Okay, now I’m really back to work. In honor of my birthday last week, I not only took several days off, but gave myself permission to be totally lazy and irresponsible for the duration of my extended birthday weekend. It was lovely. I didn’t think about stuff I needed to do at the office, I didn’t think about the manuscript, I just laid around, without guilt. Moved real slow. But it is a new week now, and there is much to do, so I must dive back in.
Breaking into this business is a lot like fishing. You bait the hook, and cast it out into the sea, hoping someone will find the bait tasty and bite. For an unagented author such as myself, the bait comes in the form of a query letter, synopsis, and first three chapters of my manuscript. Then you sit back and wait, usually 2-3 months, for a publisher to bite. If they’re interested, they will request to see your full manuscript, and assuming they like what they see, they will offer you a book deal. It sounds simple enough, but like fishing, there is a lot of sitting around while you’re waiting for those fish to bite.
I’m proud to report that shortly before New Years, I got my first nibble 
One of the publishers I submitted to has requested my manuscript, so once I ship this thing off, I will have entered the next phase of this lengthy process. But it seems now the hold-up is on my end. It’s tough being a perfectionist. This thing has been read and revised more times than I can count, yet I still feel like I need to read it through *one more time* before I ship it. But my goal is to have the manuscript revised and in the mail by Thursday. Is that a realistic goal? We shall see
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