Writerly Ways

[cornerofmadness]

I am sad. This is the second time in 6 weeks when I've run into a changing deadline from a publisher. I had finished a story I was pretty happy with. The pay for this open call was high. I KNOW the deadline because I checked it repeatedly. Got the beta edits back, checked to triple check the word count...and the date is changed. It's frustrating. It feels like a waste of everyone's time. Yes, I can probably find another open call this will fit eventually but this bullshit of closing early and changing deadlines sucks.

I'm trying to see it from their point of view. Maybe they have SO many submissions they can't handle it and close early. Still, I can't be checking every day to places I plan to submit to see if this is going on. Most of these publishers don't have blogs. Maybe they tell duotrope or another service something they're making a change but I don't know. You can't watch them all.

How do you all keep track of deadlines/places you're interested in?

Not the writerly ways i planned to give but this is what you're getting


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Comments

[aien_hime]

Wow, sucks that happens! I hope you can find another fit for the story.

[cornerofmadness]

Thanks. It'll take a while but I probably can.

[falkner]

That's a crazy thing to happen. I don't do original fiction, so I've never poked too hard at those services, but do Duotrope or the publishers themselves not have any kind of notification mailing list? Feels like something that would benefit them to ensure interested writers know of any important changes like to the submission deadline @_@

[cornerofmadness]

I don't know if they do or not. they probably should. I don't really want to make short stories my big jam (though it is) so I haven't paid into duotrope. It's probably what I'll have to do though to get these heads up warnings

[spikedluv]

That does sound super frustrating, and not very professional of them, tbh.

[cornerofmadness]

agreed. Like I said in the post and other replies, I have to think it's because they got so many stories it overwhelmed the 2-3 editors doing this

[used_songs]

How frustrating and really uncool of them!

[cornerofmadness]

It is. I DO think it's because of volume overwhelming them. One I'm waiting on just updated and their open call got over 400 stories. they're going to have to shortlist some of them and decide from there.

On one hand it's a good problem for them. On the other, moving deadlines sucks