Advice on Appropriate form for following up on story subs

[Grillmeat]

I'm finding myself in a bit of an awkward position and I would like to solicit some of your ideas as to how to proceed.
In July of last year I submitted a story to Doorways Magazine-a pretty cool periodical. Long story short.
I heard from the editor in September saying the story was received and still under review.
In December, when I had not heard anymore, I wrote him back to query on the status.  He wrote me back in January of this year to say it was still being reviewed.
I haven't heard anything since.
I am at a loss at this point.  If I never had heard anything from him, I would have just assumed it got lost in the ether and no big deal.
But I have had contact with him on a couple of occasions with no result. At this point, I almost don't care whether its rejected or not. I would just like to know so I could feel "ok" about submitting elsewhere.
My dilemma is that I don't want to be a jerk about things. I like the magazine and its one of the rare ones giving pro rates. At the same time, it strikes me as a bit disrespectful, or maybe just unprofessional, to let an author hang for over a year without a thumbs up or thumbs down.
Am I out of line?
What, if anything, should I do?
Thanks to any of you who may have some wise council on this.

[elay2433]

I've got a story sitting with Doorways - it's now been 372 days. When I subbed it, I thought it was brilliant. Now, I don't think so. I still think it's a good story, but it's not one I'm eager to sub elsewhere. So I don't mind letting it sit there until Doorways accepts/rejects/folds. However, if it were a story I loved, and I thought I might place it at a better mag, then I'd notify Doorways that I was pulling the story and sub it there. Just depends on how you feel about the particular piece of work. Don't sub it elsewhere unless you notify the mag that's considering it though.

[Ed]

I would let sleeping dogs lie. Personally, though I hope I'm wrong, I don't think Doorways will be around much longer. They seem to have run out of steam over the past year or so. They've become overrun with submissions. It might well be the only way they can get back on track is to reject everthing they still have in slush and then start from scratch.

I would hedge your bets and not tell them you are subbing your story elsewhere - just formally pull it if you get a hit elsewhere. It's not the done thing, I know, but if there is a line, you don't want to lose your place in it, not when it's that long.

[desertwomble]

Ditto, Ed!

DW