Wondering if it's too soon to chase the publisher I sent an MS to back in early December, my first ever submission. Had an acknowledgement by email to say they'd received it, then heard from them again in early January via Twitter to say that they'd been reading my submission when it had been lost in an inbox crash, and could I resend. Not heard anything since then. Do most people wait the standard three months? And would that be three months from the date I originally submitted, or three months from the second submission after they contacted me on Twitter?
Too soon to chase?
- Thread starter antigherkin
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Too soon. Wait the three months. Write something to keep your mind off it.
Heh, exactly what I'm doing!
Too soon. Even if an editor likes your submission, there are numerous hoops to jump through before a manuscript can be acquired. Give it time. Good luck!
Thank you - just need to try to be patient then!
Do most people submit to multiple publishers usually? I only submitted to one.
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gosh yes. With the speed of publishing you could be in your grave going at it one at a time.
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gosh yes. With the speed of publishing you could be in your grave going at it one at a time.
Not exactly. Unless the publisher explicitly says they accept sim-subs, don't do it.
(Agents can do this, but that's a different situation.)
I haven't. I submitted to a digital first imprint (Harper Impulse), which takes unagented submissions. I've looked at a number of similar imprints, but not submitted to any except HI.
if you're planning on looking for an agent, then, I wouldn't sub anywhere else and focus on that first. Publishers who take direct subs won't care that you've subbed to agents but agents will care if you've subbed widely to publishers because it reduced where they can sub to.
I wasn't planning on trying to interest an agent with this, as it's a debut novel. Thought I'd approach some of the digital first imprints to see if there's any interest, in the hope of at least getting some feedback with rejections. Agents seem like something for a second novel, maybe.
Officially, but on their FB page they do say they try to respond to everyone, even if only with a form rejection. Bit odd in this situation though, as an editor did already respond to me via Twitter to say she was enjoying reading it, which I took as encouraging.
Tell you what, this submissions business plays havoc with us impatient people!
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Ooh really? I didn't see that. It does sound very encouraging if they took the time to contact you!
Three months seems like a good time frame. If our blood pressure doesn't kill us before then...
Congratulations!!
Thank you! Heh, I only submitted it because I thought they might provide a bit of feedback for revision - didn't really expect they'd take it as is. The editor was even pretty glowing about it.
Phew, what a day...
Why? Agents are just as likely to go for a debut as a second novel.
but it's a moot point because hey - huge congrats!
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Literary agents offer representation to authors with debut novels every other week. I know there are plenty of articles online which insist they don't, but those articles are wrong.