E.L. Deards on If At First You Don’t Succeed, Edit, Edit, Edit

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 E.L. Deards, author of Wild with All Regrets

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

Not very much to be honest, but I used my handy dandy google skills to put together a basic query letter and submission package (which includes query, bio, pitch, comp titles, target audience, synopsis (of varying lengths), and a section at the bottom for ritual sacrifice which may or may not help.  

After a number of rejections I sought some professional help and had my novel edited and the query package reviewed and tweaked.  I think I have the basics down now, and have had more success with more newer works with querying than I did with Wild with All Regrets. 

Did anything about the process surprise you? 

How simultaneously formulaic and soul crushing it was! I think many baby writers probably start thinking that it’s going to be hard to pick an agent from the billions of offers you’re sure to get right form the offset, but my story was largely one of rejection or just being ignored.  

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

Absolutely! This is a must do for anyone querying agents.  There are hundreds of agents getting hundreds of submissions every day, and it’s important to make yours stand out.  So my process is basically this: go on a website like querymanager or MSWL and filter by your genre.  Then go through all of the who are interested in your genre, and go to their pages.  From there, I try to see if we have similar interests, goals, or passions when it comes to fiction.  It’s worthwhile making sure they are actually open to queries, and also to make sure there isn’t another agent at their agency who might be a better fit for you.  Then, I tailor the query letter to reflect what it was about this person who made me want to submit my work to them.  

Sending out five specific, targeted queries is probably more likely to garner a positive response than sending out twenty random ones.  

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

Completely variable, some will respond in a day, some don’t respond at all.  Being a cute little autistic like I am, I have a giant spreadsheet where I keep track of submissions and try to include notes like ‘can poke in 8 weeks’ or ‘will only reply if interested.’

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

Don’t take it personally.  I made a concerted effort to stop having ‘hope’ about any of my submissions, and just assume that they’d all be rejections.  What this meant was that I was never sad and would sometimes have a pleasant surprise.  It’s a lot easier to do this once you realize that most agents will say no, and that it doesn’t reflect on you as a writer.  That being said, the project you’re working on now is probably not the last thing you’ll ever write, or even the best thing you’ll ever write.  Keep honing your craft and try your best.  Not everyone will get an agent, and that’s okay too. Try your best, and write if it makes you happy.  

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

That was a lot harder, since one tends to get one’s hopes up a little more when you’ve made it past the slush pile stage.  You start questioning if you’re a good writer or if anyone will want to read your work and so on.  I kept reminding myself that I wouldn’t want representation from someone who didn’t believe in the project anyway, and a good fit was worth waiting for.  I think what helped me was realizing that my book was quite niche and weird and it’s not that surprising if a traditional publisher wasn’t that excited about taking a chance on it.  It’s hard.  It’s really hard.  I think my main advice would be to try and keep an emotional distance from the process. 

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 didn't get any feedback from rejections unfortunately, but with any kind of feedback I try and determine whether it's worth making any changes to the narrative.  Feedback you get consistently is probably worth looking at, but other types of feedback may not be as valuable.  Some people have different tastes, and no manuscript is going to be perfect for anyone.  I tried to weigh up the vision I had for the book, how difficult making a change would be, and whether I thought it would improve the narrative, before adjusting anything in the manuscript.  I'd probably give more importance to an editor's feedback than a beta reader's, but if they've already rejected me I don't need to change everything to make them happy.  

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

It was unbelievable.  Submitting to SheWrites was actually going to be my last attempt at getting Wild with All Regrets published since I was so frustrated with the process.  I got an email basically saying that my book had been greenlit and I was so happy that I danced around my desk for a bit and left early cause I was too excited to do any real work.  I remember driving home, blasting Ukranian folktronica music and just going YES!!!

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

Nah, I just kept things vague while the details were being hammered out.  I couldn’t really believe it was happening and I didn’t want to jinx it.  I still kind of can’t believe it happened, I’ll let you know if it was a dream I guess.

E.L. Deards grew up in New York City and attended Barnard College at Columbia University for her undergraduate degree.  She studied Japanese literature and biology and won two awards for writing during this time.  She was then accepted to The University of Edinburgh and completed her veterinary degree, and remained in the UK after completing her degree.  All throughout this time she has been honing her craft and writing every single day.  She loves being a vet, but writing gives her more peace and satisfaction than anything in the world.

