Holy Sh&%t, I'm on Submission
It's been a few weeks now since I signed with my agent. An experience of joy, validation, hope, and celebration. I wrote a family saga with sea shells at its core. You can peek at some of my earlier blogs to see some cool poison snail footage.
Then this process got hard. Or maybe it's better to say, it got real.
A Look Behind the Submission Door
I understood the agent/submission/pitch/query juggernaut. Editors, not so much. My agent sent me the pitch blurb and she and I massaged my bio. So far, so good.
She then sent me the list of first round editors she was pitching. Not all agents reveal the editors. I'm grateful that mine does. It's my story and my career. This part of the publishing process is a deep dark secret, please turn on a freakin' light.
I knew the publishers and imprints but not the editors. Hello Internet. Within an hour, I had found bios, MSWL, feature profiles, and more about each agent.
Insert Nail Biting
Could my book possibly interest any one of these editors? These aren't new editors building their lists. These are top professionals. The type of editor I've always dreamed of working with. Heck, just the chance to speak with any one of them would be valuable.
They now have my book. And because of the relationships my agent has worked to build, they will, I hope, read more than the first page of my story before putting it aside.
Editor rejections often come with notes. I've been warned they can be soul crushing or encouraging.
This is going to take time. As a writer, I know all about patience. Short stories can be on submission for months. Queries sometimes are never answered. Even the time you wait to hear from your critique group can be long.
It could also be forever in the sense of it never sells.
I have learned a lot. I've also learned I have no idea what to expect. Because, I'm on submission and it's out of my hands.
