khimairal ink?

[Listener]

I have a story in the slush pile at Khimairal Ink and have sent a couple of query e-mails to see what the status is, but haven't heard anything. Now, this particular story fits the mission of KI perfectly (sci-fi/fantasy with a lesbian protagonist) so I know it would fit well there... but, again, two queries.

Anyone have experience with this market?

[Swamp]

I am not familiar with the market, but just looking at their guidelines, they don't give anything as far as expected response time.  How long did you wait before querying.  If it has been serveral months and two queries, you may want to consider moving onto a different market.

heh.  Took a look at duotrope and saw only one reported submittal.  Are you that one?

[Listener]

I am not familiar with the market, but just looking at their guidelines, they don't give anything as far as expected response time.  How long did you wait before querying.  If it has been serveral months and two queries, you may want to consider moving onto a different market.

heh.  Took a look at duotrope and saw only one reported submittal.  Are you that one?

It's been two months, but for some reason that's what I put in my calendar as the time to query them, which to me means that they USED TO have guidelines up, but don't anymore.

As for Duotrope -- I only post when I've been accepted or rejected. I couldn't keep track if I posted every time I submitted -- my personal submissions tracker is Yahoo Mail's "flag message" function, and I have a spreadsheet (which the EA homies wrote the macro for for me).

[DKT]

How far apart did you send the two queries? And has it been two months since you subbed the story? Or two months since you queried?

It's up to you...I'm not very familiar with this particular market and it sounds like your story might work there. So you could let it sit. If it's been two months since you subbed it, well, two months feels long when you've got something in a pile, but it could be worse. On the other hand, you haven't heard back from them after a couple of emails.

If you want to send it somewhere else but give them one more shot, you could either email them one more time and say you're withdrawing your submission, or say if you don't hear from them by [date you determine], please consider your submission withdrawn.

Personally, depending on when you sent the last query, I'd sit on it a little while longer, but it's up to you.

[Listener]

Personally, depending on when you sent the last query, I'd sit on it a little while longer, but it's up to you.

Well I figure the editor e-mail address would at least see the query and possibly delegate it to an autoresponder.

I've got an alert for two more weeks. That'll make it three months since sending in. I'll re-assess then.

I'm not so unhappy about having to wait, but I think if you don't tell us how long we should wait then we're allowed to query until you say "STFU and GBTW, we'll e-mail you in another two months" or whatever. I'll wait six months if you say "the wait time is six months". The key here is that their guidelines omit that valuable piece of information.

[Listener]

The editor e-mailed me this morning to let me know that the story was still being considered by the editorial board. Which I totally respect -- I also would've accepted "we're going to publish it" or "we're not going to publish it".

I e-mailed her back thanking her and asking her what the official "please don't query before" time was, and if I get it I'll post it here, for anyone who's written a SF/F story with a lesbian protagonist and wants to send it there.