Monday, May 16, 2011

Crossing Over

When I asked yous guys what you wanted me to blog about the most, many of you said you want to know what happens after you get an agent. So that's what today's post will entail, in order of events:
You accept an offer of rep from an agent. You're on cloud ninety-nine. All your hard work has paid off. Now you can just sit back and...Yeah, not so much. While your agent was/is ecstatic about your project, it doesn't mean it's ready to send off to ye editors. Ideally, you will have discussed this sort of thing *before* you accept the offer of rep, but if not, then NOW is when you talk about the possible revisions and tweaking your MS might need. Depending on the extent of the remodel, it will take a few weeks to a month or more to sculpt it into submittable shape. *Note: Lucy requested minor changes, which I made within a week. Each situation/time frame will be different. You will get tired of hearing me say this.
Now that your baby has been through MS boot camp, it's ready to go to war, vying in the big arena for the attention of editors. You are excited about this. You can't sleep at night. You accidentally put the milk in the cabinet and the cereal in the fridge, and you don't remember driving to work but you must have because you're pulling into the parking spot that you'll soon come to loathe. Your relationship with your agent feels like that of a newlywed, all googly-eyed and rose-colored bifocals and such. It will be difficult to remember that she is your business partner instead of your bestest friend in the whole entire snuggly world. Seriously. But you won't have time for this mushy-gushy-cuddle-muffin stuff because...
Probably you'll be having another phone conversation with your dream agent about where she'll be submitting, and the strategy she'll be using. You'll want to know how long it will take to hear back from these editors. She won't be able to tell you. This won't be because she's not fantabulous--because trust me, she's fantabulous. It's just that this business is...wait for it...subjective. Some editors will read it right away. Some won't get to it for a month, maybe more. Like agents, editors don't have time to sit around all day and read submissions. Much of their reading, like agents, is done on the weekend.
You'll ask Fantabulous Agent what you should be doing while these editors are reviewing your work. Fantabulous Agent will say...wait for it...keep writing. So, aside from the floaty, euphoric feeling of having a professional cheerleader on your side talking up you and your project, the whole process of submitting to editors is much like the query process we go through to snag Incredible Agent. You still watch your email obsessively. You still feel like maybe you're not good enough. You still bite your nails and curse yourself for ruining a perfectly good French mani.
And you still have to wait. So, to harden you up for this process, I'm making you wait for the next blogpost to find out what happens when you get "the other call". ("The call" is, and always will be, reserved for agents.)
Happy Monday!

11 comments:

  1. Great post, Anna :o) You mean, it's not all rainbows and lollipops after you get an agent? Aw shucks . . . ;o) (hehehe!)

    Looking forward to the next installment!

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  2. Nice little dose of reality, my talented and soon to be pubbed friend.

    Thanks and I can't wait to read the next one! *waves to Angela*

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  3. You mean it doesn't happen at the push of a button or even over night? Greatcoat! :)

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  4. Thanks so much for sharing this Anna... great insight into this process.

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  5. Hey Angela! Thanks for RTing this post yesterday! No, not ALL rainbows and lollipops, but there are def some! :)

    Anita! Was it the same for you? Did I miss anything?

    Kaylie, hey girl!Did you catch the USA Today article about how mermaids are the next big thing? YOUR mermaid book comes out pretty soon, right?

    Mandie, I swear it seems like it all did happen very fast, but it happened over the course of a couple weeks at least. But very fast moving weeks. Not that I didn't bother you the entire time w/details...

    WritingNut, great to see you! Thanks for stopping by! How are things going on your side of the universe? :)

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  6. I don't like this reality pill--it hurts going down.

    But a very good post, my dear!!

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  7. Awww crap, Bethany! It's not supposed to hurt! I'm just makin' sure you're not wearing your sunglasses at night, ya know? :)

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  8. Great post Anna! I am no where close to this step. Right now it is just ideas floating around in my head, but still all the information is wonderful :)
    -Katelyn

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  9. Katelyn, hopefully those ideas will demand to be written down soon! I always wonder how many great books we miss out on b/c someone doesn't fulfill their ideas in writing. Do it do it do it! :)

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  10. I fear I shall be an old, stooped crone before my book gets published, and my fingers won't work properly at book signings. They'll have to wheel me in. Maybe I'll have a respirator!

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