I just withdrew a short story from a market that had been holding it for 14 months. Fourteen months! Now, while I do understand that editors are busy, and I certainly know that they are in no way begging writers for stories, I still think that response times of months are too long, response times of six to twelve months are inconsiderate, and anything over a year is just plain crazy.

In my view it is unfair is for a market with a typically long response time to insist that writers not send in simultaneous submissions. In the time it takes one slow publication to respond to a submission, the story could be out making its rounds at five different publications. However, I have not sent in a story silmultaneously to more than one publication when the guidelines clearly state not to. 

I haven’t done it (yet), though I have been tempted more than once.

Short story writers, what are your views on long response times and simultaneous submissions?