So I’m pretty excited bout that partial request.  I feel like dreams are being realized.  But who do you tell your good news to?

My husband is really supportive, even though he doesn’t like a lot of my work.  He doesn’t like darkness or despair in any form, and he doesn’t care for the “black” in my black humor.  He also doesn’t really get the writing world, since he isn’t part of it.  But he knows me better than anybody else, and he knows what makes me happy. He spent a long time looking up the agency and saying, “Oh wow, they represented these New York Times bestsellers!” and “Look at their stats…they only request partials from 2% of their submissions!”  (He’s a numbers man.)  He made a sincere effort.  This made me happy.

Then there are people who say, “I have no idea what a partial is, but this sounds like a good thing, hooray for you!”  This also makes me happy.

Then there are the people who say, “I’m so glad-now-did-you-hear-about-me?” and the ones that you just don’t tell because they genuinely aren’t happy for you.   Either they want it for themselves, or they’re that weird brand of Debbie Downer friend that we all have somewhere.  Bummer.

I realized how excited I was to announce it on my blog.  Strange, isn’t it?  That I told online strangers before I told some of my “real life” friends.  But I think it’s because we’re in the same boat here, floating around and seeing the same sights.  We share a TOC (and know what “TOC” means!) and we realize how difficult it really is to get a novel out.  I can’t tell you the number of times somebody has said, “Isn’t it out, yet?”  Well…no.  No, it isn’t.  Not only isn’t it out, but it isn’t even remotely close.

Them:  Why don’t you just post it on your blog, then?

Me: (Smiling with too many teeth)  How’s your mother?  Still dotty?

I don’t think people realize how hard this really is!  You have to 1) write the darn thing (with the kids climbing all over you, and day jobs, and days when it’s too hot/cold/rainy/sunny/something good is on TV).  Then you have to 2) edit, which I abhor.  I ABHOR!  I wouldn’t have finished RunStarGirl’s edits without Mason jollying/bullying me along, and that’s the truth.  Then there’s the 3) query letter, 4) synopsis, 5) abbreviated synopsis, 6) in-depth synopsis,7) sample chapters, and then the actual 8) querying.  Online.  Snail mail.  And then you wait to be 9) rejected 10) rejected 11) rejected…Wait! 12) Encouraged!  Oh, now 13) rejected 14) rejected 15) rejected.  And then who knows what happens after that?  I haven’t got that far, yet.  Maybe some of you could fill me in.  I’d love to hear how it goes when you’re a bit farther than I am.  🙂