The
Waiting Game
Making the most of downtime
Back when I was unpublished, I
spent a lot of time on eHarlequin's forums, specifically in the
Submission Care thread, where a lot of aspiring (and, eventually,
published) writers found kindred souls in the submission process at
Harlequin/Silhouette. One of the most frequently-asked questions was
"How long do you normally have to wait after submitting your
manuscript before you hear back from the editor?" And the answer,
naturally, was "Who knows?"
Some of us heard fairly quickly, especially if the answer was a flat,
"Thanks but no thanks." Others had submissions that took
months, even years, to get an answer. The response time depended on a
lot of variables, from how you queried, when you queried, whether you
submitted after a contest win and editor request, etc. But I think
most of us unpubs figured that once we got published, the waiting game
would finally be over.
But that's not necessarily so. My first few books, I'll admit, had
pretty good turnaround. My fourth book, in fact, took only a week from
my submission to the editor's call. However, as I learned in 2008,
that's not always the case, even when you have a few books to your
name. I sent my first two-book proposal to my editor in July of 2008.
It took several months to hear back from her, and the wait ended up
meaning that I went all of 2009 without a book on the shelves. Talk
about a career setback!
There are plenty of reasons why it took so long for the editor to get
back to me--staff changes and shortages, her large list of authors,
the RWA convention--so I can't say I was surprised. She got behind. It
happens.
The problem was, I really didn't know what to do with myself during
the wait. Since I'd had fits working up the two proposals, which
didn't want to cooperate with me at all, I foolishly allowed myself to
take a month's break from writing. Which turned into two months. Then
three. Then, when I realized I had to get back into the writing game,
I wasn't sure what to do next. Work on the proposals I'd sent, not
even knowing if the editor would want to buy them? Or should I start
something new? And if I started something new, should I write it as
part of the series the other proposals were part of, or should I look
at something else?
Eventually, I wrote something that was part of the Cooper Family
series I'd already proposed, but I wrote it so it could easily stand
alone if she didn't like the other books. I managed to get that book
proposal to her while she was still considering the other two
proposals, and it ended up being one of the two she finally bought.
So here's what I learned from the experience:
1.
A short break from writing is fine, but be tough with yourself.
Fix a time to get back to it and stick to the schedule, even if you
don't have a book in the pipeline yet. Start working on the next one.
2.
Be patient but also check in with your editor if the wait has been
long enough.
Editors are busy people, and I think a reminder now and then that
you're still waiting to hear from them is appropriate, as long as you
don't become a nag. If you've had a full with your editor for three or
four months, I don't think it's bad to ask for a status check.
3.
Manage your time wisely, and make reasonable judgment calls.
Because my editor expressed approval on the books she finally pitched
to the senior editor, I decided to go ahead with working in the first
book of the multi-book proposal in order to get ahead, even though the
senior editor hadn't made the final go ahead for the buy. That way, I
was finished with the book by the time the editor made the official
buy, putting me that much farther ahead for the next book.
4.
Always be thinking ahead to the next book.
Even if it's nothing more than making notes or keeping a list of
research links, always look ahead. For me, it includes setting aside
time one day a week, at minimum, to brainstorm and work on the new
ideas I have. This way, when my contract books are done, I'll have
something else ready to send to my editor to keep things rolling.
Waiting is hard. We all hate it. But we all have to do it. The secret
to surviving the long waits to hear from editors is moving forward to
the next project. Even if you sell the book under consideration, you
need something else to pitch for the next contract.
Having something new in the pipeline at all times makes the most of
the downtime spent waiting, and it moves your career forward faster
and more effectively than any other strategy.
Copyright © 2010 by Paula
Graves
