I feel a bit like poor old Chatterton today. Or at least, lying picturesquely on a poorly lit bed with the remains of my torn up manuscript at my side, while I overdose on laudanum is looking increasingly attractive.
It’s the wait you see. I know, banging on about waiting again. It’s now five weeks since I sent away my revisions. Anna told me she couldn’t get to it for at least a week so I’m mentally adjusting myself to four weeks but still. Reading other people’s call stories and how two days after they sent their mansucript, they were rung and given the good news. Okay, maybe not two days but two – three weeks. A month at a stretch. It’s a month for me right now and nothing heard. Maybe I’m reading the wrong call stories??
So I am bracing myself for bad news. They’re probably working up a nice rejection letter for me – which would be good, don’t get me wrong, but obviously not what I want to hear. I know, the length of time they take to get back to you is different for everyone but I am feeling rather woeful about four weeks. I’ve been spoiled, I realise, by their fast responses over the New Year.
Ah well, nothing for it but to grind my teeth here. Have posted off my competition entries for the Great Beginnings Contest. And this weekend we’re down south for a 40th birthday. All good distraction I guess.
Anyway, thanks for letting me complain. I’d better give myself a sound slapping for such pathetic whiney-ness. Buck up old bean and all of that. Hope everyone has a good weekend.
Here endeth the whinge.
Jackie, waiting is horrible. And you’re allowed to complain.
But think positive. They’re acctively looking for writers. You know they love you and your writing. It’s only a matter of time before you get your call.
Don’t lose confidence in yourself when you’re this close.
Sending cyper hugs and lots of happy thoughts your way.
Thanks so much, Suzanne. Trying to think positive but waiting takes its toll. I’ll have to shut up about it ’cause it’s getting boring now. 🙂
Jackie, I really, really feel for you… I’m still waiting to hear which proposal is best and that’s nerve-wracking enough. Luckily I’ve started one anyway to keep me busy… knowing my luck, she’ll tell me to start the other one 🙂
But Suzanne is right… they already love ya and to have had revision requests on a full is an amazing feat in itself. I have every confidence YOU WILL get there!!
The absolute worse that can happen is that they reject your manuscript. If they do, they will give you pointers as to how to improve and, because they love your voice and they realise this is a journey, an open door to resubmit. Wow! Your writing is fabulous and if not this one, it will be just around the corner. In saying that, the race is not yet over, so hopefully a phone call this week.
Cheers
PS: My word verification is ‘bileape’. Is it just me or is that just wrong.
At least you’re not starving to death in your garret while you wait, that would definitely make it worse. Perhaps Chatterton needed a chocolate martini or two?
Hope you manage to enjoy your weekend. You know I agree with all the others – it’s just a matter of time before your name is added to the author list 🙂
I think the longer wait suggests good news rather than bad. It’s a big decision to sign on a new writer and involves several departments.
Because they’ll be buying you (hopefully for the rest of your lifetime) and not just your novel, they’ll be discussing your sale in meetings and circulating your manuscript, and all that takes time.
Sorry Jackie but you’re reading the wrong call stories. Five weeks’ wait is fairly normal in any form of publishing. Five weeks when your editor couldn’t get to it for a week – plus the fact that Easter holidays were in there is something that even a published author can expect sometimes. I know I’ve had that waiting time myself often enough.
I know it’s so very hard but to be honest my advice to you is to accept that waiting is part of the writing/publishing game. And to try to switch off from counting the days as much as you can. The length of time your ms is away has very little impact on the final decision – that will be what will be.
Try just to remember that you have taken several big steps forward already. That you have been asked to do revisions, that you have had editorial advice on them and that you have a specific editor agreeing to read your submission – these are things that are invaluable and that many unpublished writers would kill for.
The truth is that if you go in to writing for publication waiting spells are going to be part of your life. Editors are very busy people with most of their time already allocated to books already contracted and scheduled and even then there’s a waiting time. My own latest submission was over two weeks ago.
It never gets any better – or any easier!
Good luck with this submission
Kate
Listen to Kate Jackie – she is so right… waiting is just part of the business and you have to work out your own strategies for coping with it.
I was one of those people with a 2 day wait time (ie the weekend)for the call but I know now how very rare that was… there was just this perfect mix of circumstances with a gap in the schedule etc and me with revisions that I somehow just got right. But its not normal – most of the other authors I know who were bought in the same few months as me had much longer wait times for that first sale – one of them was over a year – and she still got the call saying YES. How long you have to wait is no reflection on whether they’ll say yay or nay… the time waiting is just because of circumstance…
I’ve had far bigger waits since – for every book infact! And no, it isn’t easy, but the only thing I try to do is to get working on something else.
Don’t let the angst over waiting colour your day to day life (I can be SO guilty of this!)… be proud of your achivements so far and keep on striving… and you will get there!
Good luck!
~Natalie
Rach, Lorraine, Felicity, Romy, Kate and Natalie, thank you sooo much for your supportive words and good wishes. I am being the biggest wibbler in the world! My problem is that I am not a patient person and waiting is just so hard for me. You’d think I’d have learned something since I subbed this thing in August last year!
Anyway, please forgive the whinging and moaning. I am being patient – at least I’m trying. Kate, as you say, what will be will be and I shall have to cultivate a little fatalism.
Anyway, even if it is a rejection in the end, I am absolutely determined to get there. I’ve got this far, I’d be stupid to give up now.
Ah, the waiting’s agony, isn’t it? Hang on in there – am convinced the news will be good!!
Hugs Jackie. The waiting is the pits. But I have a burning hope and lots of fingers and toes crossed for you.