The Waiting Game

[violet]

Okay, I'm creating this thread for those of us who are on submission, waiting to hear back from the plucky editors who are reading our mss.

Vent your frustrations or scream your good news, or anything in between. 

I haven't been on submission long enough to complain, but I'll start by saying, regardless of length, waiting on editors is sheer agony. 

Next!!

[JeanneT]

Screams REALLY, REALLY loudly.

Thank you.

I feel better now.

[Molly Z]

Screams REALLY, REALLY loudly.

Thank you.

I feel better now.

Ditto for me.  What's interesting (but not all that surprising) is that editors have form Rs that sound almost identical to agent form Rs.  Maybe the agents model theirs after the editors'. 

[JeanneT]

I almost had to laugh--they sound exactly the same, don't they?

[reallyrosie]

Hang in there, Violet--this is likely to go on for some time! (And actually, you hope it will, because that means your agent has a nice long list.)

I'll vent my frustration here on those "glowing rejections." You know, the ones that talk about your lovable characters and professional style, who admit they were on the fence, and that's why they took so long to get back to your agent. And then they send the Big R anyway.

I'd almost rather have a form reject. I'm heartily sick of coming close. . .

[bodwen]

Me too.  It's like getting a free ticket for a luxury cruise ship, and then watching it sail off without you.

[violet]

Hang in there, Violet--this is likely to go on for some time! (And actually, you hope it will, because that means your agent has a nice long list.)

I'll vent my frustration here on those "glowing rejections." You know, the ones that talk about your lovable characters and professional style, who admit they were on the fence, and that's why they took so long to get back to your agent. And then they send the Big R anyway.

I'd almost rather have a form reject. I'm heartily sick of coming close. . .

Crap-sorry, rr. I'm with you...fast and furious vs. slow and no dice. How long have you been out? Fingers crossed things go your way SOON!!

Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending how you look at things, my agent sends all at once. So it's out to pretty much everyone. It doesn't mean it won't take months and months for editors to get back to us, though. Either way, yes, I'm buckling in for the long haul.

[Tabris]

I shouldn't really be in this thread, but back a couple of years ago, an editor approached my ex-agent and asked if my MS was still available, not knowing my agent had just cut me loose because he wasn't going to do fiction. Agent said yes, and with my permission, we went forward. Editors said "Board meeting is next week. We'll push it through and it'll be under contract. Two book deal."

Two weeks later, I emailed agent. "And--?"  He didn't want to follow up.  I made him. Editor said that it hadn't gotten voted on because someone wanted to see the incoming VP of something or other to read it first. Next month.

Next month, the incoming VP of something or other said he hadn't read it yet, so pushed back another month.

I won't give you the blow by blow. This went on from January to JULY, with them bringing it up at every editorial board meeting and different people coming on board and other people suddenly getting cold feet.

By the end, I was just laughing because I knew this would either be the best story of "how a book got acquired," or else it would be the story my agent tells at two o'clock in the morning at a conference, at a dark table at the back of a restaurant with five other agents, after he's had three beers and they're sharing tales of horror and despair. It ended up the latter.

[sarah_biglow]

I'd just really like to hear back from people.  I mean HMH and S&S have had it since February.  Sure, one of the editors (don't remember for which hosue) went out on mat. leave and so someone else had to take over the reading duties but still.  Waiting sucks.

[JeanneG]

Sarah,

What? How dare she take maternity leave? You've got a book to publish. Tell that woman to have her baby and get back to work. 

Hang in there guys. Some day I hope to join you on this side of the waiting game.

JeanneG

[violet]

I'd just really like to hear back from people.  I mean HMH and S&S have had it since February.  Sure, one of the editors (don't remember for which hosue) went out on mat. leave and so someone else had to take over the reading duties but still.  Waiting sucks.

I'm so with you!

Well, tomorrow starts a new week--here's to good news for all of you! 

[Sandy_Williams]

What? Did some of you say form rejections? *whimpers*

Well, maybe form is better than those close calls? I started loving form rejections when I was querying b/c then I didn't sit there trying to read between the lines.

I don't even know why I'm so anxious. I still need to finish the synopsis for a sequel, so I should look at this time as a blessing.

@violet: How many editors is "everyone"? Mine sent out to 8 houses, which seems like a lot to me.

@tabris: OMG. I would be completely bald now if I were you, pulling my hair out every month.

[ElanaJ]

Okay, I'm creating this thread for those of us who are on submission, waiting to hear back from the plucky editors who are reading our mss.

Vent your frustrations or scream your good news, or anything in between. 

I haven't been on submission long enough to complain, but I'll start by saying, regardless of length, waiting on editors is sheer agony. 

Next!!

No matter where you are, you're waiting. So those four words just about sum it up.

[munley]

Here's a fine distraction from the agony of waiting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lec6q-qtWqo

There's a whole side-bar with more of these short videos.

[Jessica V.]

Hey SarahB. Which editor are you on sub to at S&S? (You can PM me the deets if you don't want to post here) I'm with S&S too.