Poll Dancing #5: The Results

As part of the increasingly inaccurately named International Slushpile Awareness Month (now in its 8th week!), I asked readers how long they've had to wait for a response to a slushpile submission.

(It was specified that a response had to be received. Otherwise, 97% would choose the "Never" option, because they're still waiting for a response from Hopelessly Underfunded Spur-of-the-Moment Vanity Project #1 and Harlan Ellison's The Last Dangerous Visions.)

The Question: What's the longest you've waited for a response to a submission?

The Results: 

14% (7 votes)Seven minutes. Nathan said No.

0% (0 votes)All my submissions come back 'Address Unknown' in a week or so.

10% (5 votes)I send a 'Fsck You!' postcard after three months.

2% (1 vote)I waited five years, only to be told religious thrillers were out now.

22% (11 votes)A year is normal, right?

31% (15 votes)I've never submitted anything. I'm still preparing my whiny complaints.

2% (1 vote)I went to the agent's funeral to ask his widow if he'd gotten around to it.

2% (1 vote)No matter how long I wait, when I call to ask I get a 'No' straightaway.

2% (1 vote)You mean since the first submission, or since the last updated draft?

0% (0 votes)I'd sent them nineteen more stories before I got the first one back.

14% (7 votes)Other

('Other' responses included specific periods (3 months and 6 months), one respondent who misunderstood the exclusion on 'Never', and one respondent who had to beat a answer from an editor. I imagine it was a 'No'.)

Total votes: 42

Shout out to Nathan's homies.

The most important result is that 31% of you have not submitted for publication yet -- so there's still hope! Stop writing now while you can still deny you ever entertained this ridiculous fantasy.

There's also a bunch of you who are fsckin' liars -- no-one submitted more stories to the same publisher while waiting to hear about the first one?