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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A great deal of the publishing process is outside of anything that an author can control. Also, often many of these authors have unrealistic expectations about publishing. I wrote  10 PUBLISHING MYTHS as a practical easy reading book to help you. Get my decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of

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Writing Takes Courage

It's not easy to be a writer and push your ideas out into the world.  The process of publishing involves risk and takes courage. I wish there were some guarantees. The only guarantee for the writer is to continually work hard to expand their platform and reach their audience.

Through twitter, often writers will reach out to me through email and ask how I can help them. My answer depends on their situation and what they need. Recently a self-published novelist approached me for help. She had sold 35 copies of her book and wanted to know what to do next. I sent her a number of links and ideas. Her situation is fairly typical. What authors don't often consider if they self-publish is they are taking 100% of the responsibility for selling the book and completely on their own (no one helping them). Another aspect they don't know (because they often aren't a part of publishing) is they are jumping into relationship with a company publishing at least 50,000 titles a year (follow this link if you don't believe the number and I know these numbers are four years old and only increasing).

In my exchange with this novelist, I offered to review her book and possibly pitch it to my publication board at Morgan James Publishing. I say “possibly” because I do not do this for every author or every type of book.  As an acquisitions editor, my responsibility is to look for the right book and the right author. We have standards and criteria—unlike self-publishing. We only publish about 150 books a year and receive over 5,000 submissions for those few spots. My job involves this sorting process looking for quality and the right authors. If (and that could be a big if) the submission is appropriate and well-done, then I process the submission into the publisher system and later schedule a time to speak with the author.

She did some research online and learned there might be a financial investment so she balked sending me her “lifetime work.” The key is there “might” be an investment—if she even sends it and if she gets an offer to publish. There are many unknowns in this process but the writer has to have courage and move ahead. As an acquisitions editor, I invest hours with authors talking to them about the unique way books are published at Morgan James.

It does not mean the process is easy or simple but it is possible. I'm sincere on my twitter profile where I offer to help authors and give my personal email address. I help in many different ways:

1. Answering my email and returning phone calls. This type of prompt communication is different in a publishing world which doesn't respond. Often writers feel like their submissions and emails and manuscripts go into a black hole.

2. Sending them to my free information like this article in The Writing Life or on Right-Writing or one of my numerous free teleseminars.

3. Sometimes I offer for the author to send their manuscript to my work email then process the submission and see if I can get them a book contract. Each step in the process for them to move forward takes courage and action. In this process, you need to work with people you can trust—but also people who give you a realistic picture of the process. I tell every author that I speak with about Morgan James that it is 80% their responsibility. Also I make sure I tell them about how bookstores buy books and the authors key role in that process. It's key to manage their expectations and help them understand the important role of every author in the process of getting their book into the market.

When we think of courage, often a lion illustrates courage because of their behavior. As writers we need to have courage and take action with our writing.

Books change lives. I know first hand how a book changed my life. It does not happen sitting on your computer or in your desk drawer. It takes courage to take action and get it out into the world. Do something courageous with your writing today.

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