Monday, August 13, 2012

The Waiting Game

I may have mentioned before that I have little to no patience. Kind of ironic that I became a writer since waiting is so much a part of the profession. We finish a chapter then anxiously await a critique partner's assessment. We package up a freshly minted complete manuscript then send it off to a publisher or agent. Then we wait. And wait. And wait.

I'm very fortunate to have an agent who believes in quick turnarounds. She gives me her sage wisdom on my books or chapters in an amazingly short time. Still, there are those days or maybe a week or two when I'm not sure of her verdict. I'm in that limbo now as she reads over the first three chapters of my new erotic contemporary manuscript.

My quandary is what do I do in the interim? I don't want to continue with that book in case she wants me to move in a different direction. Do I work on my almost finished manuscript for one of my regular publishers and take the chance that I'll get the other MS back and want to immediately go back to working on that?

What I've decided to do is take a little hiatus. Catch up on my reading, promotions and family time. What about you? What do you do when you are waiting for word on chapters or an entire manuscript?

Oh - I have a new book out. The Very Best Man was just released. It's the fourth in my Wanton Weston Women series, a jilted bride story. Comment here and I will enter you in a drawing to win a download.

7 comments:

Casey Crow said...

Patience is definitely not my virtue either! Good luck to you!

Jax Cassidy said...

I am in the same boat. I keep writing proposals and my agent submits them, then it's waiting time. I normally move onto the next project since it's no use finishing a book unless I have a contract. It doesn't get easier but at least I can pick up any of the proposals at any time to finish or revise. :)

You can do it! Don't think about the submissions. Just keep writing!

Wynter said...

Thanks, ladies. Yup - back to working on another project now, Jax.

Cindy Spencer Pape said...

I think waiting is the very hardest part about being an author. Good luck with the new ms.

Wynter said...

Thanks, Cindy. I agree - it is the toughest part!

Naima Simone said...

I'm so on board with you about patience! It's so testing! My father once told me that my name means Patience, but, honestly, I think he was just being funny and trying to drive a point home. LOL! I'm in the same boat with you, actually. I'm waiting to hear back from an editor about revisions and I don't want to continue revising until she tells me yay or nay on the ones I've turned in. So in the meantime, I'm working on another project. It keeps my mind and fingers busy! I'm rooting for you about the new ms!! Toes and fingers crossed!

Dalton Diaz said...

Oh yeah. Hurry up and wait. Love that - not!