The natural delays during the submission process are agony enough for authors, and the whole waiting game gets even worse as we move into the winter holiday season.
But there are some things you can do to help yourself feel like progress is being made, no matter what stage your writing project might be in!
Writers, if your project is currently on query submission, here are 5 tips to help you make it through:
* Thinking about pressing send on that spankin’ new query letter and opening pages email you’ve ben working on? Consider waiting until January 2. Agents are trying to clear the decks. You have better odds if agents aren’t in a hurry.
* Have a query currently out to agents? The odds are probably 90%+ that you will hear a response before the end of the year. Be zen about whatever that response might be. There are new agents to query and new projects awaiting your creative muse.
* Write up a query letter for a novel you haven’t even started yet. Just for fun. Sometimes that very process can help you crystallize your hook or story concept.
* If you just finished NaNoWriMo in November, give yourself permission to take a break from this whole publishing treadmill.
* Eggnog Chai. Just trust me on this one. Probably won’t help your writing, but it will improve your holiday outlook in general.
Writers, if your Agent currently has your project on submission, here are a couple of tips to help you cope:
* You might hear something before December 15, as editors are trying to clear their desks for the new year. But if you don’t, quit checking email. You can do it. Shut that laptop down. Enjoy family instead.
* Make time to write something wholly new, and maybe just for fun, over the holidays. Believe me, you are going to get knocked off your writing schedule. And that’s okay. Just book an appointment in your calendar for writing time. Let it be just as important as everything else you might have scheduled.
* Find a new place to write. Coffee shops and bookstores might be extra crowded and noisy during the holidays. Try a local library instead.
* Set one writing goal, hit it, and then reward yourself with something you’ve been wanting all year.
* Do one thing that makes you feel like a writer. Maybe it’s registering for that class or writing conference you’ve had your eye on. Why not try setting up a happy hour with other authors in your neighborhood or city?
Creative Commons Photo Credit: Alex Janu
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You have no idea how much I needed this! And I love the idea of writing a query for a book I’m just beginning. Thank you, Kristin.
My goal today was sending a query out to agent I met a few months back. I’m going to wait until the 2nd. What’s two weeks?