How long do responses to pitches usually take?

[Acerthorn]

Hello everyone. I just submitted a pitch for a new weekly column to Escapist using their submission guidelines. I got an automated response that said the following:

"We’ve received your submission! Due to our limited publication schedule and long lead times on stories, it may be a while before we can respond to your pitch. Know that every submission is reviewed carefully and we will respond as soon as we can."

Does anyone know a general range of time from now when I can reasonably expect to hear back from them on my pitch?

 

[Chimpzy]

No clue. Depends on how long ago you did the submission, I suppose. Probably not gonna get a reply within the hour. You might be better off sending Nick Calandra (editor in chief) a PM about it. Don't think he'd mind so long as you're professional and patient about it. I'd suggest waiting at least a day tho, or perhaps a few.

 

[Drathnoxis]

If anybody on these forums ever submitted a pitch to the Escapist it was probably one or two administrations ago.

 

[Nick Calandra]

Hello everyone. I just submitted a pitch for a new weekly column to Escapist using their submission guidelines. I got an automated response that said the following:

"We’ve received your submission! Due to our limited publication schedule and long lead times on stories, it may be a while before we can respond to your pitch. Know that every submission is reviewed carefully and we will respond as soon as we can."

Does anyone know a general range of time from now when I can reasonably expect to hear back from them on my pitch?

I'm working through them. Our freelance budget was pretty much wiped during the pandemic, but we're bouncing back and taking on more risky articles again. And, I'll be VERY honest, I've been absolutely terrible about answering a lot of them just due to how stressed I've currently been. I'll take a look at it here on Thursday since tomorrow is ZP day and I spend most of my day on social media and then moderating the post-ZP stuff.

 

[Drathnoxis]

I'm working through them. Our freelance budget was pretty much wiped during the pandemic, but we're bouncing back and taking on more risky articles again. And, I'll be VERY honest, I've been absolutely terrible about answering a lot of them just due to how stressed I've currently been. I'll take a look at it here on Thursday since tomorrow is ZP day and I spend most of my day on social media and then moderating the post-ZP stuff.

Budget? Can't you just pay those freelance guys in 'exposure'?

 

[Nick Calandra]

Budget? Can't you just pay those freelance guys in 'exposure'?

h
Haha nope. We pay what we can afford and I’m pretty proud of what we offer considering the traffic we have on the main website, since the main draw is YouTube.

 

[Acerthorn]

Our freelance budget was pretty much wiped during the pandemic

For the record, a starting fee of $100/wk would be fine. Then we can work towards a full-time income after I've been with the site a while. I get SSI from the government, so I don't need a full-time income from this site alone in order for to have a full-time income myself.

 

[Acerthorn]

since the main draw is YouTube.

I can make Youtube videos! In fact, when I submitted my pitch, you asked for links to my relevant work? I actually provided a link to my youtube channel and my best videos!

I'd be happy to switch the bulk of my video content to escapist if it means I can make even slightly more than what I make on my own channel (again, $100/wk would be a perfectly acceptable starting salary).

 

[Nick Calandra]

I can make Youtube videos! In fact, when I submitted my pitch, you asked for links to my relevant work? I actually provided a link to my youtube channel and my best videos!

I'd be happy to switch the bulk of my video content to escapist if it means I can make even slightly more than what I make on my own channel (again, $100/wk would be a perfectly acceptable starting salary).

I’ll leave ya with a tip here, just for future reference when pitching. You don’t want to pitch me on a public forum, it’s not professional, and two, you don’t want to put any editor on the spot to accept your pitch, again on a public forum.

Just some friendly advice!

 

[Acerthorn]

I’ll leave ya with a tip here, just for future reference when pitching. You don’t want to pitch me on a public forum, it’s not professional, and two, you don’t want to put any editor on the spot to accept your pitch, again on a public forum.

Just some friendly advice!

Forgive me. I was just so excited to finally hear back from you (even though it wasn't a concrete answer) that I guess I got a little carried away. It was nice to know that I wasn't completely being given the cold shoulder.

To be fair, I only have a slight amount of experience doing freelance work for websites, and that was on Cracked.com, where they not only permit pitches in public forums, but that's the only method of pitch they even accept. So I am admittedly a tad bit inexperienced on this.

I won't do it again. Thank you for the admonishment.

 

[Drathnoxis]

I’ll leave ya with a tip here, just for future reference when pitching. You don’t want to pitch me on a public forum, it’s not professional, and two, you don’t want to put any editor on the spot to accept your pitch, again on a public forum.

Just some friendly advice!

I'll do it for $50 a week and a Snickers bar every second day!

 

[Acerthorn]

I'll do it for $50 a week and a Snickers bar every second day!

But you don't have an idea for a weekly column, do you?

 

[Drathnoxis]

But you don't have an idea for a weekly column, do you?

I do indeed. It's a doozy too!

 

[Acerthorn]

Maybe they'd be willing to take on both of us. $150 a week isn't all that much.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Maybe they'd be willing to take on both of us. $150 a week isn't all that much.

Sorry, I work alone.

 

[Acerthorn]

I meant in separate columns.

 

[Drathnoxis]

I meant in separate columns.

I meant site wide.

Also, if you don't use the reply button it doesn't send a notification of your reply.

 

[Acerthorn]

I meant site wide.

You're not going to be allowed to work on the whole site, all by yourself. It's just not gonna happen.

 

[Drathnoxis]

You're not going to be allowed to work on the whole site, all by yourself. It's just not gonna happen.

You haven't heard my pitch.

 

[SupahEwok]

You haven't heard my pitch.

I'm not sure how long the website can pay you for a Bubsy 3d fanfiction review column before going under. I think negative one weeks, because the idea is so repugnant the site will be canceled by its parent company for even conceiving of it.