The Curse of Transparency
So now that it is summer time, I've been able to focus a little more on my writings. Because I write for amusement and not to get paid, I can afford to really shop around and look for the best places to get my stories published.
Most submissions take place in the aether. You mail out a transcript of the work, and then never see it again for a few months. By the time you get it back, you vaguely remember the story or that you even sent the thing out. The entire process is hidden from view. It is tortuous, or so I thought.
I recently submitted a story to Clarke's World and their submission process is very transparent. I have a link that I can go to and see where my story is in their queue. At first I thought this was brilliant, but now I find it horrid! I can't stop clicking on the link and seeing where my story is in the process. Have they got to me yet? What's going on with my story? I'm constantly assaulted with transparency!
Clarke's World is a relatively new sci-fi magazine so they do not receive that many entries and they have a very high turnaround. My story entered their queue at 70 something and as of this post (after desperately slamming on the refresh refresh refresh button) I'm up to 30. They may get to my story today! It's driving me crazy! I can't believe I actually prefer the opaque send the story out and then completely forget about it, this transparency thing is killing me!
When it comes to the submission process, perhaps ignorance really is bliss.
Most submissions take place in the aether. You mail out a transcript of the work, and then never see it again for a few months. By the time you get it back, you vaguely remember the story or that you even sent the thing out. The entire process is hidden from view. It is tortuous, or so I thought.
I recently submitted a story to Clarke's World and their submission process is very transparent. I have a link that I can go to and see where my story is in their queue. At first I thought this was brilliant, but now I find it horrid! I can't stop clicking on the link and seeing where my story is in the process. Have they got to me yet? What's going on with my story? I'm constantly assaulted with transparency!
Clarke's World is a relatively new sci-fi magazine so they do not receive that many entries and they have a very high turnaround. My story entered their queue at 70 something and as of this post (after desperately slamming on the refresh refresh refresh button) I'm up to 30. They may get to my story today! It's driving me crazy! I can't believe I actually prefer the opaque send the story out and then completely forget about it, this transparency thing is killing me!
When it comes to the submission process, perhaps ignorance really is bliss.