Jumata Emill on Managing Your Expectations on 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 Jumata Emill, author of The Black Queen, which releases January 31, 2023

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

Fairly a good amount. One, I had author friends who schooled me on their experiences, what to expect and how best to get through it. And two, my agent and I had a pretty frank conversation about his approach before and him talking me through my expectations and communication needs before things started. 

Did anything about the process surprise you?

Not really. Mainly for the above mentioned reasons and I did a lot of research about the process beforehand. Interviews like this one with authors talking about their submission fails and successes shaping much of that. 

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

When my agent shared the submission list with me I definitely Googled them. I wanted to understand why he picked those specific individuals and what books they had worked on. I recommend everyone doing this. Ultimately, this is YOUR career. You should be in the driver’s seat of who you’ll work with, or want to work with. At the very least you should ask your agent why he or she is submitting to specific editors and why. 

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

It was honestly all over the place. Here’s the thing: I went out on submission twice. My first MS with my agent didn’t sell. The Black Queen was our second outing. So, I’ll go with my first. Some editors got back to us in a week. Others took nearly a year. This is one area where you really have to lower your expectations. Nothing is concrete. There are so many factors that determine when editors will read and get back to you. So average? Let’s just say at least a month, or two. 

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

Do whatever will get your mind off of it the most. Whether that’s only checking email once a day, writing something new, whatever. Protect your mental health, that’s most important. Because stressing about it isn’t going to move the needle one way or the other. For me, I wrote something new, which turned out to be the book that sold after my first one didn’t. 

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

If there was feedback and/or critiques included my agent and I would discuss them, I’d process what was said and then move on. You’re going to hear this A LOT: Publishing is a subjective business so you can’t let the opinions of others destroy your confidence. You got an agent, that’s a MAJOR first step so you know you have the talent. Don’t let a “no” make you second guess yourself. It just wasn’t a right fit. That’s what I told myself. And not every rejection is a complete door slam to the face. My editor now was one who initially rejected my first book, but she saw potential in my writing. So much so she told my agent she wanted to see anything else I wrote. And guess what, she was top of the list when we went back out on submission with my next book and low and behold, she made an offer on it! 

I will say the rejections on submission are a little tougher to swallow because this is the last final step toward publication and it sucks to get so, so close and yet be far away.  They’re gonna sting a bit more compared to agent rejections. But again, dust yourself off and keep going. No one accomplishes anything in life because they’re afraid of hearing a  few “no”s. 

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

Like one of the greatest accomplishments in my life. Especially because my YES came after I had done an intense R&R following an initial rejection. I had worked so hard on addressing the weaknesses my editor called attention to, so getting that validation that I had shown her I listened and knew how to incorporate editorial feedback into my work was everything.

The news came in an email, which I opened just as I was getting ready to take my first bite of breakfast that morning. Yeah, I never ate that food. I was too busy crying and jumping up and down. 

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

I was able to announce two weeks after we accepted the offer. I know that varies. There are authors who had to wait almost a year before they could publicly talk about their book sales. That would have killed me. I don’t understand why some publishing houses do this part faster and others don’t. I’m just glad my editor was like, “Let’s tell everyone now about this great book.” Ha! 

Jumata is a journalist who has covered crime and local politics in Mississippi and parts of Louisiana. He earned his B.A. in mass communications from Southern University and A&M College. He’s a Pitch Wars alum and member of the Crime Writers of Color. When he’s not writing about murderous teens, he’s watching and obsessively tweeting about every franchise of the Real Housewives. Jumata lives in Baton Rouge, La.

Dianne C. Braley on The Submission Process

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 Dianne C. Braley who is the author of The Silence in the Sound, a coming-of-age story woven with addiction, love, and celebrity.

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

The bare minimum! I swear I thought the biggest challenge was finishing the book. Many of us newbies think that the first agent/publisher will see that they just read the query for the next best seller once we submit. At least I did, and boy was I wrong!

Did anything about the process surprise you?

