Gollancz open call January 2016

[Ray McCarthy]

I was surprised to get a no-thanks card this morning.

Interesting.
Well, even a "no" is better than uncertainty?
Was it just a preprinted thing with only your name and address added?

 

[HareBrain]

Well, even a "no" is better than uncertainty?
Was it just a preprinted thing with only your name and address added?

Yes, definitely better. It was preprinted with the name of the book written in. (My name and address were handwritten on the envelope.)

It might be they sent me one because I put in my covering letter that I'd received an offer elsewhere, and they wanted to let me know not to wait on them. Which was good of them.

 

[pambaddeley]

I was surprised to get a no-thanks card this morning. (A physical card! They really are doing this the old-fashioned way. Or they're trying to use up a generous postage budget.)

Anyone else heard anything yet?

Well, they've obviously changed their policy!

 

[ralphkern]

I've not heard anything yet. I'm liking the fact they're turning things around pretty fast though.

 

[ralphkern]

The forum on the Gollancz site is showing people are getting their feedback too.

How many are left in the running? (or more hopefully, have been invited to send along their full work?)

 

[Jeremy M. Gottwig]

According to the grinder, there are about 10 submissions remaining. I'm still waiting for mine, but I'm not expecting anything... given my location across the pond.

 

[ralphkern]

The piles they're working though according to their Twitter.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Going from experience, it will be months, Ralph. Maybe many, many months (which is why I didn't sub, I can't face anymore of the open windows.) The last one is still running (Hodderscape) and Harper Voyager lasted a year and a half.

The only way to stay sane is to put it out of your mind. Honest. And have cake.

 

[ratsy]

Just imagine the sheer volume of bandaids needed for all those inevitable paper cuts. Save a tree people!!

 

[Ray McCarthy]

The piles they're working though according to their Twitter.

Anyone here see their own package/envelope?

 

[aThenian]

Haven't heard anything.

 

[PeteMC]

/checks mail

Nope, not yet, but I wonder if it will be different for those of us in the states.

A couple of people in the States have reported getting their card through the post over on AW's thread about this so it looks like they're sending them internationally too.

And yes, I agree you all might want to settle down for a long wait. The Angry Robot open call that I got signed from took over a year.

 

[pambaddeley]

Going from experience, it will be months, Ralph. Maybe many, many months (which is why I didn't sub, I can't face anymore of the open windows.) The last one is still running (Hodderscape) and Harper Voyager lasted a year and a half.

The only way to stay sane is to put it out of your mind. Honest. And have cake.

Yes, the earlier Gollancz one that I submitted to said they wouldn't respond; if you didn't hear you didn't make it.
Am still waiting on two MS with Hodderscape and I've put them entirely out of mind apart from when I'm reminded by a post like this. I'm re-editing one of the books (for the umpteenth time); am not waiting on them.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I'm re-editing one of the books (for the umpteenth time); am not waiting on them.

Me too.
Actually written another since then and started another, as I got fed up with editing. I'll go back to editing an earlier one (Restoring the Talismans) when I have the first draft of "The Mission's Talent" done, though researching Sumerian language and about 2,000 years of time line of Middle East / part Asia is time consuming. Strangely Sumerian has many words that work for modern or SF stuff. Some Ancient first names (2000BC to 100AD) in ME survive as surnames in Syria, Iraq, Iran etc. Some even survive into English as first names! (Via Hebrew & Greek via Aramaic and Hittite)

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Got my rejection in the mail earlier today.

 

[ralphkern]

Sorry to hear it. next time!

 

[Boneman]

Got my rejection in the mail earlier today.

Sorry to hear that DEO. Any feedback with it?

 

[David Evil Overlord]

Alas, no feedback.

 

[Serendipity]

For those following the the thread over at AbsoluteWrite forum - they've linked to tweet saying that the reading is done. I would take this to mean the first round. As for the picture, I reckon there are about 15 to 20 manuscripts in each pile - i.e. not more that 120 left - but this is my guesstimate, not anything they've said. See Twitter

 

[Ray McCarthy]

that the reading is done. I would take this to mean the first round

I'd forgotten. I've heard nothing. Thanks.

I'm beginning to think that unless a publisher is really excited and committed to a big publicity campaign it's better not to be accepted?