Last Updated on January 4, 2020 by Nathaniel Tower
Writers can be an antsy and impatient bunch, especially when they are waiting to hear back regarding a submission. Since most of us are submitting our work through Submittable now, things are both better and worse than they used to be. They’re better because we can see the status of our submission. They’re worse because we can see the status of our submission. Yes, you read that right. I said the same thing for both better and worse. As they say, it’s both a blessing and a curse.
The Good and the Bad of Status Updates
Knowing the status of your submission seems pretty cool. So why is it worse? First, let me profess my undying love for Submittable. I wish every publisher used it. It made my life so much better as an editor. And it makes my life as a writer a lot easier too. Think of the alternatives: email, snail mail, that old submission manager that required a different account on every single website you submitted to. Yeah, Submittable has made it much better to be a writer.
So I definitely don’t want this post to be mistaken for taking a dig at Submittable. No, if this post digs at anyone, it’s the obsessive writer who keeps logging into Submittable to see the status of their submission. Who cares? You’ll know when you know.
Okay, so why is knowing the status of your submission worse? A couple reasons jump to mind:
- It makes some people obsessively check the status of their submission.
- Other than “accepted” or “declined”, submission status doesn’t really mean that much.
In particular, I’m talking about “In-Progress.” This is a status that drives some writers insane. Unfortunately, there’s a ton of misinformation out there regarding what “In-Progress” means in Submittable (imagine that–bad information on the internet!). So let’s get straight to the punch.
What Submittable In Progress Really Means
In-Progress means that some type of action has been taken with your submission. As Submittable puts it, it means your submission has been “handled in some way.”
Okay, but that isn’t really clear in itself. What the heck does it mean to be “handled”? What is an action?
An action or “handled” means that someone on the publication’s side of Submittable physically did something with your submission beyond just opening it. In other words, they performed some type of computer or interface action. In even simpler terms: they clicked on something, and that something had an effect. More on that in a second.
The Biggest Lie About “In-Progress”
First, let’s debunk the biggest lie about “In-Progress” in Submittable: “In-Progress” does not mean your submission has been opened or read. It is very possible for an editor to open a submission, read the whole thing, and then close it without taking any action. The status of the submission will still be “Received.” Don’t believe me? Go ahead and send a test submission here. I’ll open it and scroll through it. Your submission will still be marked as “Received.” It won’t change to “In-Progress” unless an editor does something else. I opened and read this test submission five times and it’s still just marked as “Received”:
So what can an editor do to trigger the “In-Progress” status? A bunch of stuff that you can’t see. An editor can:
- Vote/rate your submission
- Add a note
- Assign it to another editor
- Add a label
These are actions. And like I just said, you cannot see any of these things. You can’t see my vote or my note or my assignment or my label. There are some exceptions here. If the editor sends you an email or makes a note visible to you, then you can see it. In these rare cases, you will know what your particular “In-Progress” means. But most of the time, “In-Progress” won’t mean anything to you as the writer.
“In-Progress” Doesn’t Mean Anyone Has Read Your Submission!
Notice what isn’t on the list? It’s anything having to do with your story being read. Your story can be “In-Progress” even if no one has looked at a damn word in the submission. And as we already said, an editor can read your whole submission without the status moving from “Received” to “In-Progress” as long as they don’t take any of these actions. In my experience as an editor, it’s pretty common to read some or all of a submission without taking an action. I’d say I did it at least 15% of the time.
So there’s a chance your submission has been read even if the status hasn’t changed. And there’s a good chance your story hasn’t been read even if the status has changed.
Note: On the editor’s end, “Received” doesn’t exist. We see the submission as “New” until we do something with it (beyond just read it). Once we do something with it, we also see it as “In-Progress,” just like you.
Here’s what makes things even more painful for writers: Your story can stay “In-Progress” indefinitely (unless you withdraw it). I’ve had stories in the “In-Progress” stage for well over a year. I highly doubt any publication spent that much time reading and considering my work before rejecting it.
