Hanging in there with Hope....

Well, an agent that passed on one of my manuscripts still has several others he has not yet read.

I thanked him for his time and let him know I have a possibility concerning another mss. with a publisher I found by myself and asked if he might be interested in that mss. and/or the others of mine he has.

All I can do is ask, right? Their time is important too, so I'm grateful. If he declines a mss. (that the publisher, which I found by myself, says is in final review,) I wouldn't want him anyway. (I do wonder how long this agent would have waited to finally TELL me he was passing on the one book if I had not telephoned. ) He'd had the thing for at least 7 months but kept telling me he'd get back to me. That's why I'm glad I do multiple submissions!

What I've learned so far from this exp. is that I'm glad I am not shy about checking in with agents. The squeaky wheel may not always get the first contract offer, but it will roll steadily on to the next place knowing there are different paths open and enjoy the journey.

I'll wait and see what the final review is from the Pub. and hope another of my other manuscripts (at another lit agency) creates interest.
Keep the hope alive, writing friends. It's worth waiting and hoping for.
Writer Friend

Thank you Appalachian Writer,
Very kind of you! What keeps me going is looking at the latest published novels on the library or book store shelves. I see that some are wonderful and others, well, I wonder how on earth they made it to print! One book I recall had the first three chapters with someone at sea, the ship rocking back and forth, no plot that I could get interested in, and I got sea sick by the fourth chapter! How do these people get published?
I do love reading the great writers though and aspire to be more like them! Keep up the hope and good things will happen.
Best wishes to you with your writing.
Writer Friend

Thanks for reminding me about Gone with the Wind. I just got a full mss. back in the mail from a second agent. How I hate to see those mss. come back! Yes, one other agent had my full for over seven months, then rejected it. I really don't think he began reading it until a few weeks ago. A pox on him! That's the last time I send out even a multiple without a deadline for the agent. The one I got back in the mail today was a real dissappointment, but at least these people only kept it a month or two. Now I've learned: put deadlines on all multiples and especially on the requested fulls. This is a business as well as an art form. Thanks for the empathy! Now, on to the next six agents....
Writer Friend

Yes, seven months. As I wrote a few mintues ago, I've now learned my lesson: On all my multiple submissions I'm now going to put a deadline reading "Thank you for your interest in this multiple submission. If you have time within the next three months to read the enclosed, I am grateful. I hope to hear from you by (list date here) and if not, please note that the mss. will be sent to additional agents.
(May I add "So there!"?
Writer Friend