Writers (and readers) who are also, in their own way, fineapples. All friendly here.
How Long Were You (Have You Been) On Sub?
I feel comfortable asking here, but am trying to avoid talking about this elsewhere.
Tomorrow makes 23 weeks for me. I'm in the middle of revising another manuscript before sending it my agent. So, I do have something to work on.
Other pro writer friends have told me between 6 days to 6 months. A couple waited over a year before landing a deal. Others had to write another book.
I know there is no set standard, but I thought I'd see what ya'll's experience was/is like, and maybe get some form of, "Chill, dude. No worries."




2 years for NECROTECH. No joke. Also wrote other books in the interim, but nothing stuck.
Point is... I've had to give up before. It's part of the thing. But I've also had to take a good hard look at what I WANTED to write and whether my current situation was serving me. It wasn't, in my case.
I've let go of books before. It's tough—the toughest part trying to get an objective handle on if it's the book or the places it's being supported (or not supported).
Good luck, friend. Keep pushing.
Thanks! I read about NECROTECH's pub story. I'm afraid I'm just being impatient.
I've been on sub for four months, died in acquisitions twice, and am currently working on an R&R. Everyone said summer is really quiet, but for me it was super busy! I've nearly blown through my list already.
Damn. Summer has been quiet for me. We're just waiting on someone to jump.
The quiet kills me. I get to the point where I'm like "JUST SAY NO ALREADY, STOP LEAVING ME WAITING" :P
Yep. I have no patience.
I submitted three different books to various agents over a span of nearly a decade -- doing everything right, mind you, and getting oh-so-close several times -- before being convinced to give self-publishing another look.
I'm glad I did, since self-publishing had evolved quite a bit in that decade from "losers who can't get an agent" to "actually a route that real pros take." (Of course, I'll still feel like a loser until I Make It Big, but at least I can actually do something to market the book now, instead of going crazy while waiting!)
I've also written many books by now, mostly thanks to the kick in the pants that is NaNoWriMo. Working on the next one is a fine distraction from waiting on the first.