On Submission with Lee Kelly

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 on the blog is a fellow client of Adriann Ranta, debut author Lee Kelly. Lee is also a lawyer and a brand new mommy, so she kind of has a lot going on right now. Basically, she's smarter than me, and possibly even more stressed. Lee's debut, CITY OF SAVAGES, is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster in 2015. Follow Lee on Twitter  @leeykelly

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

Nothing, essentially. At the time, I didn’t know too many writers who had gone through this process to ask, so most of what I knew was from Adriann. The rest I kind of gleaned by fumbling around on the web, and scouring authors’ websites who were kind enough to share their stories.

Did anything about the process surprise you?

Absolutely! If there’s anything I’ve learned from this experience, it’s that there is no “typical” submission process. It can take days, months, years. And once I started reading sub stories on the web and connecting with other writers going through this process, I found that stories were all over the map. One writer sold her MS in a week. Another, two years. Another was shopping one book and was offered three books, and another was given one book when they’d pitched a trilogy. So I think going in with an open mind and a good attitude is key.

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

I think in today’s age, it’s almost impossible not to. I would be checking the editors’ twitter accounts near weekly (daily?). And I remember at one point, one of our pitched editors tweeted something like, “Writers: If I read one more manuscript where an MC’s heart is in their throat, I’m going to scream.”  I panicked – was that my story? How many hearts are in throats in my manuscript?! So I’d love to advise writers to relax and let the chips fall where they may, but information is so accessible these days, you actually have to WORK to stay in the dark. 

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

Again, all over the map. I think the quickest response was 36 hours (36 hours)! The crazy thing was, it was a fairly detailed response… I guess the editor got excited about Adriann’s pitch, read the first 50 pages and decided it wasn’t for her, then shot back a rejection all in the span of a weekend. The longest? Maybe months. The average response though I’d guess was 3-4 weeks.

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

 I was 8 ½ months pregnant when we went out on sub, had my son a few days after my first editor’s call, and was trying to sneak in a first draft on my new WIP here and there before my extended maternity leave ended.  So while this is an extreme example, I think staying busy with things you love and are excited about is really important.  If you’re not going to have a kid ;), have a new WIP baby.  I’ve heard a lot of writers say the same thing: a new story creates excitement, helps you fall in love with writing again (especially when a bumpy or frustrating submission process can suck some of the joy out of it) and helps assure you that you’re not a one-book pony.

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

Rejections, from an editor or agent, are always tough. But during my sub process, editors were by and large super-supportive, and there is something totally magical about hearing people that buy books talking about your characters like they’re real people. Sure, a Yes would be better than a No, but I tried to remember how lucky I was to be going through this at all.

That said, there was one rejection that absolutely crushed me. I’d spoken to this editor pretty early on in the process, who had big picture suggestions and wanted a revised draft before she could present it to her acquisitions team. I cranked on that draft like I’ve never cranked before, with a newborn at home, poured everything I had into that revision… and then Adriann and I waited. The editor came back with an extremely encouraging email a few months later saying she was so sorry and disappointed, but couldn’t sell her team. I mean, I was crushed. But we went out on another round, connected with the amazing Navah Wolfe and her incredible team at Simon & Schuster, and we got our happy ending. 

If you got feedback on a rejection, how did you process it? How do you compare processing an editor’s feedback as compared to a beta reader’s?

I think I naturally put more stock in an editor’s feedback, especially at the beginning (the MS is broken!  We need to fix it!). But this is where your agent can play a huge role in keeping you grounded, and Adriann kept me sane. Editors are people too, with their own reading preferences, and not everyone’s going to be in love with everything. The further we got into the submission process, the more I truly started to internalize that. Now if a couple of them are saying the same thing… then you start paying close attention, and perhaps there is something to “fix”.

