Here’s a good one:
Greetings! I am working on a memoir and nearly have the manuscript completed. After many years of working on it, I think this is the draft that I can start sending to agents. I have a feeling the manuscript will be ready around the holidays; at least, that’s my goal. I will be anxious to start sending it out right away. But is the period between Thanksgiving/Christmas a bad time to send manuscripts? Are there some general “bad times” in the year in which to submit? Is there a “good time” to submit?
I’ve consulted some of the great Talmudic minds over the last decade about when to send out books. And I would have been happy to share the information, but just like everything else in this economic climate — all bets are off. It used to be that you didn’t want to send out books in December or August. That said, I recently heard that August is new September. Does that mean November is the new December? As far as I know, August is still when most people take vacation. And you probably don’t want to send out your project before the Christmas holidays unless you’re submitting it to a Chinese food-eating, movie-going, beautiful young jewess like me.
The best advice: send it when it’s ready — that’s the bottom line. Send it when you can handle whatever happens, and keep writing.
Filed under: Agent, FAQ, Protocol, Publishing |
Betsy Lerner 
I like the sound of “send it when you can handle whatever happens”. But isn’t the journey much more meaningful than the destination itself? Send it, and who cares what’s to happen? The important part is that you wrote it..
I don’t think “who cares what’s to happen” applies to every writer. I’m sure there are some writers who are invested and made joyous by the act alone, but there are others who want their wares to be read. Stephen King says an unread/unpublished story is a circle not closed.
I find the process of writing as much fun as Christmas morning…often more so (although dumplings and presents are hard to top). But i have a hunger and an urge for my stories to reach the audience they’re meant for. I sure cared when I received my first offer of rep–and then more than one. And you can bet I’ll care if a book deal comes my way. It means that this thing I’ve created speaks to people–and that’s part of what I created it for.
Not for errant, elusive things like fame or glory. But for something within the story, as deep as the writing itself: to transport someone somewhere other than just me.
I concur. I’ve been in several creative fields before taking up writing. I’ve never been able to come to a place where I can just let my art go. Even when it is “out” in the world, I’m still tying my little artistic child’s shoe laces and telling her to put on a sweater. I think I’m one of those genetically sensitive/worrying types the New York Times has been writing about recently. At most, I’ve try to keep a large barrier around my personal creative space.
For me, there is an uncomfortable paradox that I write/create for both myself and an audience. I don’t know if it is some sort of feel-good, transcendent thing, or a more primal Darwinist urge. Hmmm…maybe the New York Times will write about age-old artistic quandaries in the future.
Please excuse any grammatical or punctuation errors. I’m writing fast.
Sent my first when I didn’t care anymore and was deep into the voice of my next book. Bingo!
“Send it when you can handle whatever happens” By “handle” do you mean some sort of healthy response? Like calling your best friend everyday for a week and making her listen to you rant about why editor A is the worst editor in the universe because he or she rejected you. Of course, I speak hypothetically.
I agree with Aspiring Artists – the important part is the writing. Once it’s written and edited, off your hands, then to some extent it’s out of your control. You need others then. Your baby has been born.
My baby’s been born. So where’s the damn nanny?