HI all. Hope everyone on sub is staying calm and positive.
So I'm in one of my crazy restless gal-on-sub modes and I was just wondering - what are some of the reasons why an editor might hold onto your ms for a long time? Just throw em out there
(Really I know there's no point in talking about this and yet my fingers keep typing!)
There can be lots of reasons, as others have suggested. For me, some of the slower responses were because the editor read and passed it up the chain of command, and then had to wait for higher ups to read. Or was waiting for a scheduled meeting.
But, my agent also said the "no news is no news" thing. And one of the things I've heard from several people is often the slow response is not because the editor is "holding on to it" but because the editor hasn't read it yet. A lot of editors have piles waiting to be read, even from agents. And they don't always read in order of receipt - in fact, they often don't. They often read by how much something interests them, or how much interest there is in the manuscript, or by how close their relationship is with the submitting agent, interest from others on the team, or even other factors.... So, sometimes the wait is for the editor to read. And that means nothing about the manuscript.
lkp - nice rejections are really tough, but also really encouraging that you are close.
On your question of forwarded Rs - my agent often paraphrases and comments and interprets or adds info. And usually we do communicate back and forth - by email or phone.
So, I think if you want to respond, you should.
JWheeler - excellent news! I didn't have any conference calls, but did talk to my editor by phone pre-acceptance of the offer. I'll give you the same advice my agent gave me - relax.
My take: they already love the book, and this is to let you hear their thoughts and feel each other out - nothing for you to prove at all. So, listen to their thoughts and let them woo you, and they may have questions - you can always say non-commital things like "Interesting" "I'll have to think about that" "I'd love to talk about that further" if you aren't sure - or you want time to talk with your agent.
But frankly, you can probably mostly listen
~suki
