Preparation

It’s been almost a week since I got an email from an agent saying she was interested in see my book A Slice of Life Death. My jubilation has finally begun to wear off, and I have begun to prepare myself for the worst-case-scenario: a rejection. She told me to put sending out my query letters to other agents on hold for at least a month to give her enough time to read it and then come to a decision. At the time I thought a month would be no big deal. Now I’m wondering if I’ll be able to keep my sanity for that long! Just to give you a peek into my head right now it sounds something like this: “What if I wait all of this time just to get a rejection? Then all this time I spent waiting is wasted and I could be working on finding some other agent who wants my work.” “But then” another part of me says “if there is someone else would will want my book it doesn’t really matter when I send it, they will still be a interested in it now as they will be later.” “But what if I wait on a query and I catch them in the wrong mood? What if they need to see it now in order to like it?” “In that case I won’t ever know about it now will I?” “Exactly!!”
So, you see my problem? If you don’t, then just keep in mind that these inner conversations are ten times louder and faster than you can read them, and in the background there’s voice just screaming. Then there’s another voice that is telling the other voices to be quiet, and let me write!
Until I get the yes, or no from the agent, I’m going to do my best to distract myself with writing on my various other projects, getting a job, getting my driver’s license and cleaning the house. Let’s hope it’s enough.