Well, the wait is over. I finally heard from that first publisher after an interminably long time (see a previous post about my patience or lack thereof). Thankfully, they didn’t take the full 90 days to turn me down. Just 80 long days. I can’t say I’m surprised, really, but it was very disappointing. I mean, I know. I know I’m a good writer. Yes, I’ve loads of room for improvement, I always will, but I know I’m good enough to be published by a professional publisher, and that’s what I want. Sure, I could self-publish, and I’m not saying never, but I want the help and support of the traditional route. Maybe they just don’t want my chosen genre, or felt it was too long, or I could do this guessing game for days. Who knows?
Their loss, not mine. Right? Right. I hope.
I didn’t allow myself to wallow long. Within an hour, I had all the stuff together that the next publisher on my list wanted and sent it off. See, each publisher, at least in the LGBTQ+ publishers’ world, wants something different. Some want a one paragraph synopsis and the short bio you’d want inside the back cover. Others want a one-page summary, a listing of key characters, and your dedication. Still others say 250-word plot including the ending and key characters, as well as…you get the picture.
A smorgasbord of tailor-made writing stuff.
At least I don’t have to find and pay an agent. Direct submissions make me happy. No middle person, and I choose where my manuscript goes. I’m all about direct dealing. It's just hard to wait 12-16 years, I mean months, to hear anything.
In the meantime, Book 2, A Warrior for Her is finally finished with the massive revision. That’s not to say it’s ready for submission to anyone. There are a couple of loose ends I left hanging that I need to address. My wife, who thanks to a career in journalism acts as my editor, still has to go over it with her fine-toothed pen.
Best of all, I’m finally freed up to write Mac and Kate’s story. They’ve been talking to me since before I completely revamped (pardon the pun – I couldn’t help myself) Book 2, and I am thrilled that I was able to introduce Mac in the newer version. The first few chapters flowed from me like water and I think this will be as easy as The Warrior Within was to get that first draft down, though I have a feeling it will take more than a month.
But that’s okay. I have at least 12-16 weeks with nothing else to do…