What's the Hold Up?

Undercover · Jul 18, 2013

I've had direct connection with one editor from a top publisher for years now. It started when I got my first agent. But we parted ways and since then I still have kept in contact with this one editor. She's amazingly sweet and has commented and critiqued on the first three chapters of my next novel I sent her. Granted, it took her a year (almost to the day) for her to finally make a decision on it. She ultimately passed, but said it had tons of potential and if I were to revise (per her suggestions) she'd be happy to take another look.

I was elated when I did finally hear back from her, but since then I signed that novel with another publisher, but I told her of yet another one of mine. Again, she's always eager to see it, but then...crickets. I've nudged her a few times and she says she's still looking at it. It was only the query, synopsis and first three chapters. The two times I nudged, she gets back to me in a heart beat and tells me she's still looking at it. It's been about six months and just that little sample. It's not even the whole ms. yet. I'm not sure why she's hanging on to it, yet not asking for the whole ms. What would be her reasons? Is she perhaps showing it to others and deciding that way? I'm just not sure why it would take so long to linger on just the three chapters. You'd think she'd be better off putting me out of my misery and saying no thanks on it.

I've dealt with so many other editors from different publishing houses and some are quick and some are slow, but I've never had to wait a year for a response. I suppose I could wait another 6 months for her to decide or longer at that. It's still available. It's my longest wait on just a partial and her company is one of the big 6.

I know I'm just too impatient with this stuff. I just wish I could move forward with her and have her ask for the ms. If not that, cut me loose so the anticipation doesn't suffocate me first.

shadowwalker · Jul 18, 2013

Didn't you kinda know it was going to take a while, considering the other book?

Undercover · Jul 18, 2013

Yeah, I guess. I'm sure I'm just analyzing it too much.

Old Hack · Jul 18, 2013

You're not her priority: the books she's already signed and is working on are what she has to focus on.

She'll take whatever time she needs.

Stacia Kane · Jul 19, 2013

Undercover said:
It's been about six months and just that little sample. It's not even the whole ms. yet. I'm not sure why she's hanging on to it, yet not asking for the whole ms. What would be her reasons? Is she perhaps showing it to others and deciding that way? I'm just not sure why it would take so long to linger on just the three chapters. You'd think she'd be better off putting me out of my misery and saying no thanks on it.

She hasn't read it yet.

Undercover · Jul 19, 2013

That's what I figured, thanks guys.

Phaeal · Jul 28, 2013

LOL, I had a short story on one editor's desk for a couple years before I heard back, and that was after the prelim readers had passed it on to editor. Then there are my agent and new editor who read a 90K MS overnight.

There's no use agonizing about how long it takes someone to read your stuff. So many factors could be influencing their speed, from the MS going missing to lack of time to little enthusiasm to great enthusiasm and et cetera ad infinitum.

We send. We wait. If we get tired of waiting, we can say so and move on.

aruna · Aug 2, 2013

Old Hack said:
You're not her priority: the books she's already signed and is working on are what she has to focus on.

She'll take whatever time she needs.

Exactly. I have just such a reationship with the HarperCollins editor who bought my books over ten years ago. We mail now and then (always I'm the one to mail first, though!) and she tells me personal stuff and so do I, and I send her queries and chapters and synopses, and sometimes she gets back to me and sometimes she doesn't. I take it as it comes. She has never taken on anything ever again, though she has since moved to a smaller house and now has her own list and independence. I don't question her delays, nor do I ge impatient. It's just the way it is. Recently, she did something very nice for me, mailed me, and then silence. I know I'm not her priority, and untol I write something that makes her jump right out of her shoes, I accept that. SO I think you should go on sending your editor stuff, but never bite your nails waiting for a response.

Undercover · Aug 2, 2013

Thanks Phaeal, for sharing that.

And you're right, Aruna. Really I'm just happy she's willing to take a look at all my stuff. Even though nothing's happened with any one of my novels yet, it amazes me that I can talk to her directly without an agent.

Since this post I've settled down on my wait and am trying to keep busy with other things. I have a WIP I need to get to still. Right now I'm trying to bump up my blog. Thanks again everyone.

They called me Bruce · Aug 2, 2013

Phaeal said:
LOL, I had a short story on one editor's desk for a couple years before I heard back, and that was after the prelim readers had passed it on to editor. Then there are my agent and new editor who read a 90K MS overnight.

