So we live in an immediate gratification world but writers so don’t live the same way. Waiting until we’ve torn almost all of our hair out is an every MS occurrence. But I’ve determined that even though I keep waiting and waiting (immediate is absolutely out of the question by this point and I’m starting to abandon the idea of prolonged too) some day gratification will be mine. Oh, yes. It will be mine.
So I’ve had this requested full at a huge NY house for going on ten months now. I haven’t heard a peep. I don’t worry too much because I know they’re big and busy. But now I’m starting to get itchy. I’m starting to long for the same kind of acknowledgment that I threw tantrums for as a kid. I want to have a yes or no and move on with my life.
When this editor made this particular request she didn’t have any cards so she just rattled off her email and I wrote it on a piece of paper, which I lost probably before I left the building. The website of this publisher has no number and says, “If you haven’t heard from us in six months it ain’t happening. Don’t call us, we’ll call you. And to prevent you from calling us, you aren’t even allowed to have a number.”
So I needed to figure out some way to try and get a question about whether they even have my MS to this particular editor. So Friday I got desperate and started emailing people with this woman’s name. I couldn’t remember her exact email address but I recalled it was thiswoman’sname@someplace. So I started sending emails to all the possible addresses asking for some attention like that dorky guy in the IT department.
I haven’t heard anything yet but I’m hoping that at least one of them reached the appropriate target because I know the rest are going to go astray and dozens of women with this editor’s fairly common name are going to be opening their emails and going, “WTH?”
Here’s hoping for some gratification.
AJ
7 Comments
February 18, 2008 at 4:16 am
Hopefully you will hear something soon and one of those many emails made it’s happy little way to the right person. I have an image in my mind of the editor getting the email, dancing ith joy and saying “Oh I completely forgot about this diamond in the rough. I need to get back with her and let her know I am interested!”
K, now off to bed with me before I start sounding like I escaped the mental ward.
February 18, 2008 at 2:55 pm
The wait times for NY responses are notoriously long. I don’t believe in waiting forever (and I don’t really believe in exclusive submissions – it’s a lot of nerve to ask for that). You should get your queries ready to send elsewhere. The waiting will begin all over again, sure, but you’ll be back in control and back in possession of your work. If, four months from now, you still haven’t sold the book and the 10-months-ago-editor finally surfaces with an offer, terrific – take it and withdraw your submissions elsewhere.
By the way, if you know what city the company’s located in, you can always call information to get the general front desk/reception number, and then start asking for people by name.
February 18, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Oh, I never even thought of that Em. I could do that. Thanks MJ. I know she’ll be like, OMg I almost missed this amazing opportunity, LOL.
AJ
February 18, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I’ve have my fingers and toes crossed for you. I hope you hear something soon. Waiting is the pits, and I have no patience at all, so it’s a real test for me.
February 18, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Well, I would say that it is time to start shopping around! Good luck with that. Love this new layout. It is so much prettier. You know that MS will get picked up somewhere. Get it ready to go out again. Good for you and lots of luck and love.
February 19, 2008 at 3:26 am
I’m with Emily, don’t wait any longer. Submit somewhere else and move on.
February 19, 2008 at 6:31 am
What about a snail mail with a stamped self addressed postcard so they can fill out to say they got it? And yeah sub it elsewhere. Then if you get an offer you can let that top publisher know you have an offer.