Analog Submissions

I don't think this has anything to do with a learning curve. Return time is slower than usual because changing editors requires a boat-load of behind-the-scenes work.

You could be right, I know nothing about the process, only what I have observed with other magazines. WotF took awhile to adjust to a new guy but I think they have a different set up with the contest and they lost their last editor suddenly. But when JJA took over Lightspeed and Fantasy Magazine there was hardly any slow down. And there's another magazine, that had the same thing. Hardly any slow down with a change of editors. Analog could have its own unique characteristics and they might be working only a couple days a week. Plus I don't know the experience of the new guy--I'm sorry to say I keep forgetting his name--but we are not just talking about a little slower than usual but twice or three times as long for six months. Five at least.

This could be all just be frustration, ignorance of the process and old age influencing my feelings and I may need to apologize to the new guy some day but it feels this way from what I can see.

Here's what Trevor told me:

Basically, incoming submissions built up during the transition last fall -- Stan had a lot of things on his plate as he headed out, and I didn't touch the stack while I took care of the pressing matters, like training my replacement and getting immediate issues out the door. So by the time I could actually devote attention to reading, I had about four months worth of backlog and more coming in on top of that. Then I compounded the matter by trying to follow in Stan's footsteps and do _all_ the reading myself. It took me a while to admit that doing things right off the bat the same way someone with 34 years of experience did them just wasn't feasible. So I just enlisted a little temporary help with the backlog for a month or two. I have almost two months worth of responses waiting for the office assistant to return from vacation next week, and by the time she has those out, I'll have another month's worth ready to go. So at that rate, I'm guessing (hoping!) that I'll have the overall response time down to about 8 - 12 weeks, in roughly another month and a half. Pros, of course -- and no offense to everyone else -- are only about two months back. Once I clear the decks of this big batch, I'll update the website to let everyone know where we are. I just have to beg patience and offer my apologies until then.

T.

Great insight into where stories are sitting, thanks, Brad

I say thanks too.

Even with what I've said I was hoping you might chip in with something along these lines.

How is Asimov? Do they get back in their stated 5 week time frame average?

How is Asimov? Do they get back in their stated 5 week time frame average?

No. They're between 60-80 days--still better than Analog though, which appears to have sped up to ~150 days recently.

I'm catching up with forum reading after being offline between work and stuff... I know this is late, but I wanted to share some thoughts.

It might be more productive at this point to skip Analog as a market until/if they get back on their feet. Or go into the submission knowing you've got a massive wait ahead of you.

I'm catching up with forum reading after being offline between work and stuff... I know this is late, but I wanted to share some thoughts.

It might be more productive at this point to skip Analog as a market until/if they get back on their feet. Or go into the submission knowing you've got a massive wait ahead of you.

You'd think they'd let submitters know that they're backlogged and are going far beyond their normal response times so that people would try elsewhere first. It would help them clear out the queue. But hey, what do I know.

Maybe if it ebbed and flowed, but they got the word out in the beginning and never recovered. Both Duotrope and The Grinder are very clear on how long the subs are out for. As close as one can come to common knowledge in the online world?

It might be more productive at this point to skip Analog as a market until/if they get back on their feet. Or go into the submission knowing you've got a massive wait ahead of you.

tor.com is at 70-80 days response & the pay is higher. Never thought I'd see when tor.com was a better option than Analog.

Except Tor.com isn't a truly open market. They pretty much only publish people who are related to Tor in some way or have an "in". I don't think I've seen a single story published there that came blind out of the slush with no history between Tor or Tor.com and the author.

I'm catching up with forum reading after being offline between work and stuff... I know this is late, but I wanted to share some thoughts.

It might be more productive at this point to skip Analog as a market until/if they get back on their feet. Or go into the submission knowing you've got a massive wait ahead of you.

You'd think they'd let submitters know that they're backlogged and are going far beyond their normal response times so that people would try elsewhere first. It would help them clear out the queue. But hey, what do I know.

I feel the same. I also think they are taking an extraordinary long period of time to get the new crew up to par. Someone here had a nice little note explaining all that is happening which made the slow down understandable but not the length of time it's taking.

Oh, my story was finally rejected--not surprising. I didn't check for a few weeks so I don't when it was rejected but it sat there for months.

Patience is perhaps the one indisputable virtue of the professional writer.

Having said that, I agree with Annie: TOR.COM is mostly a promotional vehicle for existing TOR authors or authors TOR is courting. Yes, it's "open" in the sense that anyone can submit, but the likelihood of acceptance goes way up if you already have books in print with TOR or are on TOR's radar as an author they want to pick up.

