Waiting on The Editor

Friday, April 10th, 2009 | Once It Is Sold, The Writing Life

There are many things I did not know when I started the process of trying to sell my work, and still more about the process of publishing after my book was sold. One of those things is that it’s hard to wait for notes.

Now that’s obvious, right? But for some reason, it never occured to me that I would find it difficult to be patient and wait to hear what changes need to be made on the manuscript that I turned in to my editor.

I am fortunate. My editor is brilliant and quick, so I should be getting the changes in the next few weeks. But in spite of the fact that I know that, the wait is still hard. In part, it’s hard to wait because I am addicted to my characters. I want to dive back into the novel and make the changes, because then I get to live in their world again for a few more weeks. But it is also hard because I respect my editor’s opinion. I want to know what she thinks. She has an eye, honed over time and experience, that I simply do not have. I know that whatever notes she gives me, they’re going to make the book better. And that is my quest. It has been my quest for the last three years: to make this book better.

So I wait. I read something someone else has written. I bat around ideas for books to come. But essentially, I gather my energy, and look forward to the day when I get the email from my editor, giving me the notes and the go-ahead so that I can to get to work again.

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