email cost nothing, too, just a small amount of time.

Makes me scream (quietly).