As for Analog's slowness of late, I say, give it time. It's not just you guys waiting. I've had a novelette in the queue since April, and Analog hasn't rejected me in two years. So, hang tough. If you already have a story in to Analog, let it ride. Getting huffy about the wait won't push the choo choo any faster than it's already going.

And of course, good luck! <img src="

Duotrope reports 59 responses in the past 3 weeks, most recent being in the 136 day range. They're moving forward a little.

As for this...

... Analog hasn't rejected me in two years.

(Putting on my best Captain Kirk scowl) Braaaaaaaaaaaaaad!!!!!

I've had a novelette in the queue since April, and Analog hasn't rejected me in two years.

Not bad. I have never had a story rejected by Analog, which is why I wondering about why it was taking so long. Then again, I've never submitted to them before. But still.

Never mind all these Freakin' Brads and Martins and folks who've been selling to Analog since before I was even born back in the Jurassic era. I got my first non-bottom-feeding "send me more" type rejection from Analog the other day!

"I rather like your style of writing and suggest that you try us again."

I think the swamp must have frozen over...

Never mind all these Freakin' Brads and Martins and folks who've been selling to Analog since before I was even born back in the Jurassic era. I got my first non-bottom-feeding "send me more" type rejection from Analog the other day!

"I rather like your style of writing and suggest that you try us again."

I think the swamp must have frozen over...

Where's that 'Like' button? Go, Gator!

Nice, E. Caiman! Personal rejections mean you are *close* and should keep trying.

Never mind all these Freakin' Brads and Martins and folks who've been selling to Analog since before I was even born back in the Jurassic era. I got my first non-bottom-feeding "send me more" type rejection from Analog the other day!

"I rather like your style of writing and suggest that you try us again."

I think the swamp must have frozen over...

Big old Congrats on that! I've never gotten that from them. Way to go!

Never mind all these Freakin' Brads and Martins and folks who've been selling to Analog since before I was even born back in the Jurassic era. I got my first non-bottom-feeding "send me more" type rejection from Analog the other day!

"I rather like your style of writing and suggest that you try us again."

I think the swamp must have frozen over...

Very niiice indeed.

I've never gotten one like that from Mr. Schmidt or the new guy. Of course he's only read two maybe three stories of mine but still my statement still stands.

Yup, this was from Trevor, not Stanley.

If there's one thing I've learned in my few short years of fiction writing, it's that a change of editor can make a big difference to your chances... Either positive or negative.

KD Wentworth apparently liked my stuff, DF clearly doesn't. Stanley didn't like my stuff, let's hope Trevor is more amenable!

Of course Gator thinks it's very odd that Stanley never liked her outpourings as she says she's heard he kept snakes. So she thought he'd be keen to publish a reptile. But apparently not.

Woohoo! I got my rejection just in time to sub to Lightspeed before they closed for AGES. I had a heartattack until I realised here in Aus it's the 1st but it's still the 31st in the US... go time zones!

Woohoo! I got my rejection just in time to sub to Lightspeed before they closed for AGES. I had a heartattack until I realised here in Aus it's the 1st but it's still the 31st in the US... go time zones!

LOL - me too.

Too late. I was planning to send them something between now and Saturday,

But so far a change of editor hasn't helped so I'm not expecting much from Trevor.

Oh that sucks LDWriter2. I actually sent this story to Analog while waiting for Lightspeed to re-open last time, so if I'd missed out on subbing because of Analog's slowness I would have been really cranky. I'm sure it'll be rejected anyway but you gotta try!

Never mind all these Freakin' Brads and Martins and folks who've been selling to Analog since before I was even born back in the Jurassic era. I got my first non-bottom-feeding "send me more" type rejection from Analog the other day!

"I rather like your style of writing and suggest that you try us again."

I think the swamp must have frozen over...

Congrats Elinor! That's definitely good news. Now send them another right away. I got the same quote once from Stanley. So far, nothing from Trev. My latest there is 120 days and counting.

Duotrope now shows 69 responses since July 9, some for stories as recent as 126 days. One acceptance in that lot, at 211 days. The response times are coming down!

Which means I might getting a rejection soon.

Or in a while.

It's funny comparing response times to Lightspeed... I got my lightspeed rejection the next day, a far cry from my 130 day wait at Analog!

It's funny comparing response times to Lightspeed... I got my lightspeed rejection the next day, a far cry from my 130 day wait at Analog!

Analog was never as fast as Lightspeed. That is as quick as JJA but just before the new guy they had cut their response time down. I think it was down to a three to six weeks range. At least for me.