Revise & Resubmit Hell

mayqueen · Jan 22, 2013

Good luck, Smiley!
Undercover, that sounds very promising. I can understand feeling jaded about R&Rs.

Just to update, I did two rounds of revisions. The final version did not end up landing me an offer, but I think my manuscript is stronger for it. But it was still very disappointing.

Undercover · Jan 23, 2013

That's good you got something out of it, Mayqueen. Now you can send it knowing it's better. Keep trekking with it!

Smiley0501 · Jan 23, 2013

Wow Undercover that does sound promising.

Mayqueen, go query that thing like the wind.

You've got a better book and a stronger hook and I wanna see you sellll it

Go go go!!

*twiddling my thumbs til I hear from the R&R agent*

How long did any of you guys hear back?

mayqueen · Jan 23, 2013

Problem is, I'm pretty much out of agents to query. I kept querying after I did the revisions and managed a request, but it didn't work out.

I heard back for the first R&R request in something like 5 days. I got the second request in two and a half weeks. The final rejection took six weeks. It was an agonizing six weeks.

You just have to remember that you did the absolute best work you could do. Working on something new (and querying while waiting!) really helped me get over the agony of waiting.

thelittleprince · Apr 15, 2013

Okay I have to join this thread, because I'm going insane with the waiting.

I submitted to a publisher (I don't have an agent) and got a not very detailed R&R. So I took my time before I sent it back. I didn't have big expectations - I didn't even really know what it meant to get an R&R, I'm such a newb - and after more than 2 months of silence I figured it had probably been rejected.

But a couple of weeks ago the publisher contacted me and said she loved it! Now she is showing it to god knows who, and I am chewing all my fingernails off and my heart skips a little every time I see I have an email. The waiting is SO painful

Bushrat · Apr 15, 2013

thelittleprince said:
But a couple of weeks ago the publisher contacted me and said she loved it! Now she is showing it to god knows who, and I am chewing all my fingernails off and my heart skips a little every time I see I have an email. The waiting is SO painful

Oh, I know! I wish a medically induced coma would be available until the answers are in :tongue

I'm chewing with you (my own nails, though!) - just sent my revised thriller off to my agent, and now it's wait and see how the publisher likes it.

Do you have another manuscript to work on? That helps somewhat, I find.

thelittleprince · Apr 16, 2013

Bushrat said:
Oh, I know! I wish a medically induced coma would be available until the answers are in
I'm chewing with you (my own nails, though!) - just sent my revised thriller off to my agent, and now it's wait and see how the publisher likes it.

Do you have another manuscript to work on? That helps somewhat, I find.

I am unfortunately incredibly time poor at the moment, so finding writing time is difficult

We are in the same game, then! I just want to know one way or another!!! Sending good vibes to the publisher with your thriller in his/her hands

Bushrat · Apr 17, 2013

Maybe you can brainstorm a new plot if there's not enough spare time for writing?

Just found out that the publisher's department head is off on a two-week holiday - left the day I sent off my manuscript. *sigh*

thelittleprince · Apr 30, 2013

Aaaargh, I feel your pain, Bushrat.

And my R&R just got accepted for publication! So there is hope, everyone

Katrina S. Forest · Apr 30, 2013

I'm going to check in here just because. I've got an R&R that went out in October. Consoled myself with some ice cream on its six-month anniversary a few weeks ago. I've made one polite nudge at the three-month mark, but I haven't nudged since then. I've been trying to work on my new ms and put it out of my mind.

On the lighter side, I've found a creative way to keep track of the wait: pounds the new baby has gained since I submitted. ^_^

Smiley0501 · May 1, 2013

I nudged at the end of April (4 months mark). Now we twiddle thumbs...

Katrina, I am glad I'm not alone on the R&R silence. I felt like I was very alone bc everyone I knew heard right away!

EMaree · May 9, 2013

How are we doing, revisers? I'm waiting for the second round of revision notes from my agent, so I thought I'd check in back here and say hi.

missbluestocking · Jan 11, 2015

Bringing this thread back to life. Anyone else out there dying from an R&R? I was one of those silly writers who was warned a million times not to rush a revision to an agent but did it anyway. URGHHHHH. Finished revising in 10 days -- she wanted me to cut out repetitive scenes, lower the word count, and add more conflict. I ended up cutting 15k...I think I added enough conflict...and yet every day I think of new ways to improve the story, but it's too late now *facepalm*

Lonegungrrly · Jan 12, 2015

Yey for reviving the thread! I'm in R&R trenches right now. It's a 40% re-write - I've cut 24k. 24,000 pretty little words, all gone! So at the moment it isn't so much editing as writing the first draft of the last third all over again! On the plus side it is coming out much better. It's with an agency who asked for an R&R last year from me too, so I'd love to work with them. I'm trying to take it slow but when I'm in a project I just tend to hammer through it.

Undercover · Jan 12, 2015

I have an R&R from September that I still haven't even started. I'm not 100% sure on the publisher and I'm still looking for something better. Although I've been watching them and it's growing which is good. I may just go ahead and revise.

This has been a novel I've revised a lot of times before and it didn't workout in the past and I'm a little hesitant because of that too.

missbluestocking · Jan 13, 2015

Lonegungrrly said:
Yey for reviving the thread! I'm in R&R trenches right now. It's a 40% re-write - I've cut 24k. 24,000 pretty little words, all gone! So at the moment it isn't so much editing as writing the first draft of the last third all over again! On the plus side it is coming out much better. It's with an agency who asked for an R&R last year from me too, so I'd love to work with them. I'm trying to take it slow but when I'm in a project I just tend to hammer through it.

How long have you been working on this? Sounds like it's been a while! I don't know how you do it. My nerves would be all frazzled.

