Toolbox Tuesday: Patience

What writer doesn't need a little PATIENCE?

Honestly, it's one of the fundamental instruments in the writer's toolbox.

Let me put it into perspective.  I wrote my first book in 2008.  I spent six months waiting for my beta readers to finish reading it.  I spent another year submitting it to agents.  It took me a year because some of them took so long just to reject me and others took even longer to read the partial or full manuscript requests they asked for.  By then, I gave up on that work and started another one.  I finished Scar-Crossed at the end of December in 2009.  My betas didn't finish reading it until May of 2010.  I started submitting to agents and didn't sign with one until October 2010.  I spent nearly nine more months editing Scar-Crossed with my agent.  I went on submission in New York in mid August and I'm still there.  I could be there for another year.  When I do get signed by a New York publishing house it will take 1-2 YEARS for my book to be published.  Every single day SOMEONE asks me, "Are you published yet?!"

All I can do is restrain myself from beating them over the head.

So yeah, be patient.  Sometimes it takes a really long time to hear back from agents.  It usually takes longer to hear back from editors.