#IWSG June 2015: So When Shall it Be?

I’m here to join another group posting for Alex Cavanaugh’s IWSG. Thanks to him and the co-hosts for this month (M. Pax, Tracy Jo, Patricia Lynne, Rachna Chhabria, Feather Stone and Randi Lee), lovers of the written word (like me) have a special place to go home to each month on the blogosphere.

What shall I share with you today? Hmmm… Lemme see.

Here’s My IWSG Post

Outside, the sweltering heat makes my skin scream in agony whenever I step out for a short break. Gosh, who could walk unprotected in this weather? I think my skin’s a few shades darker now. :-)

OK. That's not it. What I really want to say is that (in a few days it would be my birthday. No, not that one, too, but) I still don’t know when I’ll have the revised contract to sign. You see, at my post last month, I’ve inserted an update on a meeting with the publisher who accepted my manuscript. What happened? The meeting went well. The publisher, the editor and the whole staff were really nice and accommodating. With regards to the contract, negotiations are still being done up to now.

Photo Credit Link: Stephen Hampshire on Flickr

Why am I sharing this? What does that mean for you? Well, to those who are submitting manuscripts for the first time, this is another waiting period that you have to go thru. This means that after waiting for months for a publisher’s reply regarding the status of your manuscript (whether it would be accepted or rejected), you have to wait again when it is accepted and will be prepared for publication. You see, from negotiations and the signing of contracts up to the day the book would be published, the process may take months or years—depending on the publisher and their workload, or what you and the publisher have negotiated on.  

While waiting, it’s easy for anxiety to step in unnoticed. That constant nagging of “So when shall it be (out/published)?”—by your mind or by people who couldn’t wait to read your work—can set your worry meter on high.

Yup. That's right. I went through that. But I’m not willing to stay there in that downer anymore, especially since a recurrent illness (that has been ongoing for a couple of weeks now) hasn’t completely left me yet.

What did I do to shake the not-so-good feeling off and change focus? Water is a refreshing, instant cure so I made myself ice-cold drinks and had a long, invigorating bath. (That would be perfect if the weather in your country is the same as mine right now.) I also revisited old works of mine. This last one’s the best distraction so far because it takes your mind off of things, and it makes you see the strength of your works that you haven’t sent yet, or you may have sent before and it got rejected for the first time. I do believe that old works have potential and can be publishable with a little tweaking here and here. So, don’t ever throw your old works! You can still use them.

If you’re in the same boat or have sailed through this murky sea of anxiety as I have, I hope you’re safe on land now, completely dry and blissfully content with how things are going with you. If not, well then, here’s a virtual *HUG* for you. Off to visit some blogs now before I take my meds. I sure hope the month of June finds you well. I’ll see you next post.