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Serious title, huh? It is a pretty important question. You've poured your soul into your manuscript. You've sweated, sacrificed, cried, and celebrated. You've written fifty drafts, put it in a drawer for a month, had a critique group and twelve beta readers look at it. You've woken up at 3AM just to fix that one sentence that was bothering you.
So you query. You write, rewrite, edit, get critiques, and rewrite it again. You send it out and sit at your computer hitting refresh on your inbox so much you break the mouse. WHY DON'T THEY GET BACK TO ME? You wonder. And when they do, you wonder HOW CAN THEY REJECT IT SO FAST? You're an emotional shipwreck.
You get some rejections and some requests for partials and fulls. You query ten agents, wait, then repeat until you've queried 100 times. In the end, the phone never rings. YOU DON'T GET THE CALL. You eat a tub of ice-cream. You cry. You call/email/DM all your writer friends who understand. (Notice I didn't say blog or tweet about it). And you want to know, WHY? Why wasn't my best good enough?
What do you do?
Do you give up? NO. You don't. Because you know that perseverance is the key to success. That you constantly learn more, get better, grow.
Do you Throw the manuscript in the drawer and start from scratch? Well, that depends. But the simple answer is YES. It's okay to love it. It's okay to want to publish it someday. Maybe you will. But for now you need to start a new WIP if you haven't already. Because you should always be writing and working and learning. And maybe this will be the one.
Each one is a learning experience. Each one helps you grow as a writer. Especially if you - say it with me now - WRITE WHAT SCARES YOU. To borrow a cliche, don't put all your eggs in one basket. (kind of like don't put all your werewolves in one room because they'll rip each other apart and make an awful mess, but I digress).
I bet you are more than one great book. I bet you are a great writer. And I'm not talking about the sequel you've had planned in your six book series. Resist the urge. If you must, then outline it, but the new book should be just that. A completely new book.
This business is subjective. It's many times about finding the right person at the right time. But you CAN make your work and yourself as polished and ready as possible so that you don't let that opportunity slide by unrealized.
It's extremely hard to say good-bye to a manuscript. But, in the long run, I'm usually glad a story didn't get published or wasn't my debut. We only debut once and we want it to be our strongest work ever!
ReplyDeleteI'm just jumping back on the query-go-round again this week... so I guess it's time to start something completely different ;-)
ReplyDeleteGreat post and great advice!
I've had to say goodbye to manuscripts a couple of times. For me, the key to staying positive is just what you said~ having a shiny new idea to get excited about. Thanks for a great post :)
ReplyDeleteBrilliant advice, Lisa. It's so much easier to query when you're writing a shiny new ms, and you may realize sooner rather than later than maybe you shouldn't be wasting time querying that book. Maybe you should be spending time making the new book The One. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd you definitely want to skip on that werewolf mess. :P
Really great post. Perseverance is key. But it's so hard to let go sometimes. :)
ReplyDeleteBut what if you've only got one great idea in you?
ReplyDeleteJust kidding, great post, thanks Lisa!
Been there, done that. It is a relief when you realize the next one is a TON better anyway, but it's hard to see that while you're wading through the stream of "I think I'll have to pass" e-mails.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
PS So werewolves are cannibals, then? Even scarier than I thought.
Glad you all agree. :D There's nothing to cure the "down-in-the-dumps" like a brand new WIP! And I believe in all of you!
ReplyDeleteMatthew - you silly silly man. THERE'S ALWAYS MORE. LOL
*stands and cheers*
ReplyDeleteYes, this is sooooo true. I love book #1, but realized it was my practice book. Book #2 might make it to the finish line, after lots and LOTS of work. I'm in love with Book #3, especially because it secured an agent. Book #4 hasn't been written yet, but I'm hopeful it'll show some of my growth as a writer.
Terrific advice. Seems like the hardest and at the same time the best thing to do . . . put it away and work on a new one. I would add, if you possibly can, go to a good workshop (and take EITHER ms). There's nothing like it for rejuvenating your spirit and determination, not to mention finding new writing pals.
ReplyDeleteAh,wise one. You speak the truth. I'm going to take my MS #1 out to lunch and then make sure it's comfortable in its drawer. MS #2 is coming to the party. I learned so much with MS #1 my brain is throbbing, so in the end it was my teacher.
