Monday, March 7, 2011

Fingers Crossed!

Tomorrow I will officially be on submission! That’s my big announcement. I started writing In the After last year just after my birthday, so it’s been almost exactly one year. The whole process has been amazing. It took me six months to write, two months to self-edit, one month to query, and three months to edit for my agent. Whoowee. Now we just have to sell the thing.

Submitting to publishers is a lot like finding an agent, except I won’t be the one in control, even though I’ll still be the one waiting. Here are a couple of things I’ll do so I don’t freak out.

1)      Finish writing a YA historical novel I’ve recently started. It takes place during the civil war, so I’m really going to dig into the research.
2)      Eat lots of sugar. Sugar helps you stay calm, right?
3)      Read, read, read. Nothing helps me relax like reading.
4)      Try not to email my agent every hour asking her what’s up with various publishers.
5)      Be positive. I’m usually quite the cynic, but I’m going to remain hopeful and send out good thoughts. I know, I know, the formerly cynical me would call myself a dork…feel free.

What about you guys? How do you deal with the stress that is waiting to hear back on a query/submission to a publisher?

33 comments:

  1. Excellent! Good luck to your submission! :)

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  2. GOOD LUCK!!!! This is so exciting. . . promise you'll keep us posted??

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  3. Good luck!! Crossing my fingers for you! I'm still waiting on some edits I sent my agent a week or so ago, so I haven't been on submission yet. Soon though, and I'm already freaking out! lol

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  4. Awesome! And yeah, I'm pretty much a basket case. I check my email every fifteen minutes wondering if I've gotten a rejection (or something a little more positive!)

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  5. Happy hunting!

    Should be easy to drown yourself in Civil War history books... literally... :)

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  6. Awesome! Even though it's nerve racking it's got to be a very exciting time!

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  7. Good luck! And yes, sugar will always help. :)

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  8. ohmigosh, you must be SO psyched! i wish one day i could announce the same thing--'im officially done with my agent-edits and am now sending my manuscript out on submission!--ha! for that, though, ill actually have to finish the novel...

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  9. Wow! Good luck! You eat that sugar!

    Little Big Planet helps. :)

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  10. Congrats and good luck! :) And...reading/stressing over school usually takes up my waiting time. Either that or trying to build a social life.

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  11. Lots of luck to you! I think you've got a great system planned! Always a good idea to distract yourself with a new project.

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  12. That is awesome! Good luck-- I hope you land with a great publishing company!

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  13. AW, this is so great! I've still got editing to do on my book. I, um, messed it up a bit. Good luck! Waiting is so hard but the best way to wait is to write something else! So you're good! Can't wait for the Book Deal post!

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  14. Good luck, not too much sugar and a lot of patience! I hope your publisher will be the best possible!

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  15. That's exciting news! Good luck! I'm pretty sure sugar not only calms you, but makes you able to check your email extra-fast when the time comes :)

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  16. Wow, that's awesome! Good luck! :)

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  17. I'm so excited for you!!! Please keep us up-to-date on the whole process.

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  18. Congrats, Demitria, and good luck! Here are my tips:

    1. It's easier to fight the query/submission wars when you're not fighting them alone. For me, I'm in the query stage, and I'm using the buddy system this time. Me an' my query buddy keep each other sane, and this latest battle has at least felt a lot more productive than my previous attempt.

    2. I'm working on my next project, which I love. This way, even if Project #1 doesn't work out (now), I still have some forward momentum. Harder to get frustrated when you're already excited about the 'next' thing.

    3. I've been working with my critique partners on THEIR projects. A great distraction, and also easy to get excited about.

    When you have several good things going for you, rejection stings so much less, and time goes so much faster. The secret is BUDDIES! And seeing posts like the one for TH Mafi today - that kind of news helps, too.

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  19. I don't have any stress right now, but when I do, I often exercise quite a bit. I'm never thinner than when I try to query someone! Wishing you sooooo much good luck on your submission process!

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  20. Good luck! I hope you get some great news soon!

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  21. Good luck!

    Sugar sounds excellent.

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  22. Good luck!!! My solution to stress? Just keep writing. Lose yourself in another story. That is, if you can sit still long enough to type. Not sure I could in your situation :-)

    Also, I gave you an award over on my blog. You can check it out here: http://christinelarnold.blogspot.com/2011/03/birthday-sweets.html

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  23. That is awesome Demitria! Well done and congrats! :)

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  24. Well done Demitria.
    I think you deserve a reward for that so I've nominated you for the Stylish Blogger Award (details on my blog)
    Good luck with the novel.

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  25. OHH! Good luck Demitria!! My fingers are officially crossed for you!

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  26. I hope everything goes well for you. I will enjoy reading a GREAT success story.

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  27. Thanks for all your support everyone! You guys make the waiting a lot easier :)

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