writing update
it’s been awhile since i shared an update on LOVE NOTES, my current WIP, so i wanted to make sure i did that! not only to share it with you guys, but to also document my progress here for myself. i do keep a detailed journal of each of my writing sessions and what’s going on with each project, but somehow put it out here in the world makes me feel more accountable.
so, i did several rounds of read throughs and edits, working on plot structure, pacing, character development, etc. it’s always amazing to watch a story take form— from the bare bones of a first draft (which is usually a hot mess), to adding layer upon layer with each revision. those little details get added in, making the entire story feel more three dimensional. that part is always so much fun to me.
back in one of my posts from a few months ago, i mentioned some of my goals for this project. the first was submitting to that publisher i’ve had my eye on for so long. part of the reason i love them is because they feel like home. and, i know that sounds super cheesy, but i really can’t explain it. from the moment i discovered them over a year ago, i was like that’s it—this is the table i want to be around. the women already with them are amazing and talented, and cliche as it may sound, they feel like a family. i also really appreciate how they treat their authors, they’re big on teaching their authors (the epistemophile in me loves that) and helping them build their author brand from the ground up, which is super appealing, especially to a new writer or even seasoned writers who want to gain the knowledge of why things are done a certain way. anyway, i can go on and on about all the things i love about them—ending with their current list of books is fantastic as are their authors, they’re making it happen and, sorry not sorry, that’s the team i want to play on.
so, i’d gone to their submissions page and filled out the information a dozen times but knew my pitch and story wasn’t quite there yet, so i’d fill the form out and get all excited and then close the page. 😆 but then, after i realized i was just procrastinating, because i’d reworked the pitch half a dozen times and was at the point where i knew i was now just picking it apart, i filled the form out one last time, said a prayer, closed my eyes and hit submit! i was so nervous! then i went on and finished making dinner and actually said out loud to my husband and boys, “oh my gosh, i hope i didn’t jump the gun by sending my pitch before it was perfect.” then, while we were eating, i thought to check and see if i received a automatic submission confirmation email, because i really did close my eyes! we have a no phone at the table rule, but i jumped up, grabbed my phone and opened my emails. indeed, there was an email from them and when i clicked on it, i read the first line that said, “thank you for trusting us with your submission” and was like, okay, there’s my auto-reply, they got my submission, there’s no turning back now.
after dinner, i did dishes, cleaned the kitchen up and made a cup of tea. when i sat down, i opened the email again and read the rest of it. y’all. it was not an auto-reply! the rest of the message said how she “adored” the premise of my story, loved my pitch, and asked me to send the full manuscript! i was giddy! so, after tweaking a few things, i submitted it! typically, it takes at least several weeks to hear back after a full submission, so now i’m just in the waiting—you know, refreshing my inbox a hundred times a day, lol. i’m not entirely sure how i think it will go, i definitely think the story fits their brand but i am an awful perfectionist, and so i know there is still a lot to be done with it (more sensory details and descriptions, for example) and again, wonder if if i jumped the gun by submitting it so soon. and even if I did get “all the things” right, they may decide this story just isn’t for them or maybe it doesn’t fit their brand as much as i think it does. who knows, that’s the publishing world. but tell me that wouldn’t be the most amazing Christmas gift ever! only time will tell.
maybe, i’ll be back soon with some super exciting news. until then, we wait. 🙏🏼
UPDATE: so, i received an almost immediate response to my pitch and the publisher told me she adored it! they requested the full manuscript, so i’m getting it ready to send over.
UPDATE: she came back and said she loved the story and characters but that the concept needed to be strengthened. however, she wasn’t rejecting it and told me to revise and resubmit it once i got it to where it needed to be. i’m super grateful it wasn’t a rejection but also super disappointed that it wasn’t an offer either, especially after she seemed to love my pitch so much! but that’s ok because i’m still in the game—back to the grind, y’all!
