There is a great new system out there that a few publishers and agents are using. It’s called Submittable. It is awesome, because after you submit your novel, you can look up your query’s status at any time. Is it received? In progress? In editorial Review? Rejected? All the info is there at your fingertips 24 hours a day.
You know what’s really bad about the system?
It is available 24 hours a day. For checking. Constantly.
I swear. It can be an addiction. I know I will be contacted if I get rejected or accepted, but I still check… just to make sure.
Yes, I am mildly stressed out. I’ve been querying for a long time, but up until recently, when I started to get good feedback, I’d been staying near the middle and bottom of my wish list. When the rejections came in, it was no big deal. I had plenty of more places to go. I revised some more, especially if I received feedback, and moved on to the next one.
No big deal right? That’s what this business is like.
Now that I’ve finally got the gummy bears to submit to places that I’ve targeted as “The ones I want”—Now I am starting to sweat.
Each day that passes, I think “Good. That means they are still reading it.” Of course, just because it changed from “Received” to “In Process” three days after I submitted, does not mean anyone has actually looked at it yet. But I keep telling myself they are.
You see, I’ve been rejected by one of these publishers TWICE. Each for novellas. Now they have something I’ve invested a significant amount of time on. The novellas were rejected on day 35 and 37 of the submission process. As of today, they have had my novel for 45 days.
That’s good, right?
No, guys. This does not get any easier.
I keep telling myself “They are still reading. This is good. If they didn’t like it, they would have rejected it already.”
Right? [smacks herself in the head]
Jennifer M Eaton 
Oooh, my heart goes out to you! I always seem to get acceptances when I forget about having submitted something, it’s been so long…
Ha! Is that like the watched pot never boils?
What torture. I agree with debyfredericks. Easier said than done, I know and I feel for you. Fingers and toes are crossed for you.
Who would have thought? Submittable? Wow.
How does one walk with crossed toes?
I’m sitting and shall not rise until you hear word. 😀
Woa. I hope you have someone to bring you chocolate!
Yes, chocolate and coffee, although I may need to hold off on the coffee. 😀 Also, crossed fingers don’t type fast enough. Crossed eye aren’t working well. 😮 I’m on the job.
Ha!
~(*_~)~~
Good luck, I really hope you get there! Years ago, I had a book that got up to the commissioning editor stage at two of the big five publishers. One said no promptly, but the other one company dragged on for months! I had to pluck up the courage to telephone the assistant each month to find out, before they finally said no! It was agony! But that said – hang on in there as it sounds like you are getting very close! 🙂
Thanks. And I hope you found the perfect home for your book
That sounds like something made specifically to torture writers not be helpful. Ouch!
Ha! Maybe
Oh yes! I have become a finely tuned waiting machine over the years of doing this thing call writing. I feel your pain! http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-reasons-waiting-good-for-you.html
I need adjustment to my fine tuning 🙂
Ditto what Deby said. I’m sure you know that, but I also know what it means to wait for that rejection. I hadn’t heard of Submittable. Not sure I want to join in on the “fun”…
Some publishers only accept submissions through Submittable, so if you want in, ya gotta play.
Yikes! Good to know. Thanks. (And I hope your got an acceptance.)
🙂
The wait is for sure terrible. I hadn’t heard of Submittable. I suspect if I ever encounter it, I’ll react the same way as you!
Breezing through forums on Absolute Write, it looks like I’m not the only one with this addiction.
Just keep working on your next story and stay off that web site. Only check it once a week. I mean it!!
Ohhhhhh, but it’s so dern hard.