The Final Word On “In-Progress”
So what does “In-Progress” mean? It means a lot of things. It also means nothing at all. It really just depends.
If you want to take away one thing from this post, here’s what it should be: stop worrying about the status of your submission. You’ll know when it’s accepted or declined. Until then, you should just be writing. Every time you log into Submittable to look at the status of your submission, a story idea dies.
How do you feel about Submittable’s “In-Progress” status? Are you an obsessive status checker? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Submittable In Progress FAQs
What does it mean when my submission is In Progress in Submittable?
In simple terms, In Progress means a staff member has taken an action. This could include assigning it, voting on it, or updating the status. It does not necessarily mean the piece has been read or is actually under consideration.
What should I do if my submission has been In Progress for a long time?
You have two choices. You can either wait patiently, or you can contact the publication. In general, you will want to wait. Contacting the publication about an In Progress submission can be an annoyance.
Does In Progress mean someone has read my submission?
No, it's possible to have an In Progress submission that hasn't been read yet. For example, if a staff member assigns a submission, it will show up as In Progress even if it hasn't been read. On the flipside, a submission can show up as New even if it has been read.
Will my submission show up as In Progress if it has been opened?
No, a submission does not update to In Progress until a staff member takes an action on it. Opening it and reading it is not considered an action in Submittable
Can I withdraw a submission if it is In Progress?
Yes, it is acceptable to withdraw a submission that is In Progress. Just make sure you provide a reasonable explanation for withdrawing the submission.
Why has my submission been In Progress for such a long time?
It can take several months before a publication makes a decision on a submission. A piece that is In Progress for a long time does not necessarily mean it is close to acceptance or rejection. It simply means a team member has taken an action with that submission.
Yes, it’ll happen, or not. But sure thing nothing will happen much will happen if you just keep checking submission stats, ha! I’m old enough to remember SASE… OH YEAH.
Thanks for this ! I have browses submittable but haven’t submitted anything yet . One thing I wonder is whether or not publications can tell if you’ve simultaneously submitted the piece to a bunch of other publications too
Ambiguous statuses are not cool. If it doesn’t mean anything, it has no business being there. They need to either mercy-kill it or pull aside the veil a bit. If an editor performs an action on the submission (so dirty), then it should simply say “Assigned to Another Editor” or something. Nothing too fancy. I’m leaning towards just putting a pillow over it’s face until long after it has stopped struggling.
That being said, I’m an obsessive for about three months. After that, meh. Knowing that “In Progress” has no basis in reality will be helpful when I’m ready to submit.
Great resource! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for showing this from the editors’ perspective! I’m guilty of checking Submittable at least once or twice a day, and its good to know I shouldn’t attach any more importance to ‘In Progress’ than to ‘Received’.
Ha! It’s definitely tempting to go into Submittable frequently to see the status of your work, but I find it causes a lot more stress than any benefit. Good luck trying to free yourself of this habit!
Great advice, and many thanks for this! A quick question: what does it mean if I see an option for ‘edit’ (between download and withdraw) on a submission that’s in progress?
Some publications allow submitters to edit their submission during various stages of the process. For example, if you have a new version of the manuscript, you could click the edit button and load the new version. I believe this feature applied to the whole category, not just to individual submissions. I’ll go into my editor account tonight and take a look to make sure I have everything correct here.
Hey Curt, I checked in Submittable this evening, and the Edit option is applied at the submission level, not the category level. So if you have the Edit button showing, then someone from the organization opened your submission for editing. That means you can now go in and make changes, add a new manuscript, etc. However, I wouldn’t advise making any changes unless the publication requests you make changes. Making changes could hurt your chances of getting an acceptance if the editors are already considering your submission.
Many thanks,Nathaniel. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the submission being opened for editing is (potentially) a good sign.
Thanks for the incredibly informative and helpful clarity. I greatly appreciate you sharing your editor insight and knowledge regarding Submittable’s process.
