This morning I stopped at the post office (how quaint!) to submit, by snail mail, the story formerly known as “Test Tube Beneficiary” to one of the Big Three science fiction magazines. The magazine’s guidelines say they respond within about eight weeks; adding a few days on either end for the mail, I should get a response sometime around the week of July 14, which also happens to be right around my birthday.
Considering the odds against TTB getting accepted, I concede that the mailing was poorly timed.
I finished the typing in the last rounds of edits late last night (the Mrs. and I both prefer marking up hard copy), wrote the cover letter, and then fussed for 45 minutes over getting labels printed for the big envelope and the SASE. When I was finally done, Mrs. Unfocused remarked on the fact that I was wearing my Converse Chuck Taylor high-tops (not one of my original pairs from 1987, but a pair I bought last year for an 80s-themed party), which I hardly ever wear. “Great,” I said. “Now I have an official authorial superstition: whenever I’m about to finish a story or a novel, I’ll have to find my Chuck Ts and make sure I’m wearing them for the big finish.”
On reflection, though, I think that should only apply if the magazine to which I submitted TTB this morning accepts it. There’s no reason to start a superstition over a rejection.
The Unfocused Life 
Good luck! It’s always hard to push them out of the nest and into the hard, cruel world aka an editor’s hands.
Congratulations and good luck! And by coincidence, I was wearing my Chucks this morning for the first time in at least a year. Let’s hope it’s a good omen.
Good luck! It’s kind of funny that a magazine of science fiction still only takes mailed submissions. I don’t think any of the big three take electronic subs. Anyway, hope you get a nice birthday present in about 8 weeks.
Who are the big three?
– Analog Science Fiction & Fact
– Asimov’s Science Fiction
– Fantasy and Science Fiction
I haven’t read those in a long time.
I’m about to ship my short story this week, too. Need to type up the final edits.
Good luck to you
Good luck! My fingers are crossed for you.
When I submit, my big three will be Clarkesworld, Farrago’s Wainscot, and Wheelhouse. Online entirely, especially since Clarkesworld is SFWA-qualifying.
Thanks, everyone. It is strange that the Big Three (Don’s list is accurate) don’t accept electronic submissions. Scalzi posted about their continuing relevance to the field (or lack thereof) last fall, and there was a long discussion about it in the comments. I sent TTB where I sent it for two reasons: first, because I think the story fits the magazine, and second, because there are a limited number of outlets — paper or electronic — for a 13,000 word story.
Here’s the link to Scalzi’s post on the Big Three SF mags and accompanying comments.
The no email thing is a pain for me, as I’d have to mail internationally. Unless I think a story is ideally suited to one of the big three, it isn’t worth my time trying to send it. Yay for those that do take email.
Good luck with the submission!