So much surprised me. It dumfounded me that I now had to write a query letter to pitch my book that felt as hard as it was to write it, which took nearly eight years and 500 revisions. Then there’s the synopsis, another mountain to climb and wait. . . every agent prefers different things sent and formatted in different ways. Some want the first three chapters in Chicago manual style and a synopsis, while others want nothing except a query, a list of comparable titles, a one-sentence pitch, and for you to stand on your head while waiting one year for them to respond and oh wait, they don’t guarantee any response even if they request your entire manuscript. 

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

Yes, that’s another thing. Research the agents/editors you will submit to so you can personalize each submission to them. Make sure to spell their name correctly, please! I made that mistake once. While I didn’t notice if it made a difference or not, I think it’s always helpful to personalize an email. It gets their attention and lets them know you did your homework. 

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

It was so crazy during the pandemic, and so many agents/editors on Twitter would post how backlogged they were. Using Query Tracker, you can see where you are in their queue, and I recommend buying the subscription. I think it is $25 if I remember correctly. Although looking at that generally doesn’t do anything except drive you crazy about why they passed you and haven’t messaged you yet. For me, it was between one day and one year. I’m not lying or exaggerating. But on average, I’d say between four to six months.

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

Set up a separate email only for submissions; that way, you are notified only if an email hits that address. This will stop you from looking incessantly because of all the other emails you need to answer. Start your next project. Writing poetry, an essay, or a short story and submitting it to websites, magazines, etc., helps me. It’s fulfilling and quicker. It also keeps me distracted, and if something I sent gets picked up, it’s a little high and a small win. Fill your life with small wins while you wait for the big one. 

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

Rejection in any form isn’t easy. When you get your first few rejections, it is gutting. I was a total wreck. Agents, as of late, aren’t providing much feedback being so busy, so it’s hard to know what you need to change. If they only requested the query, it’s that. Try a few more and consider tweaking it. If you sent opening pages, have some beta readers or critique partners take a look. I was lucky to have a decent number of full requests but still only had little feedback. It’s so hard. Feel your feelings but keep going! I eventually revised the timeline of my whole book. It gnawed at me, and I thought it might be better if I did, but I didn’t want to do it. Then after so many rejections, I had to, and it worked out for the best! Your work may get that much better from it. 

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 took it much harder when it was an agent or an editor. Beta readers are meant to help shape the work by providing feedback, while I felt like the agent/editor was the end of the road. I soon learned that’s not true either, but it can feel that way, and I guess you are on the road to the end if you exhaust all who take your genre. 

It all depends on how they word it. Some agents/editors are abrupt and cutting, telling you quickly and short why your book isn’t for them—OUCH, it stings. But weirdly, it gets easier, or you get numb to it all. Take what they say and listen, see if it rings true. You may have to make some changes, and that’s okay but if it doesn’t resonate, stay true to your work. 

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

I was in utter disbelief. I received an email from the acquisitions editor at a publisher who told me how much he loved my book. He went on and on, detailing all of what he liked and how it made him feel. I felt such a solid connection to this man as he seemed to “get” my work. We then scheduled a call with the publisher. It was supposed to be a casual call, and he asked me for a pitch of the novel. I panicked, thinking I was past this point as the editor had already read it! I didn’t do my best job, but the editor chimed in and saved me, speaking at length about what he felt the entirety of the work to be about. It was the first time I’d heard a two-sentence summary about my book that grasped it, and I felt I could speak to this statement all day long—told through the voice of Georgette. The Silence in the Sound is a provocative coming-of-age debut revealing the lasting effects of growing up in addiction. But it also demonstrates a young woman’s strength as she navigates friendship, love, and heartbreak while finding her hidden strength along the way.  

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

Yes. Not long, but long enough. You never want to make any big announcement until a contract is in hand and signed. I told my husband and sister because I wouldn’t die if it fell through, and they knew. I’d need them to collapse on.

Dianne C. Braley is a registered nurse with a passion for music, poetry, and literature. Dianne has been featured in various online and printed publications, including Today’s Dietician and Scrubs Magazine. Her nursing blog, Nursing the Neighborhood, was named one of the top nursing blogs of 2018 by Nurse Recruiter.