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You'll feel better if you do.
*deep breath*
Do it again if you have it. I'll wait.
And wait.
And wait.
Are you done yet?
Here's a tissue. Dry your eyes, wipe the snot out of the pan and let's chat.
Ooo BABY is it hard to hit send.
Did I realize how debilitating that was until my finger was hovering over the left hand clicker button? Um. No.
Did I have to call and chat with a writer friend and have her pray with me before hitting send? Yes.
Three things you should do before hitting send:
Read over the submission email one more time. Not ten more times, just one more time. Especially if you're submitting to Chip Macgregor. His big pet peeve is misspelled words. Just sayin'.
Double check that EVERYTHING is attached.
We've all sent those emails that said "I"m attaching such and such" and then never hit the attach button. Um...yeah.
PRAY. Find a friend and pray.
Talk about a stress reliever! This makes a world of difference and is the #1 thing you should before hitting that all important key. Your writing career/life/marriage/relationships do not hang in the balance of the response of the agent. (Though for the sake of your spouse's sanity they might think it does. ;-) I couldn't believe how much more prepared I was to hit that all important button until I called my friend. Thanks Beth!
Bonus suggestion: DO NOT, (let me repeat that) DO NOT reread and reread and reread what you sent out.
Inevitably you will find mistakes. You are human after all and there is SOMETHING you messed up along the lines. Forget it. It's gone. There is nothing you can do it about now, so just his send and move on.
We all know these things of course, but knowing that others get it make a great deal of difference. We so often celebrate only the great things that have happened in our writing, but we should also take the time to acknowledge that it doesn't happen quickly. It's a hurry up and wait process, even when you send in a follow up email. There is always something going on in the background that God has got His hands on that we know nothing about.
Gives me goosebumps. I love that thought.
Another suggestion? Tell some friends that you've submitted. Let them join in the excitement of waiting. I decided that was one thing I didn't want to be shy about and while I don't tell everyone I'm waiting to hear from an agent, I did tell several of my coworkers and people that stop by the clinic. It's fun to give progress reports, even when there is nothing new to share. It's these kind of support systems that you should embrace. Waiting can actually be kind of fun...once you get past the first nervous week. ;-)
Have you hit send yet this year? Planning to?
24 comments:
Timely for many and great words of wisdom.
You and I talked about this. I'll let you know if I actually did press send next week.
I'm anxiously waiting to hear your news as well.
I have the recipe down, and will move forward.
As I am preparing for Genesis, your post is very encouraging. I especially like the praying with a friend part. :)
Good for you, Case!! Excited to see what happens for you.
Yes, I'm revising right now and am planning to submit to an agent (possibly more than one) early this year. I'm nervous, to say the least. It'll be hard to finally decide it's done and good enough to send. :P
Bonus suggestion: DO NOT, (let me repeat that) DO NOT reread and reread and reread what you sent out.
True. So very true. I wanted to puke when I made this mistake and reread something I sent. A dear friend gave me this advice and I've never looked back (at the ms). ;)
Great advice, Casey. I tend to be a re-reader, too. And then I beat myself up for not catching a mistake or something I could have done differently in the story.
I'm hoping to complete revisions and submit my story later this year. And, I'm trying not to bite my fingernails at the thought. :)
I'll be praying for you!
Casey,
This is great advice! It was even hard for me to "send" for contests. Actually I procrastinated through a few until 3 writing friends gave me a bit of a push. My fear: failure. But that fear wasn't realized.
I'm big on torturing myself with the re-read. Perhaps an intervention is needed at some point. I will admit that though waiting come with a certain amount of exhausting anxiety, it is also a time of endless possibilities and hope. I always tried to look at it that way, instead of focusing on the potential for a let down.
Great advice here, Casey!
I had to hit send a few times last year and each one ended up being pivotal. I'm glad God me over the stalling and nerves (okay, fine, the nerves lasted even after I hit "send") but yeah...we just have to let it go eventually, don't we? :)
I loved your bonus suggestion. Nothing good can come of reading and rereading after hitting send and then freaking yourself out over little typos you find. :)
I would like to check this book out.
& thank so much for the great tips!
Jan
Painful!
But true. :-)
And I feel like the queen of procrastination because it's not good enough.
Such a great post today, Case!
I can attest to not rereading what you sent, especially to contests. It really does make a difference in your psyche. =)
Excellent post. The key here is to indeed HIT SEND! Don't cower, go for it. And yes, tell people. Tell people who will encourage you when doubt strikes.
Courage is priceless!
Guilty as charged - sending out something without an attachment. And you are right about reading and re-reading after sending out. Ways to make oneself crazy. Have a blessed week.
Way to go, Casey!
I'll read this again in a few weeks when I'm ready to re-submit a manuscript! And possibly enter the Genesis.
Scary!!
LOL. \\Sue
Thanks for sharing your lessons with us. I will bookmark this for later. :)
Comments are awesome today! I love how you all jumped in and shared what works and doesn't work for you all. I think you've all had the courage (or will have the courage) to hit send. Share as you do so we can cheer for you!!
Mary, that's why I choose this topic. ;-)
Ralene, you and me BOTH. So nervous about that!
Lindsay and you've got an awesome CP who won't steer you wrong (on purpose! ;-)
Jess, I had to quick rereading after my first contest entries. Geesh, talk about a guilt trip you don't need!
Jeanne, suddenly after hitting send you have GREAT clarity. Why does it work like that??
Julia, aren't you glad you did? What contests are you entering this year?
Amy, your thoughts are golden, love them!
Melissa, but I love that your "hitting send" gives the rest of us the chance to finally read your work!!
Janet, thanks for coming by!
Pep, you and me both! (and the rest of the world...)
Nancy, yes a WORLD of difference!
Diane, half the battle is hitting send, the agent I submitted to all but told me that. It's a step you can't untake but a great learning experience!
Heather, unplug the internet before hitting send. So if you accidently do, then you're saved! :) And I know, me too!
GO SUE!!!!!! You'll do awesome. :)
Savanna, thanks for coming by!
What a great post! Thanks for sharing.
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