Write On! ( :
Sheri
Sheri, thanks for reading and commenting. Glad you found this helpful. May you receive many acceptances soon!
Hi Nathaniel, I was wondering if you could share your editor “wisdom” regarding a recent children’s manuscript I submitted to a literary agent and editor. According to the agent, my story reminded him of The Polar Express. However, the agent asked if I could revisit the story and bring it to the “lyrical level” of Polar Express. Additionally, an Immedium publishing editor indicated that she found the same manuscript “evergreen”. I am rather new to the world of writing children’s literature and was wondering what your perspective is with regard to the agent and editor’s comments.
Hi Sheri, I’m afraid I don’t have much experience in the realm of children’s literature. I’ve attempted a couple children’s books but didn’t have any luck placing them anywhere. One thing that jumps out about these two interactions is that every agent/editor has a different opinion. So revising a manuscript based on one opinion might not help you with others. Did the agent seem like she wanted you to resubmit it to her after making it more lyrical? If so, that might be a good place to start. But it might also not be what other agents are looking for. Sorry that I couldn’t be more help. Good luck with the manuscript!
Thanx again for sharing your seasoned and skilled perspective (not once but twice)! ( :
Happy Saturday!
My submission did get accepted but it took like 5 months to hear back. So, after you submit, move on and work on something else because it will be awhile before you hear back. Good luck!
I think it’s worth checking fairly often. I had a tiered rejection from a top journal end up in my junk mail, so I would never have seen it otherwise.
Happy to find inspiring, comforting info shared.After submission frequent checking adds to stress.Writing stops.So, submit and carry on writing.If it’s accepted fine.Rejected forget about it.Cheers!
Hello,
Coming to this discussion late but while I’ve used Submittable for some time (like most everyone else) I’m currently having an issue with their “customer service “ and can’t get a straight answer from them.
I used Submittable to enter a writing contest. The manuscript has been listed as “Received” for 5 months and today the contest short list was announced.
This seems to indicate that my submission was never read but I can’t get an answer from the publisher (they may or may not get back to me) and Submittable is being as helpful as “customer service” at a utility.
I have asked repeatedly if they can confirm via their servers if there’s been a glitch or if the status of the submission has changed or not.
They are insisting that they cannot check the status of submissions on their servers because status is changed by the publisher.
I can’t wrap my head around how that’s possible as the status is listed on the Submittable webpage/log which displays all of a writers submissions, acceptances and rejections, etc.
And surely Submittable must keep track of the large number of documents moving in and out of their servers.
Hope this is clear and any clarification would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
MS
If the status is still “Received,” then that means they have not taken an action on that submission. An action relates to assigning the submission or updating the status. It doesn’t mean it hasn’t been read.
So it’s possible they read it and then just didn’t change the status. I can’t speak to how that specific contest is handled. I’ve seen this happen before.
While I doubt it’s true that Submittable doesn’t have the ability to check the status of submissions, I don’t think there would be anything to gain here.
Some publications just never respond to submissions, particularly ones related to contests. They also might archive them and not even notice they are in the queue anymore. Your status wouldn’t change if that happened.
Thanks, I appreciate that.
If you’re correct, and it’s certainly plausible, it suggests a level of indifference that’s depressing. I can understand an understaffed group of readers, being overwhelmed by submissions but it’s a prestigious publisher who should know better and act professionally.
As to Submittable, they responded in a manner I’d expect from typical “customer service” teams at a company that doesn’t care about customer service – evasive circular rhetoric and sticking the landing with contradictions and the coma inducing bland office speak of a successful bureaucrat.
That’s wise and pragmatic. This is exactly what I do–obsess about “In-Progress” status for about 3 months and then get bored/ resigned.
If “the editors” really want to accept something, 3 months is enough time for them to do it. Other than that they’re just sitting on an egg that has a dead embryo in it.
That said, something is always “In-Progress”, so I obsess ALL THE TIME!
