Question about submitting to various. publications

[sjhaertel]

I am in a quandry with respect to submitting puzzles for publication.  Most publishers say that they will own the copyright to the puzzle if they accept it.

But, decision turn-around can be months.  Am I constrained to submit a puzzle to one publisher at a time until I get a NO decision, then I can submit it to another publisher?

Seems to me that I'm not the only one in this boat.

Thanks in advance!!

[mmcbs]

Yes, the protocol is to submit to one publisher and wait for a response before submitting it to another. Most constructors keep a log of what they've submitted so they can track the activity accurately. Frankly, I no longer submit to publishers who do not respond for months. The link below shows the expected response time for most of them. As you can see, most profess to reply within a month or so. Newsday does not mention response time, but I can tell you that a response to a theme query is fairly prompt (don't send completed puzzle).

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12HGynb2VpJR2akQPT7iCMUBXxqcwzmk3kJjic8F24Kk/edit?fbclid=IwAR0lO_E_1S37atCLmpTJUhtn5EZ6iBPmlnrglwOMxqhLr8LkgRlY_5W1cVE&gid=0#gid=0

[sjhaertel]

Thank you very much, Mark!

[ColeHarry]

I understand your dilemma. It's common for publishers to claim copyright ownership of accepted puzzles. As for submitting to multiple publishers, it's best to check their submission guidelines. Some may allow simultaneous submissions, while others may prefer exclusivity. It's a common concern, and it's important to find the right balance between reaching multiple publishers and respecting their submission policies. Good luck with your submissions!
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