Let it Go!
Working With Editors Series: Part Five
Net's Notations Tuesdays
We've come to the final post in our Working with Editors series. Your editor has a lot of work ahead of her after you've okayed your galleys and pressed send. But first, you've got to let it go.
Our manuscripts are our babies. We nurture them, pray over them, birth them. We become defensive if someone disses them. We cling to them, refusing to press send (see last week’s post). We cherish them—designating a shelf on our bookcase just for our own titles. Right?
So, it’s no wonder we have a hard time letting go.
From the beginning, we were like God as we created our characters, the plot, the action, tension, hardships. We controlled every aspect. (Generally speaking. Sometimes editors assign specific stories.) Now, the edits are accomplished. The title’s established. You’ve probably even seen the cover art. So, what’s next? You press send and poof. You let go. Right?
Or not.
It’s not easy. But as we let go, we let God move. He wants to put your words, those heart-felt, hard-wrought, emotion-packed, life-impacting words into the hands of just the right people at the right times.
By letting go we are trusting our editors, the path God has us on (i.e. trusting God), and relaxing into God’s promises.
So, pray over your baby, but then L E T G O. Really, it’ll be okay. Your story has places to go you’ve never been. And it won’t let you down. Neither will God.
Plus, in letting go, you get to work on the next project that’s burning to be told.
Let go and leave the rest to your editor and to God.