There's no use agonizing about how long it takes someone to read your stuff. So many factors could be influencing their speed, from the MS going missing to lack of time to little enthusiasm to great enthusiasm and et cetera ad infinitum.

We send. We wait. If we get tired of waiting, we can say so and move on.

We get writer's block- perhaps they get reader's block?

I put a project aside for six months and came back to it after working flat out in a different world. I found it difficult to read my own work with any enthusiasm around all the bits that needed editing.

The work I have 'finished' is still throwing up errors. I have been quoted a very attractive price for 3rd party edit. Having kept some track of the time editing takes and the skill and knowledge necessary I cna see how easily a manuscript can end up in the 'too hard' basket!

Old Hack · Aug 2, 2013

Bruce, if you're hoping to get a trade publishing deal then it's probably not worth paying someone else to edit your book at this point.

If you're planning to self publish, then you absolutely should get your work edited. But don't choose an editor based on price: talent and experience are far more important.

gingerwoman · Aug 2, 2013

They called me Bruce said:
We get writer's block- perhaps they get reader's block?

I put a project aside for six months and came back to it after working flat out in a different world. I found it difficult to read my own work with any enthusiasm around all the bits that needed editing.

The work I have 'finished' is still throwing up errors. I have been quoted a very attractive price for 3rd party edit. Having kept some track of the time editing takes and the skill and knowledge necessary I cna see how easily a manuscript can end up in the 'too hard' basket!

You need to be very sure it's a real editor with proven experience and not a scam.

They called me Bruce · Aug 3, 2013

Old Hack said:
Bruce, if you're hoping to get a trade publishing deal then it's probably not worth paying someone else to edit your book at this point.

If you're planning to self publish, then you absolutely should get your work edited. But don't choose an editor based on price: talent and experience are far more important.

I wasn't looking to self-publish, though exlibris's attempts to attract my business has been fun to watch! If I can't find someone else who thinks it's worth putting out there, it's better that it stays on a shelf.

The edit offer was via the literary assor I've been using, who is widely recommended. The principal has been agent, editor and in publishing as project manager. The edit offer was for the cover letter, first chapters and 'market position statement'.

Old Hack · Aug 4, 2013

They called me Bruce said:
I wasn't looking to self-publish, though exlibris's attempts to attract my business has been fun to watch! If I can't find someone else who thinks it's worth putting out there, it's better that it stays on a shelf.

The edit offer was via the literary assor I've been using, who is widely recommended. The principal has been agent, editor and in publishing as project manager. The edit offer was for the cover letter, first chapters and 'market position statement'.

For anyone following this thread, Bruce and I have now exchanged PMs, and my view hasn't changed.

Here's part of what I wrote to Bruce in my PM:

Literary agents are experts at spotting talent in the raw: they really don't need to have it pointed out to them by having someone else edit the submission before they see it.

If you only have your partial edited then they're going to be concerned when they see the rest of your book, and realise that it's rougher than the rest.

It's highly likely that your book might need to start in a different place: beginners often start their books too early, and end up having the first few chapters they've written dropped. If you only have your partial edited, and those few chapters aren't the right start for your book, you've thrown away a lot of money.

It's difficult to edit a partial, as effective editing takes the entire book into account.

That doesn't mean that editing services are never worth using: the good ones can be really helpful, under certain circumstances.

I think you'd be better off spending time in our Share Your Work sections. Help some of our other members with their work: tell them what works for you and what doesn't. It's amazing how much you learn about your own work by doing this.

Once you've worked in SYW for a few weeks you'll be able to see your own work more clearly. It's well worth doing: and it might save you a few hundred dollars, too.

I'll add that all aspiring novelists should read "Learn Writing With Uncle Jim" (I think it's in our Novels room) and participate in the thread, too: it's brilliant.

Let's try to get back on-topic now, shall we? If anyone wants to continue the discussion about the value of editorial services they're welcome to start a new thread; and I'm sure we've had several discussions about this already.

What's the Hold Up?

Undercover

I got it covered

shadowwalker

empty-nester!

Undercover

I got it covered

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

Stacia Kane

Girl Detective

Undercover

I got it covered

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

Undercover

I got it covered

They called me Bruce

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

gingerwoman

They called me Bruce

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman