So... lately I've been a bit overwhelmed by my job. That is normal mode for me. I could really use another me to give everything I do the amount of attention it should really get. But I did something a little bit crazy. Somehow I scheduled myself to be travelling for almost three weeks straight. I have a day or two at work in between three long weekend events. So now I am trying to cram everything for the upcoming three weeks into this week. UGH! And of course when I turned my attention to writing my blog post for today, I surfed the internet for an hour trying to come up with some ideas. I bet that sounds familiar to a few of you out there!!
But what I find to be the most difficult and painful part of my day to day work is when I get an email from a writer or an agent who submitted a manuscript months ago and they are wondering about the status. Those emails make me feel horrible. Because in that pile of submissions, might be the best submission I've gotten all year... but I haven't read it yet. And I definitely won't in the next month. Maybe not even in the next three months. And that poor writer is hanging out there feeling low because they haven't heard a thing. I got at least two of those emails today.
Sadly, as bad as I feel, I can't do much about it. There is simply not enough time in the day. So for the writers out there who haven't yet been published, my best advice is to hang in there. But maybe this is where some other writers can give advice... what do you do while waiting? Did you all have that dream of a quick read and offer, or did you suffer through the waiting game?
8 comments:
I settled in for the wait. I worked on another book. I stressed. And then, one day I went to the library, plucked a MI book off the shelf, stared at the logo and whispered: "Buy...My...Book." More than once.
And a few weeks later, I got this phone call from my agent...
Perhaps I have powers of which I'm unaware. :D
Waiting is an inevitable part of the publishing biz. You wait to hear back from your critique group, you wait to hear back on those agent queries, you wait to hear back from editors about submissions. You wait on contracts. You wait to see your reviews. My advice: work on something else. Otherwise, you'll go crazy, trying to interpret what all that "wait" time means.
It's always about waiting, waiting, waiting. Even after you've been accepted for publication. What do you do while you wait is go and write another book.
Hang in there, Terri!
Ummm, I know you're swamped, but have you read my latest book yet? (Just kidding!) Somehow I feel you'd slap me if were standing in front of you, or at least give me the dirtiest look you could muster.
Alice - I bet you do have some special powers and quite frankly, I am a little scared.
Alan - It's good to keep writing, especially when you end up with a multi-book contract.
Sue Ann - I am so giving you my glare of death. LOL! I have a huge stack of manuscripts to read and yours is right smack in the middle of them all! :)
Terri, just drink some of that caffeine you've been avoiding and since you won't be able to sleep...well, there you go!
While waiting for Terri to read my manuscript, I read her blog along with other writers' blogs, read all I can find about writing well, and of course, I write.
I'm also working up the courage to commit to writing a blog. I guess it's better than being committed to the local state facility.
Jessie - no! I am doing so well, though this morning I really craved a Diet Dr. Pepper for breakfast! But I didn't give in. :)
Sharon - I promise I will get to it. Truly I will. Are you going to Malice?
Unfortunately not going to Malice this year because of previous commitments, but we'll be at Killer Nashville and Bouchercon.
Post a Comment