Rachel Mans McKenny On The Helplessness Of Submission

If there's one thing that many aspiring writers have few clues about, it's the submission process. There are good reasons for that; authors aren't exactly encouraged to talk in detail about our own submission experiences, and - just like agent hunting - everyone's story is different. I managed to cobble together a few non-specific questions that some debut authors have agreed to answer (bless them). And so I bring you the submission interview series - Submission Hell - It's True. Yes, it's the SHIT. 

Today’s guest for the SHIT is Rachel Mans McKenny. A Midwesterner born and raised, Rachel is a writer and humorist. Her work has been published in The New York Times, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Electric Literature, The Rumpus, and other outlets (clips here). Her debut novel, The Butterfly Effect, is forthcoming from Alcove Press in December 2020. She is represented by Veronica Park at Fuse Literary.

How much did you know about the submission process before you were out on subs yourself?

So little! I thought I understood what it was going to be like after querying, but it really surprised me. I read all the SHIT interviews I could get my hands on from this series and saw the variety of experiences, and that helped me feel better.

I’ve been on sub twice, but didn’t sell with the first manuscript, so this time around I felt a little older and wiser-- and more pessimistic? I think, strangely, that pessimism helped me from getting as anxious. I don’t know if I recommend more negative thoughts in the year 2020 [woah boy, it’s been awful], but it does help to remember that you wrote a whole dang book and that, in itself, is incredible. 

Did anything about the process surprise you?

I didn’t realize how helpless I would feel! If you’re a bit type A [cough like me cough], it can be hard to let go of the reins. At least with querying, you’re in charge of the process and you can always just query a few more agents if you’re seeing good fits, but you have to trust your agent’s expertise, understanding of the market, and knowledge of editor taste when you’re on submission… which is why you take them on as an agent to begin with! My agent, Veronica Park, knew exactly how to hold my hand through submission of THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT.  

Did you research the editors you knew had your ms? Do you recommend doing that?

I’ve been on sub twice, and my agents have never informed me of the editors’ names ahead of time, only the imprints or houses. I seriously recommend this, or it can be tempting to spend time looking for subtweets or reading too deeply into their current authors. When things got serious, my agent let me know more background on each.

What was the average amount of time it took to hear back from editors?

It varied, but a few weeks was pretty average. The first round of subs went out over the summer, which supposedly was a slower time, but we didn’t have issues hearing back in a timely manner.

What do you think is the best way for an author out on submission to deal with the anxiety?

Everyone says work on the next thing, and really, do that if you can. The project I wrote while on sub the first time because the book I’m debuting with this December. I know some people don’t have the headspace for that, which is completely understandable!  

A few other suggestions: find a group of people at the same spot as you, if you can. I found a group of friends through an online forum who were all on sub at the same time, and it really helped to have a safe space to share our concerns and celebrations.

Finally, install a browser locker like Freedom or Forest to help block out your email and social media when you need to work. It’s easy to watch your inbox like it’s a toddler playing with scissors, but it doesn’t help.

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If you had any rejections, how did you deal with that emotionally? How did this kind of rejection compare to query rejections?

Rejections were so, so kind both times I was on sub. Unlike query rejections, usually they had a comment about the work directly, rather than saying simply, “Thanks but no thanks!” You can ask your agent to send rejections to you or just summarize what they say, and I’ve had it both ways. Honestly, if you and your agent know that you’ve sent out your best, rejections are usually just about fit for the list, which feels less personal. Being able to commiserate with an agent also really helps if any sting a bit more.

When you got your YES! how did that feel? How did you find out – email, telephone, smoke signal?

A few months into sub, I got a text from my agent that an editor had a few questions for me and did I have time to chat on the phone the next day? Of course, I said yes! I was teaching a class during the scheduled time, so a friend stepped in to sub for me for the first half of the period. I sat in my car with my laptop open on my lap, my hands shaking as I answered the call. It took maybe thirty seconds for me to completely relax while chatting with the editor. She was warm and complementary, answered some questions and offered a direction she could see the book going in. It wasn’t until about twenty minutes into the conversation that my agent asked, “Just to be clear, you are offering on the book?” We all laughed, but honestly, if she hadn’t said it, I am too Midwest-polite to actually come right out and make sure. She was offering. I got to go back to my class and try to focus after that! After reviewing the other options on the table, we accepted the offer two weeks later.

Did you have to wait a period of time before sharing your big news, because of details being ironed out? Was that difficult?

I had to wait a few months! It was really hard, but I shared the information with a few close friends and family ahead of time. I think it was harder for my parents not to be able to tell everyone than it was for me!