The waiting game

The hardest part of writing, for me, is the waiting. Once I send something to an agent or publisher, I want to hear back right away. But I have to remind myself that my story is only one small piece of their very full plate. Patience isn’t optional. It’s part of the job.

That patience is tested even more when a submission is unsolicited. In those cases, you also have to accept that you may never hear back at all. Many publishers are clear that if they accept unsolicited manuscripts, they will only respond if they’re interested. That silence can be difficult. Do you wait three months before sending the story elsewhere? Six? There’s no perfect answer.

So I’ve learned to do the only thing that really helps: send the story, then let it go. I try to forget about it and move on to the next piece, revising or starting something new. Staying in motion is the best antidote to waiting! But I still hate it :)