ReplyDeleteLOL You guys crack me up. And Linda - GREAT ADVICE! I highly recommend SCBWI for any childrens/MG/YA authors as a place to start.
ReplyDeleteLove this! *seperates werewolves into different rooms* Thanks for the thoughts!
ReplyDeleteAmen! If I hadn't kept working on new projects, I would definitely not be where I am now. It was the second book I queried which landed me an agent, and the second book my agent subbed that got a contract. You just never know which project will be your best!
ReplyDeleteThere are too many stories rattling around my empty head to stick with one novel. I am guilty of revisiting earlier stories to perfect them.
ReplyDeleteThis is really good advice!
ReplyDeleteSometimes when you start on the next project, you learn something and then you can apply it to the previous one. It happened to me! :)
Great advice. I've said goodbye to a few pbs in the last year and new, better ones replace them. It's all about the learning and growing.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Lisa. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments! I especially love seeing Anna's example, but that's the best outcome we can hope for!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Soo true!
ReplyDeleteStill love this post, especially: don't put all your werewolves in one room because they'll rip each other apart and make an awful mess, but I digress.
ReplyDeleteMartha and Jess - thanks for hanging in there despite the "technical" difficulties. I suspect Gremlins.
ReplyDeleteIt's true and tears do come with the job. But, yes I keep going and sometimes, somedays, I just want to give up because I feel like a failure. OH WELL! I won't quit. And yes, love the werewolf
ReplyDeleteBekah - you better not quit!!! Or else. :P
ReplyDeleteThings to look forward to, still can't wait to get there.
ReplyDeleteDean - just enjoy every step of the journey, because yours will be unique and if you can manage to love the steps, the distance won't seem so far. Help - drowning in my metaphor... *gurgles*
ReplyDeleteJust what I needed to hear! I think it's also important to point out that great manuscripts are getting passed up everyday because of the unpredictable market. Publishers and agents aren't likely to take many chances on anything they aren't 1000% sure of or in love with. That doesn't mean our novels aren't good or that we're bad writers. It is just the state of the industry right now. Like you said, all we can do is keep writing and keep improving!
ReplyDeleteHeather - it IS a really important point. Very true. Things are in a state of flux right now, and I also believe there is so much good work out there, it's harder to stand out. But we should consider that a good thing for the publishing industry, and let it motivate us to keep trying and improving.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Lisa. It is important to always be writing something. Once something is out the door (my little euphemism for being queried), I work on something else. I had to make the painful decision 2 months ago to put away a beloved manuscript. So much about this business is subjective and about luck and timing. That ms didn't find the right match, but maybe the new wip (which I started more than a year ago while querying beloved ms) will.
ReplyDeleteOff to continue revisions!
Vicki
This is a perfect presentation for the "So you want to be a writer," seminar you will be conducting one day. Important advice, and a reason to eat ice cream. That makes this the perfect post.
ReplyDeleteVicki - It hurts, but being in a drawer doesn't mean it can't come out to play again another day. :D Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteLeslie - Seminar you say? Hmmmm Just kidding! ;D Yum. Ice cream.
Great post. I remember when I put my first book away, I worried that I would just be a 'one book wonder', that I could never come up with as great a book as that first one.
ReplyDeleteSince then I've written and rewritten many books, and I know now that all the stories are there inside me, just waiting to happen. :)
Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse
Angela - it's like you're in my head. That would be freaky if we weren't writers. :D
ReplyDeleteThis is such smart advice. I don't have a finished book yet but I can imagine it must be hard to let it go if it isn't working. If I get to that point, I hope I can let it go without feeling too bad. You're right - we are all more than one great book! :)
ReplyDeleteGhenet - and that's exactly what I want you to remember. :D
ReplyDeleteI plan on starting a new story soon, but I don't think it's time to put my current one in the drawer yet (because I haven't started querying it). Still, it's frustrating how long & slow the process seems of writing, revising, rewriting, having it critiqued by beta readers and revising some more, researching agents, writing a query letter, revising the query letter...
ReplyDeleteLighting - It's true. And it can certainly feel frustrating waiting. But that's why you should busy yourself with other things, like a new WIP to take your mind off of it, because it's all part of the process.
ReplyDelete