What To Do While You're Waiting...
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I never realized how much I would be waiting in my writing life. I am not a patient person. I like websites that respond in three seconds, check-out lines that are short, and quick responses. And I’ve learned, not everyone is on my schedule. There is a lot of waiting when you decide to write or publish a book.
If you want to be traditionally published, there are things you will have wait for. You will wait months (if not years) to hear back about queries, for edits, and for cover designs.
Here are some things you can do while waiting:
Write your next book, especially if you are querying your first book. If you get a multiple book offer, you’ll need to have that second book ready for submission in year (or less).
Work on your newsletter and social media followings. If you are querying an agent or publisher, they do look at your web presence. After I sold my first book, I spent a lot of the waiting time between edits building up social media followings. It took a lot of time, but it was worth it to build up a base and a small street team.
Create or spiff up your website. Make sure it looks like you and your style of writing. Make sure that all of the buttons and links work. The colors, graphics, design, and fonts should be unified.
Join a writing group. They are wonderful for networking, finding opportunities, and learning about your craft and genre.
Find a critique partner or group to help you polish your manuscript.
