The Art of Waiting

Anyone in the query trenches knows the torturous pain of waiting to hear back from an agent. That agony seems to double when waiting for a response on a full request and quadruple when waiting for a response on a R&R.

Been there.

Still here.

Probably will remain here for the foreseeable future.

So to pass the time, here are a few things that I do to keep myself from refreshing my email every five minutes.

Sam's Artful Waiting Tips

1) The best piece of advice I have heard to lessen the agony of waiting is to start a new writing project. I know it is hard to tear your mind away from the book you have just sent out into the world, but it's the best thing you can do for your mental health in many ways.

1) A new project distracts your over-active mind.

2) Most importantly, it lessens the blow of every rejection that finds its way into your inbox. When you are excited about something new, the rejection on the old project doesn't hurt quite so much.

2) ALWAYS have a good book on hand. If you are a writer, you are probably also an avid reader. So instead of obessing over your email, pull that book out of your bag or grab those earbuds. Reading or listening to a good book is a much more satisfying way to spend your time than constantly hitting the refresh button.

3) If you haven't done so already, start a website and/or a social media account. In addition to being a nice distraction, a website can help agents learn a little more about you and gauge your seriousness in a career. As far as social media goes, don't stress too much about it. Just have fun. If you aren't having fun, you probably aren't doing it right, which can be said for most things in life. (If you are a very serious person, please ignore that last statement. I have found that many serious people go through life never having fun and get through it just fine.)

4) Appreciate the time you have to write what, how, and when you want. Life is about having the right perspective at the right time. Right now, I choose to feel lucky that I am not yet published. I don't have bad reviews messing with my head, and I am free to write without deadlines. I can write purely for the pleasure of doing it. If you are in the same boat, think about how lucky we are! Freedom! (That being said, the moment I get The Call from an agent, I will gladly ditch this perspective for a new one as I scramble out of the query trenches.)

5) Try to remember that your life is happening now while you wait. Enjoy it. It would be a shame to get to the end of your life and realize you spent the whole of your life waiting for it to start. Someday, if I'm lucky enough to lay on a deathbed as an old lady, I will look back at my life, at all of the hours I spent writing, and think, "Wow, that was time well-spent. How lucky was I to spend my life doing what I love?"

6) Finally, if all else fails: wine, movies, and snacks will never let you down. I probably should have led with that.

I hope these tips help you as much as they have helped me, and I hope you hear from those agents soon!

In the meantime, I'll be right here...waiting artfully.

Happy Writing,

Sam