Thank you for having me! I’m so happy to be here. Today,
I’d like to talk about what to do after you submit your manuscript to an agent
or editor. Before
you dive into the next step, be sure to celebrate that HUGE milestone of
finishing a novel and submitting it.
What to Do While Waiting to
Hear Back from an Agent/Editor:
Keep writing. Even though you have submitted your
polished manuscript, it doesn’t mean you need to halt all your writing
while you wait for a response, which can take weeks, to months to even
years! (I had one story that sat with an editor for almost a year before it was
contracted, so do not despair if it takes longer than anticipated to hear back.)
Instead of waiting, get started on your next project! For me, I like to think that
the more quality books/proposals I have circulating, the better my chances are
of getting that next contract.
Keep learning. If you can’t attend a conference or if
it is months away, get a subscription to a writers magazine or pick up a
writing craft book. No matter where we are in our writing journey, there is
always more to learn. Another fun way to keep learning is to read your favorite
authors again and take notes on why you love their stories and try to implement
that into your next project.
Keep up your social
media. Hopefully
you’ve been working on your author website, twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc.
for a while now, but it never hurts to revamp or continually push yourself for
fresh content and social interaction.
Keep growing! One way to keep growing your readership
early is to create an Author
Newsletter. (I’ve
only recently started mine for the release of The White City
and it is so fun that I wish I had started sooner.) Build early, even if you
don’t have a book/novella out yet! Do a small giveaway along with announcements
of your giveaway on social media to generate some buzz. Possible content could
be to tell your readers about what project you are working on, what’s in your
TBR pile, new found or favorite recipes that your heroine would use, book news,
etc. Remember, if readers sign up, they want
to hear what you have to say. However, be sure you have an unsubscribe
button at the bottom of the email.
Keep a stiff upper lip. Getting published is a journey that
can be hard at times. I like to keep a list of the publishers’ responses to my
manuscripts (aka rejections haha) on file to encourage and push me. When you
get that first wonderful YES, look back on your file and see how you and your
writing have grown since you began this journey. So, even if you get a no, keep
hope and keep submitting.
Happy Writing!
~~~~~~
Grace
Hitchcock is the author of The
White City and The
Gray Chamber from Barbour Publishing. She has written multiple novellas in The
Second Chance Brides, The
Southern Belle Brides, and the Thimbles
and Threads collections with Barbour Publishing. She holds a Masters in
Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History.
Grace lives in southern Louisiana with her husband, Dakota, and son. Visit
Grace online at GraceHitchcock.com. For author news, sign up
for Grace Hitchcock’s newsletter
here. 