The Waiting Game

Writing and waiting go hand in hand.  You carefully choose a publisher to submit your work to and then you wait, wait, and wait some more.  Most publishers give you a general idea of when to expect a response.  However, the simple truth of the matter is, it takes forever or it just seems like that.  Your manuscript is like a child in some ways.  It is a piece of yourself and when it is sent out, you want to hear from it.  How is it doing?  Does the editor like it or has it been placed on a slush pile where it will be left to starve?

This waiting game puts an author in an awkward position.  It begs the question, "What do you do in the meantime?"  The quick answer is work on another piece.  I always have ideas on the back burner.  So, when one manuscript is out, it would seem to be the perfect time to start working on a new project or editing an old one.  Submitting is in itself a full-time commitment.  It is sometimes helpful to divide the week into sections where you either work on a manuscript or concentrate on finding a home for one.  If the creative juices are stumped on a particular day, then it is probably a good idea to research publishers or send out a submission.

My problem has always been determining when is too long.  When should you contact a publisher and ask if your manuscript has a chance?  When I first started sending out MURDEROUS DESCENT, I sent it off to Avalon Books.  I was beyond thrilled to get a response in a month requesting to read the entire manuscript.  Carefully, I followed their instructions to the letter and sent back an outline, summary, and the whole book.  Then, I waited for months without a response.  I even contacted them by mail for an update after six and still heard nothing.  I kid you not when I say that a year later an envelope shows up with a rejection letter addressed to me with another person's manuscript.  When my follow-up letter went without a response, I had pretty much given up hope.  However, it was difficult to fathom that they couldn't even be bothered to return the correct manuscript.  I mean really, how hard is it?

Now, being the considerate person that I am, I contacted the author whose manuscript I had gotten using her e-mail address, explained the situation, and offered to send it to her.  I was also hoping that she had mine.  Instead, of answering me, she must have called Avalon screaming because a short time later, I got an e-mail from an editor apologizing for the confusion and asking me to send the woman her book.  Well, isn't that what I offered to do in the first place?

Eventually, I got my manuscript back and in that long time frame, I had done some more revisions on it and started submitting the book elsewhere and crossed Avalon off my list for future projects.  I know it was probably an intern who made the mistake and I'm not Mary Higgins Clark, but even the little guy deserves the courtesy of a prompt and professional response.