The Waiting Game

Dear Dallas: I sent in a story to a publisher two weeks ago, and I still haven't heard back! I'm on the edge of my seat after sending my "baby" out into the world. What's up?

I know two weeks feels like a long time to wait for comments from a publisher or editor! And I understand from personal experience how nerve-wracking it can be to send your writing out into the world, especially a piece you have spent a long time writing and editing!

Unfortunately, though, waiting is a part of the writing business. When you send a story or poem or book off to a publishing company or literary magazine, it is not unusual to have to wait four, five, six, even eight months for a response.

The simple answer is that editors are BUSY! They receive many, many submissions every week and try to give every piece they are sent the time and attention it deserves. As you can imagine, you're not alone -- everyone has to wait a bit for comments! So you're in good company!

My best advice to take the edge off the waiting game is to work on a new piece of writing. Hopefully you'll get so engrossed in a new story that you'll forget to agonize over the story you just sent out -- and, by the time you hear back from the publication you sent your first story to, you'll have another story ready to go!

Best of luck! Keep sending your work out and believe in yourself! Never give up!