My New Book Is Off to Publishers!

And…LIFTOFF! My thriller with science fiction and horror elements is now on submission, via my agent! What does that mean? Read on…

Earlier this year, I had a dragon fantasy book on submission, and it has since been withdrawn. Was that a failure? No, but likely, it was a matter of timing. It received amazing feedback but it just wasn’t the exact right fit or time. So it’s shelved FOR NOW. I’ll tell you our plans for it in a bit. That was heartbreaking stuff:

Today’s news is about a very different book.

About the New Book

I won’t reveal the title at this point, and I have to keep the details quiet, but I can still talk about the book generally. I wrote about finishing the book here:

This is my most “mainstream” work yet, given it has broad subject matter and potential appeal. My thriller novel with sci-fi and horror elements features an unsettling near-future tale involving academia, corporate espionage, and one woman's personal and world-shaping fight.

The Submission Package

So what happens when a book goes on submission? What does that even MEAN? I’ve written all about it on Medium if you want to get into the depths of that. But more simply put, and to the point, it means that my book and its pitch have been submitted via my literary agent to the editors of publishing houses.

Digging deeper, the submission package contains a tagline or blurb, like a movie tagline, for example. Then a short synopsis really pitching the book. Then a longer synopsis.

In the pitch, my agent Laura made the book sound really good! She assures me it is actually that good. Still, a wave of out-of-body experience swept over me as she compared it to works of Sarah Gailey, Jeff Vandermeer, and Victor Manibo! Wow!

The Waiting Game

So the book is in the inboxes of editors at major publishing houses. I have seen the editor list! I’m lucky; not every agent shares this list. It’s a terrific group of editors. Some of the editors are known for acquiring thrillers with a speculative bent; others are known for acquiring speculative fiction primarily. Some have seen my other work and really liked it, so I’m hoping they’ll enjoy this quite different subject matter.

And now we wait.

Editors are busy; they’re receiving new books while editing those of writers already contacted with their publishers. They’re going to acquisition meetings. They’re giving feedback. My book is one of several they have been sent. So it’s going to take time.

We wait, and we hope. My agent will check in periodically with anyone she’s not heard from.

The Best Way to Cope…

To cope with the gnawing uncertainty of being “on sub”, I must move forward and finish the campy horror novel in progress that’s due in a couple months to my agent.

And soon we’ll have a talk about what comes after THAT. Will it be fantasy, science fiction, or horror? I have an embarrassingly huge list of IP that we can go through and choose from. Several works are already partial manuscripts. It’s just figuring out what the best direction might be. My agent keeps track of what the editors at these publishing houses want. That’s a great asset.

Also, we must be flexible. If the book is bought, some other things might happen quickly. I’d need to be focus on book edits in cooperation with the editor. And, as I hinted above, there’s a possibility that one of these editors might also take the dragon book. Which would be great!

Either way, I’m establishing myself as a driven writer, and my agent calls me a “powerhouse” to the extent that I actually added it to my LinkedIn profile! I’m drawing upon my fast writing and determination to get me through this tough thing called being “on sub”. Since I’ve already dealt with its peaks and valleys, it’s like returning to a challenging hike I’ve done before. Oh, I remember this climb. This part’s hard. Oh, there’s the valley of compliments! Oh, there’s the slippery waterfall trail…I need to avoid tumbling!

It’s a test of patience and will. Sometimes, it can be very tough, mentally. This is when it’s a great idea to connect with other writers who have been there. They know.

So, onward. The chief thing to do now is wait AND…

WRITE ON!
Jendia