Laziness

“You really shouldn’t talk to your computer,” I answer.  “But since you did, I’ll tell you anyway.”No excuse for not submitting my books to publishers.  Sigh.  I fail at submitting.  I did a good job oh . . . about . . . ten months ago, but since then, I’ve really stunk.  For the first while, I was okay, since I had to wait to hear back from everyone I sent to.  (The answer?  Four form letter no’s, two form letter no’s with personal notes, and one request for the whole manuscript–still haven’t heard back on that last one, but it’s the only thing making me feel like I’m still not a complete and utter failure at submitting.  When it comes to excuses, it’s my ace in the hole.  “I can’t submit anywhere else until I hear back from that one place.”)

LIES!

You see, I have two novels that are submission-worthy, and only one of them is tied up at the moment.  The other is ready and rearing to go.  The problem is that I need to write a two page summary, and I hate doing those.  Maybe “hate” is too strong a word.  I dislike doing them.  Probably because I’ve only done one other before.  But that’s all going to change.  I’m going to turn over a new leaf and get better at submitting.

In a couple of weeks.

That’s right, even after all the self-loathing expressed in this post, I’m STILL not going to change for now.  But I hereby proclaim that once I’m done with school (for ever and ever and ever–meaning in two weeks) I’m going to use my newfound freedom and time to write a two page summary of The Adventures of Barboy, and I’m going to submit it.  Whoosh!  Out the door.  And when I hear back from the place I haven’t heard back from in ten months, I’ll send that one out, too.  And when I finish Ichabod and the Lesana revision, I’ll get those puppies moving.

Mark my words: by the end of this year, I will be a submission *machine*.  I will have four manuscripts worthy (IMHO) of publication, and they will be traipsing their merry way out of my hands, into mailboxes, into submission houses (where they will take a well-deserved break) and into recycling bins across the country.  And that’s a promise.