Comments on: Confused about simultaneous submissions?

By: Simultaneous submissions break hearts « Charlottesville Words

Simultaneous submissions break hearts « Charlottesville Words — Mon, 21 May 2007 20:46:50 +0000

[...] No Comments Poking around on the Glimmer Train site, I find a sterner than usual warning about simultaneous submissions: Simultaneous submissions are not okay, I’m sorry, especially in competitions. (It breaks our [...]

By: Congratulations! « Charlottesville Words

Congratulations! « Charlottesville Words — Tue, 15 May 2007 18:20:11 +0000

[...] May 15th, 2007 · No Comments Check out this bit of good news for Clifford Garstang of Perpetual Folly, along with a real-life example of how to handle simultaneous submissions. [...]

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sun, 06 May 2007 17:34:39 +0000

Great comments, thanks!

By: Cliff Garstang

Cliff Garstang — Sat, 05 May 2007 12:47:55 +0000

I agree with Erika (a classmate of mine, by the way) that the no-simsub policies can and should be ignored, and I do. I usually also don’t mention in a cover letter that I’m simsubbing, even if guidelines request it. I think editors should and probably do assume that all submisstions are also under consideration elsewhere. I have generally been pretty prompt at withdrawing stories from other magazines once they’ve been accepted somewhere. Early on in my subbing experience, though, I didn’t do that but it worked to my advantage. A good online journal took a story and a short time later a nice (but small-circulation) print journal accepted the same piece. I explained the circumstances and to my surprise they were willing to take it as a reprint. So that was great–a twofer!

By: Kempis

Kempis — Fri, 04 May 2007 22:22:18 +0000

I’m not at a place where submitting is something I have to think about. However… I would say yes to submitting multiple places- regardless of what the policies are supposed to be.

By restricting simultaneous submissions the Journals are trying to unfairly maintain the upper hand.

When an agent auctions a novel or screenplay – the competition is what gets the author that fat check. That’s what journals want to avoid- competing for an author’s writing.

An unpublished writer needs the low or no paying Journals to establish a track record before moving on to larger and more profitable endeavors. To me that says to get published as often and quickly as possible.

When you play by someone else’s rules you set yourself up to lose. When you can make (and get others to play by) your own rules then you’ve set yourself up to win. I believe that to be one of the keys to success in any endeavor.