Chives just take a while, as I remember. When they first come up, they are invisible to me without my glasses on. It's been forever since I started cilantro, so I can't help there. I direct sowed both directly into the garden, though.

Other times the seeds are fussier about temp or water, or need cold stratification before starting at all. I'd aim for fairly, moist conditions, but not wet, and have a lot of patience, as these can take surprisingly long.