How Long Is Long?

Elektra

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An editor (yay!) at a very small press requested the first 20 pages of my novel, warning that it would "take time" to hear from them. The more I read about this editor the more I want to work with her, SO...

Can anyone suggest a rough figure on what wait I'm looking at here? 20 pages doesn't seem like it would constitute months to get to, but perhaps it does. What's the normal turnaround time for small presses?
 

Lauri B

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Hi Elektra,
It varies by publisher (obviously), but a 2-3 month wait is pretty standard for any house. That said, you could hear tomorrow or not until next year. I think you need to focus on writing the next one while you're waiting. Good luck!
 

Lauri B

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popmuze said:
There's that dreaded phrase "the next one" again. (See my thread elsewhere) while waiting for responses.

But what about the effects of acceptance and praise on someone's talent and drive?

I mean, would the Beatles have become "The Beatles" if they were never signed? For how many more years would Lennon & McCartney have continued writing failed songs over and over again if "She Loves You" hadn't hit when it did? Doesn't success give writers some kind of boost to their belief in themselves that might propel them to go further than failure ever would? As much as success might freeze some people, I think it's a necessary element in making that leap from "She Loves You" to "A Day in the Life."

I know you can't depend on outside praise to sustain you. But I'm not so certain that a lack of recognition is just what the doctor ordered to make you keep topping yourself with "the next one" until success finds you.
Geez, popmuze, I think you read a whole lot more into my response than was there. I told the OP that response times vary a lot, and a good idea would not be to focus on how long the response is taking, but to keep writing and submitting. I didn't say anywhere that rejection is good, that she doesn't deserve or won't get success, and I certainly didn't say anything even close to "a lack of recognition is just what the doctor ordered," for heaven's sake. I, too, am a working writer. I wait around for responses just like everyone else. I hate being rejected just like everyone else, and I love the positive reinforcement that an acceptance or good review brings. But I eat my own cooking: I keep writing and submitting while I wait to hear from publishers, because you can't base a writing career on one work.
 

Carmy

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ROFL You guys are funny.

Elektra - 20 pages takes no time to read, so why does the editor need to take time to respond? It may be standard for the publisher. Are you able to contact other writers they published and ask their opinions and experiences?

I'd be wary. A friend of mine published a YA novel with one publisher. She held onto his next submission for some time, so he didn't submit elsehwere. Eventually, she contacted him and told him the publishing house was closing. I'm not saying that could happen to you, but long delays on short submissions are not acceptable when dealing with a professional.