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

I knew we were going to auction the day I got “The Call”, but I didn’t hear from Adriann until that evening, after she’d gotten all the responses and offers. I was at my in-law’s house with my husband and son for a long weekend. I’d been fine at 10 a.m., nervous at noon, visibly sweating by 3 p.m…. and completely ignoring my mother-in-law by 4 p.m.! I flipped out when I saw Adriann’s number on my screen.

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

I only had to wait a week to shout the news from the hilltops, so it wasn’t too torturous. I honestly think it was tougher for my husband to stay quiet… I think he sent a 200-person announcement email after the news posted in PM.

On Submission with Phillip Siegel

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 is Philip Siegel, author of THE BREAK-UP ARTIST coming May 2014 from  Harlequin Teen. You can keep up with Phil for book reviews and cat pictures (so really it's kind of like a male version of me) on Facebook and Twitter.

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

I had read about other authors’ submissions journeys around the web. (including here!) But most of them were positive; usually the people who write about sub are the ones who get book deals. The kidlit blogosphere in general likes to focus exclusively on the positive. Authors tend to stay quiet if their book doesn’t sell, and that leads to a one-sided discussion about submission. Luckily, I managed to read two honest, open, non happy-smiley posts about sub from Mandy Hubbard and Natalie Whipple. Those posts were the most valuable articles I read because they made me mentally prepare for the worst.

Did anything about the process surprise you?

Yes. I had no idea what acquisitions was before sub. I thought you submitted, and the editor bought it. I didn’t know there was an acquisitions committee that also had to be dazzled by your manuscript and that they could veto the editor. Later, I learned about writers who’ve been rejected at acquisitions.

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

No way! I knew only what publishers we were submitting to. My agent was willing to share, but for me, ignorance was bliss. I know myself. I’m usually a rational person, but I was a writer on submission for the first time. Let’s be real. I would’ve resorted to internet stalking editors and making myself crazy. I was already a nervous wreck. No good can come from stalking anyone on Twitter. My agent agreed to email me updates twice a month. If there was good news, she would share immediately, but I didn’t need to get bad news in real time.    

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

We heard from most people in a few weeks, probably no more than two months.

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

If you can muster the willpower, stay off the internet. (And if you actually manage that, tell me your secret.) I would hide my phone in the bottom of my backpack and only let myself check it once an hour. I would’ve only checked it once a day if I had better willpower. Look, it’s incredibly nerve-wracking, and there’s no two ways around it. I wasn’t one of those authors who got an offer within 24 hours. It took a few weeks. Most writers will tell you to write another book. My best advice, though, is to be social – in person. Hang out with friends. Give someone a call. Step away from the computer/smartphone. When I was social with people, I forgot about sub for a while.

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

I was fortunate in that I received a few nice rejections, and that boosted my confidence. “I loved the voice, but it’s not for us.” If I received any nasty rejections, my agent didn’t show me. I’ve heard of writers who want to be forwarded rejections emails from editors. Why do that to yourself? I managed to stay positive during sub. (Although, I’ll admit, nice rejections are still rejections.)

One of my favorite expressions is “You’re not a hundred dollar bill. Not everyone’s going to like you.” Rejection is a big part of this business, but just remember: all it takes is one yes. I’m always hearing about authors whose books sell in pre-empts and auctions and multiple offers. That did not happen with my book. But it doesn’t matter how much rejection you receive. All it takes is one yes. That’s it. Literary careers have been built on that one yes.

If you got feedback on a rejection, how did you process it? How do you compare processing an editor’s feedback as compared to a beta reader’s?

I tried to view the editor feedback as constructive criticism. If they were nice enough to say what they didn’t like, then I took note. I was fortunate in that all of the rejections were hitting on the same 1-2 issues. Unlike with beta readers, I couldn’t ask for clarification. The key is to find the silver lining. Don’t just huff and puff over an editor rejecting you; find the positive, how this can help you.

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

It took me a full day to process. When my agent called and told me, I was like “Yeah, that’s cool.” Then the next day, I woke up and was like “Holy crap! I sold my book!” I wasn’t in total shock, to be honest. My editor was super positive throughout the acquisitions process, so that gave me a good feeling.

