i usually spend 3-4 hours a day on my directories so how many i review in a day depends on how many have been submitted and how long it takes to review the website
Why check directory again and again? Don't you receive emails when new website submitted? I have may email software set to check emails every 10 minutes. If email's coming have a ticker with scrolled email FROM and SUBJECT. So if only I'm online - reviewing submission immediately.
glad to see i'm not the only one that review's free listings in under 1 day! I thought i might be a bit over-active.
Out of hundreds of directories you are likely to receive declined submissions, but not only that, directories that don't approve any submissions anymore. A lot of people find it more work that what it's actually worth having a directory and maintaining it and due to this they just leave ads on it and then never approve listings again. Some do rather well and then get penalized from Google and it becomes more work than what they will ever earn as people will end up just going to the directory for the submissions and not to browse, etc.
It takes long time to review listings in my free directory. Because I am getting around 100 submissions a day and it takes too long to review them as at least 30% are spam. I was trying to review all submissions everyday but after my broadband disconnection for 2 weeks because of house removal, I have too much to go now. And it doesn't stop. So, it takes long time. If it is free that's the way. Dmoz is free and it take long long time with many of their editors. Summary: If you submit a free link, just leave it and it will be approved with some directories quickly and with some slowly. Don't waste time checking if you are listed.