For the writers listening in

[annathepiper]

Who among you has any prior experience sending stuff in to Baen Books?

Assuming I don't get a rejection letter between now and Tuesday, Faerie Blood will have been in their e-slush for a year and a month. Given that their web page's submission guidelines still say 9-12 months' turnaround time on a manuscript, how long do you think I should give them before I send in a postcard politely inquiring as to the status of my book?

I'm kind of thinking at least a little bit longer, on the assumption that if it really takes them 9-12 months just to work through the slush ahead of any given submission, they may have only just recently gotten to me at all. I've certainly got other things to do in the meantime; I've got to get Lament of the Dove back out the door, and I really need to finish up Queen of Souls so I can call in the beta readers. But I'm weighing the wisdom of continuing to ignore Faerie Blood's status until, oh, say, the end of the year, vs. sending in a request for an update. Let me know your thoughts!

Comments

[callibr8]

I'm not a writer per se, but I have had some experience dealing directly with Baen Books (re the Honorverse CD), so this may be relevant... Jim Baen died last summer (i.e. just over a year ago), so they may still be getting things sorted out after his death. My recommendation would be to give it until the end of the year before "pinging" them.

[annathepiper]

Oh, I totally remember Jim Baen dying last year. Doublechecking the date, I see that that was in June of 2006. (I sent my manuscript in in September.)

Even aside from his passing away, they are the only major SF/F publisher I'm aware of that takes submissions primarily over the web--hence, their enormous turnaround time. But yeah. I'd totally buy that having slowed things down for them last year. Thanks for chiming in. :)

[neutronjockey.livejournal.com]

Ditto to what was said above. I definitely recall Mr Baen's death as I was living with an author who had been published several times by Baen books.... however, you are long overdo for a response on your query. Send postcard post hate ;)

[annathepiper]

Thanks for chiming in! Yeah, this seems to be the prevailing opinion. When I get my act together and get the queries ready to go out on Lament, I'll just have to prepare an extra thing to send to Baen about Faerie Blood.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

If they say 9-12, and you've waited 13, then the polite postcard query is absolutely legit. I'd do it.

[annathepiper]

That seems to be the prevailing opinion, yeah. Thanks for chiming in, I appreciate the input! :)

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

You're overtime for the status check, and it warrants sending the card. Have stuff out at [old-line SF publisher name redacted] now, that they asked for, been caught in such limbo for 19 months and they aver that they are still in-process with it. The SF publishing industry in particular is undergoing a bulk-shift into niche markets (which, alas, no longer seem to include socio-linguistics, or anything approaching 'hard' economincs: Analecta Gytha seems to have caught in that Sargasso Sea of change).

[annathepiper]

Thanks for chiming in, I appreciate the input.

Yeah, it sounds like I should have this on the To Do list of stuff to get mailed. I'll have to get that ready when I get a query or two ready to send out for Lament.

[angharads-house.livejournal.com]

As my esteemed senior writing partner points out, they (publishers, that is) rent our work from us. If they don't pay the rent, then they don't obtain the use of our work. Beyond the agreed time for consideration, we are most certainly free to take it elsewhere (e.g. DAW versus Baen, etc.).

Good fortune to you!

[annathepiper]

Thank you very much. :)

[gilroycullen.livejournal.com]

According to all the reading I've done on getting published, you are due to send a "What up?" card. You've waited longer than some authors who would have sent the card at month 10 or 11. :>

[annathepiper]

Heh, it helps, I suppose, that I have other projects to work on in the meantime. So I don't have to just sit around going ARE THEY DONE YET? ARE THEY DONE YET? ARE THEY DONE YET? ARE THEY DONE YET?

(Not to say that I do not actually do this, at least in the back of my brain. But!)

[shadowhwk.livejournal.com]

I. Never heard back about my submission. Granted, I only followed up once, but I submitted in January of 2004 and never got a peep back. When I checked in the one time, there were people who had been waiting a very long time (2 years for one, I recall.)

But I don't think you're out of line in sending a postcard.

[annathepiper]

Wow, never heard back at all? That's disconcerting. O.o By comparison, stickmaker told me once that he'd sent them a novel and they did get back to him eventually; it was a year and change as I recall.

And it's less worrying about whether a postcard would be out of line in general, and more about whether it'd be good now. Sounds like I should be firing one off now, though!

[logrusboy.livejournal.com]

A polite inquiry when the time waited exceeds their advertised turnaround time is certainly well within professional etiquette. Also, the holidays are nigh; ask now before everyone starts taking time off!

Best of luck!

[annathepiper]

Ooh, yeah, holiday season is a good point. Thanks for calling that out, and thanks for chiming in!