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

Compared to other writers I’ve spoken to, my wait was short. Less than a month. I had actually told a writer friend that my book was going to acquisitions. Then she asked if anything happened yet, and I was like “um…no…not really…” Right before the announcement went up in Publisher’s Marketplace, I emailed her and apologized for keeping it a secret. But she totally understood!

On Submission with Lisa Maxwell

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 is debut Lisa Maxwell, whose title SWEET UNREST will be available from Flux in the Fall of 2014.

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

Honestly, not much. My agent gave me a list of editors and publishers, and kept me updated with replies, but otherwise, I didn’t know much else. That’s kind of the way I wanted it, though. That’s one of the biggest reasons I went through the process of getting an agent—I wanted someone else to worry about the business side of things, so I could write.

Did anything about the process surprise you?

One surprise was how lovely most of the replies were. After querying and experiences the “no response means no” or the typical “not right for me” responses that agents often rely on, it was a nice surprise to get kind words for rejections.

The biggest surprise, though, was how long the submissions process took. I went on submission for SWEET UNREST in July of 2011. It sold in May of 2013. I’d written two more manuscript drafts and had really, emotionally moved on from that story when I found out it actually sold, because I figured that if it hadn’t sold in a year, it wasn’t going to. People always say that publishing is a slow process, but I had no idea.

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

I didn’t research them. I felt like it was out of my hands at the time. I’m not sure what researching an editor would have done for me other than increase my anxiety.

That being said, I think that there are a lot of small, independent e-presses that some agents are starting to send things to more now. If we’d gotten that far, I think I would have researched the editors (and the publishers) and would have been more active in my opinion about where the book should be submitted.

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

In the first round, anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month or so.

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

The only way I dealt with it was to forget about it, which is so much easier said than done. But really, once a book is on submission, it’s out of the author’s hands. It’s either going to sell or it’s not. You really have to start writing the next book. If you’re working on something new, whether a book sells or not matters slightly less, because you have a new Bright and Shiny thing to play with, new characters to fall in love with, and—maybe most importantly—you know that the book on submission is not The One And Only book that you’ll ever write.

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

Quick confession: I am not a sunshine and lollipops optimist when it comes to this business. I think I went through this whole process not *quite* believing that it would work. I’m a researcher at heart, so when I decided to try writing fiction and getting it published, I researched like crazy. I read all sorts of best-selling authors talk about piles of trunked manuscripts or about how their first submission(s) didn’t sell, so part of me saw this whole experience putting in my time on the rejection train.

That’s not to say that the rejections didn’t sting, but most of them were lovely and complimentary, and many of them had more to do with market and timing than anything about the work itself. In that way, these were somewhat easier to deal with than query rejections. Not easy, but easier.

If you got feedback on a rejection, how did you process it? How do you compare processing an editor’s feedback as compared to a beta reader’s?

Most of my feedback wasn’t all that specific in terms of problems with the story. I got a handful of “it just didn’t click for me” rejections and a handful of “we just bought a book too much like this” rejections. Mostly, I took them at face value, filed them away in my email archive, and tried to make the new story I was writing better.

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

I actually found out by email. I was sitting on my bed (because, apparently, I’m incapable of using a desk for anything writing related) and my husband was sitting there too, and the email came from my agent that I had an offer. It was just completely bizarre. Here, this book that I’d written ages ago, that I’d really not been thinking about as a possibility, and it was the thing that was going to go out in the world and make me an author. I kind of slapped at my husband’s leg and pointed at the screen…and then I called my mom. Telling my mom made it feel slightly more real, and I think that’s when I really started to get excited.

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

I, luckily, didn’t have to wait all that long. It was only a few weeks after I got the news that the announcement was up on Publishers Marketplace and I could tell people. But, yeah, even a few weeks and it was difficult not to tell everyone or hire one of those banner planes at the beach or something.