OK, I get that I should not obsess over the submittable status page. I probably look at it more than I should, but not several times a day (yet! LOL).
I agree with all that you have said about not reading too much into it the status change. But I have made a weird observation on the “in process” status that I am intrigued about. Generally, the “in process” list is always in the same order unless a new piece moves from received and into the in process section. In those instances, it doesn’t really pique my interest.
However, occasionally the same 10 submissions are listed in the same order for several days and then suddenly one title is suddenly moved up to the top for a few days and a day or two later it moves back down in the order, while the others almost stay exactly in the same spot beyond moving up or down one spot because of the submission that has changed position drastically. My question is this- could that mean an additional action has taken place after the first action that initiated the in-process status?
I just am just so curious and would love to know. Thanks for any and all input.
Margo (Maggie)
Hi Maggie,
Thanks for reading and commenting. I haven’t observed what you’ve mentioned here before, but this is very interesting. I have an idea for how we can test it. I will email you later today with the details!
Great! I look forward to a little detective work.LOL (-:
Just sent you an email with instructions for the test. This is very exciting!
Hi Nathaniel,
I read this article quite a while ago and found it very informative. I’ve also been meaning to post and was reminded today when putting a submission through.
I have been using the Submittable platform for years, since I frequently submit to literary journals. I have been published not very often, but at numerous times – for which I feel very fortunate. However, it can be said with certainty that I have never been accepted for publication in the many times that I’ve used Submittable, except once by a start-up romance magazine several years ago. All of my other publications have happened when submitting through another platform, e-mail, or postal mail.
Have you heard of someone else having this issue? I would blame it on my writing but, as I mentioned, I’ve been lucky enough to have been accepted, so long as Submittable was not being used. I always submit manuscripts with the same formatting and method of cover letter, so it’s not as if my approach with Submittable is any different. I’ve often wondered if there is certain formatting in PDFs or Word documents that do not look right when viewing it through Submittable and can lead to rejection. Or is there Submittable karma that you need to obtain? Or do you need to join an exclusive club?
Hi Paul-John,
Thank you for reading and commenting. I’ve never heard of someone else having this issue. How many submissions have you sent via Submittable? Are we talking hundreds or a couple dozen? If the latter, then it seems reasonable that you wouldn’t have had an acceptance yet.
I do think it might be “easier” these days to get an acceptance via email or post-mail simply because those are less convenient methods and therefore might get fewer submissions. It could just be a volume thing with Submittable. These publications just get so many submissions that they don’t even have time to give them all a fair shot. Or maybe your formatting is just better suited for print. Hard to say without knowing where you are submitting your work.
I’d be happy to take a look at your format in Submittable. You can submit a test here: https://bartlebysnopes.submittable.com/submit/107119/test-submission
There is definitely no karma or exclusive club status required to get an acceptance on a submission sent via Submittable. It’s just a matter of the right submission to the right publication. Unless, of course, there is a formatting issue. We’ll find out!
Nat,
Thanks for offering to take a look. I just submitted a recently rejected MS to that link.
I checked my Submittable account and I’ve made 136 submissions to that platform. Obviously not a huge number, but I just found it odd that I’ve had luck with submission methods other than Submittable.
I usually submit in PDF format if the journal accepts it. You won’t be able to see how my PDFs look, but any red flags you can point out in the .docx file I sent would be a huge help.
I’m sure everyone on this page appreciates the help and advice you’ve given.
Hi Paul-John,
Everything looked good to me on the .docx file you submitted. I’ve updated the submission form to allow PDFs if you want to try sending again.
136 submissions is A LOT to have no acceptances. Are they all poetry submissions? Or do you submit fiction as well?
-Nate
Hi Nat,
Thank you for looking at what I sent.
I returned to the submission link and it is now for Ruby. Is that what I should be submitting the PDF to?
My submissions have been a mix of poetry, fiction, and a little bit of nonfiction/essays. I’ll send you a poetry PDF.
Thanks again for your help with his!