Undercover said:
I have an R&R from September that I still haven't even started. I'm not 100% sure on the publisher and I'm still looking for something better. Although I've been watching them and it's growing which is good. I may just go ahead and revise.

This has been a novel I've revised a lot of times before and it didn't workout in the past and I'm a little hesitant because of that too.

Do you agree with their R&R suggestions?

Lonegungrrly · Jan 14, 2015

missbluestocking said:
How long have you been working on this? Sounds like it's been a while! I don't know how you do it. My nerves would be all frazzled

Only a week so far! I got the notes before Xmas, had a good old think, then got the chopping scissors out in the new year. However it FEELS like a lifetime haha

Undercover · Jan 14, 2015

missbluestocking said:
How long have you been working on this? Sounds like it's been a while! I don't know how you do it. My nerves would be all frazzled.

Do you agree with their R&R suggestions?

I'm okay with them. It's the love interest mainly, which isn't much. But it's a volatile relationship and uncertainty at the end so I can understand them wanting me to change it. But I've had other R&Rs in the past that didn't work out. This will be my 6th one. I am tortured by this one particular ms.

La nuit etoilee · Jul 2, 2015

Hi Guys,

I am new and I am reviving this thread! I'm in R&R hell now and need somewhere to vent. In July of last year I was signed with a small press (more on that later) who ended up being HORRIBLE and ending my contract because they thought editing would "take too long" and they "shouldn't have taken me on in the first place." :gaah

No one there even read my novel in its entirety, neither the owner or my editor. Glad to be free of them. Long story short, I submitted the same novel to my dream agent, and she gave me an R&R back in April! I agreed with all of her suggestions, spent a month on revisions, working hard with my critique partner, who's very tough love and didn't let me get away with surface level revisions. I sent my revised MS back on 5/26. I know a month's not too long, and Dream Agent took about a month to get back to me the first time, but this time the waiting is harder! Two other agents have the full and have had it forever...kind of given up on them. I feel like if I wait a moment longer, I'm going to lose my mind. Looking for a friend who can relate! :heart:

Writelock · Jul 2, 2015

I keep a punching bag around for such situations.

Jeneral · Jul 4, 2015

Oooh, good luck! I totally agree, I think the waiting the second time around would drive me (will drive me) insane.

Glad to see this thread revived! I'm working on my first R&R right now, only a couple weeks in, and I'm kind of amazed at the process. When I first got the notes, I was overwhelmed, then when I sat down to think about them rationally, it was all very doable. I spent a week just brainstorming, figuring out what needs to be added and revised, etc., and I got really pumped up and excited. Now I've started the actual writing, it's an absolute roller coaster. I swing from OH MY GOD I'M MAKING IT WORSE JUST STOP to THIS IS AWESOME I WILL BE A BEST SELLING NOVELIST SOON. I'm attributing the mood swing to the fact that an agent is showing actual interest, and wants to see what changes I make, so the pressure's on more than with just regular submission. Being a writer is SO MUCH FUN.

La nuit etoilee · Jul 6, 2015

Hi Jeneral!! Haha, yes you're right. It takes a special kind of personality for us to indulge in this self torture and call it "fun." Yesterday was my birthday, and I was delusional enough to hope I would get that offer. I kept checking my inbox, and then went into a depression, vacillating from "oh it's a rejection, why did I ever think I could do this?" to "it's okay, she could still offer later this month." UGHHH. I know what you mean about wondering if the new draft is worse than the first, and then thinking it could actually be brilliant. I do think the notes I received improved my draft, but I wish I could have validation in the form of an offer! To be honest, if she rejects, I'm going to self publish. This is my 3rd novel (I've written 4) and I am tired of watching them gather dust on my laptop instead of being read. Best of luck with your submission! Let me know when you send it, and I'll keep you updated on my reply! (if it ever comes! :Shrug:

)

Jeneral · Jul 12, 2015

Thanks, La Nuit! It's going to be a while before I send it, but I'm deep in the rewrite now and now that I've figured out the major problems I'm feeling pretty good about it. This of course could change at any time. I'm shooting to send it off by September, which would be about 3 months from the R&R request. Fingers crossed.

La nuit etoilee · Jul 17, 2015

That sounds like a great timeline, Jeneral! I'm currently at the 1.5 month mark of waiting, and going crazy with nerves. Dream Agent took exactly 1.5 mos to respond to my original submission, so I have high hopes that I might get an answer this weekend! I am possibly starting a new job on Monday, and I think full time work will be a great distraction from waiting, but also hard, because less time to write. I've been trying to throw myself back into my other manuscript, but I've been working on it for a year (just completed another revision) so it's not that fun. I think I need a shiny new project! Best of luck with your revisions and I hope you feel inspired and are enjoying the process.

La nuit etoilee · Aug 12, 2015

DREAM AGENT offered representation yesterday and I said yes!!!!! :hooray:

Revisions worked!! There is R&R hope!! I still have some editing to do, but that was to be expected. I am still in shock, I think. I hope others find encouragement from this message! How are you holding up Jeneral? Any news?

Revise & Resubmit Hell

mayqueen

practical experience, FTW

Undercover

I got it covered

Smiley0501

Lurker, now activated. :-)

mayqueen

practical experience, FTW

thelittleprince

Bushrat

reaching for the sun

thelittleprince

Bushrat

reaching for the sun

thelittleprince

Katrina S. Forest

Smiley0501

Lurker, now activated. :-)

EMaree

a demon for tea

missbluestocking

Lonegungrrly

Undercover

I got it covered

missbluestocking

Lonegungrrly

Undercover

I got it covered

La nuit etoilee

Writelock

Tribal Wanderer

Jeneral

Cat wrangler

La nuit etoilee

Jeneral

Cat wrangler

La nuit etoilee

La nuit etoilee