Time Between A Request & Submission Says A Lot

You have sent out your manuscript to a couple of editors and agents, and then what you have hoped

for happens. You get a request to send in that project for further review! First of all, congratulations! In this tough market with so many authors, consider this a big achievement. Now what?

Of course you are going to send that project to that editor, but you want to make sure that things look good before sending it. Maybe you want to make sure you send it out to your critique group for one last go around. Maybe you have some new ideas that you want to insert into the story first. So, the question now is, "Should you delay?"

I personally have to say that all of these prior reasons for delaying should never happen at all. If you are submitting projects for consideration, then the darn things need to be finished and ready to go right there and then. No excuses. If you are not confident in the project as it stands, then you have no business talking to an editor or agent yet.

The time between that request and when it makes it to our desks really is a factor for us. Your delay is now giving us a huge concern of how quickly you can get manuscripts to your editors, or even how quickly you can get those revisions finished. That delay also shows us your professionalism. We now ask ourselves if you really were ready.

I would also add that when I request projects, I am already thinking about potential placement of that project with an editor or agent. I may have had someone tell me they are looking for things so keep an eye out for those projects. I simply cannot wait around for you to get off your butt and send me a project because the odds are, that opportunity will be gone when you finally get around to things.

I requested a ton of projects from people in Denver at the RWA conference. You would be surprised that I am still getting people who are submitting those to me now. My question is, why didn't the project get her sooner? I requested a 3-5 page synopsis and the first three chapters. That should not have been that hard? But when I get a project nearly 5 months later, I am probably losing interest.

Another consideration is that we will not likely remember you after that much time. You want us to still remember all of the amazing things going through our head when we first read that initial query or listened to that pitch.

Now, let me say that there are likely some editors and agents who will say to send it when ever you are ready. They are probably not overly excited about your story so this is just a nice way of saying to send something if you give a rip.

This time factor also applies to the professional writers who already have an editor or an agent. Keep yourself on their radar at all times. Long delays between those projects means that those great opportunities for new projects will not come to you, but to those the editors and agents remember.

Just something to consider!