Why Your Timing Is Important

    

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

In the publishing world, one of the critical difference maker is timing. I understand that none of us can control timing but in this article I want to encourage you to be aware of timing but also to take additional actions.

I worked as an acquisitions editor at a couple of publishers who often delayed publication board meetings in the summer because of vacations. The different leaders in the publishing house were not available for the meeting--even though it was only once a month. This behind-the-scenes detail can affect how rapidly you get a decision related to your submission. 

Writer’s conferences can also affect timing for your submission. During these conferences you learn more about a publisher or how to craft your proposal or manuscript. When you get home, you want to incorporate these insights and improvements into your proposal. It delays your submission to literary agents and publishers. Or you connect with a literary agent at the conference. This agent likes your book proposal but also notices some missing elements which need to be reworked and incorporated into your submission. This improvement process can delay your submission.

At Morgan James Publishing, our publication board meets every week which steps up the pace of sending contracts to authors. Sometimes the author responds right away and other times there is a great deal of back and forth with that author before they make a decision about the contract offer. Some authors accept the offer and sign while others will choose to go in a different direction. There are many different options and choices in this process.

I’ve met many authors who have spent months looking for a literary agent. After finding an agent, the agent shops the book to many different publishers and does not land a publishing deal with anyone. Hopefully from these different examples, you can see there are many different possible directions and timing is a factor in each one. A great deal of publishing is being at the right time with the right person with the right pitch. It takes continued effort for those details to line up.

What steps can you take to affect timing?

1. Make sure you create an excellent manuscript and book proposal. Every pitch needs the right foundation with excellent stories and interesting writing. It takes work and effort from the writer to create this foundation.

2. Do not get mired in the creation and never submit your work. Some writers get stuck in the proposal and manuscript creation and never submit their work which does not give it a chance to get published and into the world.

3. You are the only person who can give up on your manuscript. Some authors are rejected hundreds of times before their work finds the right publisher. Keep moving forward with your work.

Your consistency and persistence is critical to the process of timing. It’s unpredictable who will read your material and when they will read and process your material. The single element you can control is the submission. If the idea remains in your head and heart and you never send it into the world, it can not be published. 

Each of us as writers before we communicate with an editor or literary agent need to think about where this other person is coming from and their viewpoint. For example, as an editor, I have a lot of submissions to process. This weekend I got an email from one of those authors pitching another novel. She mentioned in her pitch that the unprocessed novel was under consideration with Morgan James Publishing (which was true). That first submission came in months ago and has been stuck in my to do pile (which grows daily). The author’s email spurred me to process that first submission and arrange a time to speak with her and see if this submission is a fit for Morgan James to publish.  This author was wise to work on something else while she was waiting and also to reach out to me again in a gentle and non-accusatory fashion. I include this story so you can learn from the author's example and mirror it in your own writing life.

Also if you don’t get a response, use the gentle follow-up to make sure the submission is received--and do not push or you will get a quick and no response. Editors, literary agents and writers are doing the best they can do within their own limitations of time and energy. If you get the opportunity, give grace and understanding even if you can’t know the details of the other person.

Tired of Doing but Still Doing It

Several of my consistent activities to tell people about my work are tied to a schedule which I set up (in some cases years ago). To be honest, I get tired of doing the work for this pattern--but even if I’m tired of it, I still do it anyway. Why? Because I know that someone has to hear about the benefits of your book over and over. Some people say as many as 20 times before they buy it. These scheduled touches to my readers are a part of my consistent activities and even with little engagement or feedback, I continue on the path. It is a pattern which I encourage you to do as well. Is this hard work easy or simple? No but it is necessary so find a way to do it.

I hope this article has helped you see the importance of timing but also the necessity to continue moving forward with your writing life no matter what else is going on in your life. What have I missed or do you have to add to this article? Let me know in the comments below.

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Boost Your Writing To A New Level

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

I'm heading to another conference this week and I'm looking forward to it for a number of reasons. Our work in publishing as writers and editors is isolated. Yes I work with my Morgan James Publishing colleagues to get contracts, negotiate with agents and authors and do book deals. I work for a New York publisher yet I live in Colorado. The bulk of my work is done on the phone and email rather than face to face. It's the same with my writing work. The work is often done on my computer or phone rather than face to face. Yes there are some of these physical meetings but not often. During each day, I set my own schedule for phone calls, meetings, and many other tasks. Conferences are a chance to break the routine and do something different.

A conference is an opportunity for me to reconnect with old friends. I've been traveling to some of these events for years and met remarkable editors, writers and people in other roles in this business. Follow this link to a list of various conferences that I know firsthand and recommend. 

Conferences are a chance to catch up on what they are doing—even if it is only for a few minutes. Also at these events, I meet new writers and editors, exchange business cards with them. From my experience, a lot of the people who attend these conferences are coming for their first event. I know some of these new relationships will grow to be significant in my own future work. Why? Because I've seen this type of connection over and over in my past trips.

While I read trade magazines and online newsletters and other tools to keep up on publishing, conferences give me the chance to learn about other changes in the business (maybe something that hasn't been in a publication) or listen to others about what they need for their publication or are looking for. These conversations move the information beyond something from print to something practical that I could possibly do. There is a lot of this type of give and take during a conference whether at a meal or late at night in a hotel lobby or any number of other locations.

Also these conferences give me a chance to give back to others and to teach. I'm teaching a couple of workshops at the conference this coming week. I've prepared my handouts and resources for this class and believe it will help the writing life of those in my workshop—provided they show up and take action on the different resources I will be giving them.

Another reason I love these conferences is I meet people who are looking for a publisher. I'm going to be having a number of one-on-one meetings throughout the conference with writers. I will be able to listen to their pitches and look at their work plus give them some of the distinctions about Morgan James Publishing. I've met a number of people at these events that I've been able to help them get their work into print—from our exchanges are the conferences.

I understand there are challenges for every writer to get to one of these events—whether they are large events or small events. They have challenges in terms of:

* cost. Each of these events have a financial cost for the conference fee, the hotel, transportation, the meals, etc.

* time. These conferences take you away from your current work and things pile up while on the road. Some of these events are long and others are short but they still consume time.

* effort. Some people have to arrange childcare or petcare or other details to be able to get free and go to these events.

From my experience of going to events and conferences for years, I know they are worth any effort to overcome the challenges. It is important to show up, learn then apply the information you gain into your writing life.  I know these events will boost your writing to a new level.

What do you get from going to a conference? How has it boosted your writing? Let me know in the comments below.

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