Really-How Long is a Month?
Really- for you how long is a month?
For me it depends. Time seems to fly by for most things. Life in general. Moreso as I get older. I remember so well when I was little and Christmas never came around. Now it seems like I blink and its Christmas again. Bills. I pay them and then they're due again. Little Dexter is bigger than Max now. A puppy still, but not quite so little. He's 12 week old! I can't even go to my children. How can I remember so clearly their tiny little faces when they were born as if it was yesterday, yet now they tower over me, ask me for gas money, and say hi as they pass me on their way out the door.
Then why is it that I think the publishing world goes on a different calendar than I do? Ok, some go on a faster schedule. I love the submissions by email that get rejected before my finger leaves the send button. (Note to self- didn't like my user name-change it). But what's worse is the ones that don't get back to you-ever. Of course they cover themselves by saying if you don't hear from us than it didn't suit our needs (like we couldn't figure that one out by ourselves).
I blogged earlier this year about one that kept my submissions forever. I stalked them. I did. The publishing house taught me how to stalk on the internet by twitter, the web, Facebook. I hung on every word. Most submissions are rejected by 4 weeks. The tweet would say. If it goes longer than it means we are giving it considerable consideration. (I'm paraphrasing so shoot me) Acceptance calls should go out today. Rejections by email. I waited- nothing. A few more weeks would go by. For 12 weeks. By that time my book, Patriot Secrets, had been accepted by Wild Child. Being the responsible person that I am, I emailed and tweeted them withdrawing my submission. And that was that, except the next day I got a rejection from them. A rejection after my withdrawal was bad enough, but even after all that time- it came as a dear author letter! (DEAR AUTHOR) - (note to self- don't just change user name- change name- be easier to become Dear Author, won't have to worry with anyone forgetting my name).
Now I'm sitting and waiting for reviews. It's been a month, a little over a month. They promised, so they have to be coming, right? And these are only a small portion of the ones I requested. (I figured out the ones I didn't hear back from aren't going to review my book- all by little self, I might add.) With my publisher she gave me three weeks notice of release. Not unusual for an ebook. I realize that reviewers have so many request. So- a month. Reasonable. A couple more backed up probably between 2-3 months. Not a problem- better to be able to scatter the reviews, not having them all come out at once. Another said they would let me know when one of there reviewers picked it out of the waiting list.
Did I tell you I'm not patient? A month is a month- right? I want the reviews (I think). Oh, now I'm talking myself out of getting them. I do have a couple of reader reviews. Happy- truly. Feedback was excellent. I love my book. I love writing. Should be okay, except I want to know what the reviewers think. I'm like a kid asking his parents are we there yet. Or watching water boil. As a mature adult I quite understand it takes time and nothing I say or do will cause this process to go any faster.
But as a writer, I would like to get feedback on my work. At times I feel like it will be well after I'm gone before someone discovers one of my old manuscripts and it becomes a International Best Seller worth millions. At least my family can reap the benefits.
Note to Mom- Love ya. Know I do. But reading over this, maybe just maybe you might want to reconsider working toward your best seller before anything happens to you. You do realize that its not manuscripts that are worth millions after a writer dies. It is an artist, Mom. Paintings go up in value after an artist's death, not manuscripts of dead writers.
For me it depends. Time seems to fly by for most things. Life in general. Moreso as I get older. I remember so well when I was little and Christmas never came around. Now it seems like I blink and its Christmas again. Bills. I pay them and then they're due again. Little Dexter is bigger than Max now. A puppy still, but not quite so little. He's 12 week old! I can't even go to my children. How can I remember so clearly their tiny little faces when they were born as if it was yesterday, yet now they tower over me, ask me for gas money, and say hi as they pass me on their way out the door.
Then why is it that I think the publishing world goes on a different calendar than I do? Ok, some go on a faster schedule. I love the submissions by email that get rejected before my finger leaves the send button. (Note to self- didn't like my user name-change it). But what's worse is the ones that don't get back to you-ever. Of course they cover themselves by saying if you don't hear from us than it didn't suit our needs (like we couldn't figure that one out by ourselves).
I blogged earlier this year about one that kept my submissions forever. I stalked them. I did. The publishing house taught me how to stalk on the internet by twitter, the web, Facebook. I hung on every word. Most submissions are rejected by 4 weeks. The tweet would say. If it goes longer than it means we are giving it considerable consideration. (I'm paraphrasing so shoot me) Acceptance calls should go out today. Rejections by email. I waited- nothing. A few more weeks would go by. For 12 weeks. By that time my book, Patriot Secrets, had been accepted by Wild Child. Being the responsible person that I am, I emailed and tweeted them withdrawing my submission. And that was that, except the next day I got a rejection from them. A rejection after my withdrawal was bad enough, but even after all that time- it came as a dear author letter! (DEAR AUTHOR) - (note to self- don't just change user name- change name- be easier to become Dear Author, won't have to worry with anyone forgetting my name).
Now I'm sitting and waiting for reviews. It's been a month, a little over a month. They promised, so they have to be coming, right? And these are only a small portion of the ones I requested. (I figured out the ones I didn't hear back from aren't going to review my book- all by little self, I might add.) With my publisher she gave me three weeks notice of release. Not unusual for an ebook. I realize that reviewers have so many request. So- a month. Reasonable. A couple more backed up probably between 2-3 months. Not a problem- better to be able to scatter the reviews, not having them all come out at once. Another said they would let me know when one of there reviewers picked it out of the waiting list.
Did I tell you I'm not patient? A month is a month- right? I want the reviews (I think). Oh, now I'm talking myself out of getting them. I do have a couple of reader reviews. Happy- truly. Feedback was excellent. I love my book. I love writing. Should be okay, except I want to know what the reviewers think. I'm like a kid asking his parents are we there yet. Or watching water boil. As a mature adult I quite understand it takes time and nothing I say or do will cause this process to go any faster.
But as a writer, I would like to get feedback on my work. At times I feel like it will be well after I'm gone before someone discovers one of my old manuscripts and it becomes a International Best Seller worth millions. At least my family can reap the benefits.
Note to Mom- Love ya. Know I do. But reading over this, maybe just maybe you might want to reconsider working toward your best seller before anything happens to you. You do realize that its not manuscripts that are worth millions after a writer dies. It is an artist, Mom. Paintings go up in value after an artist's death, not manuscripts of dead writers.
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