Latest News r.e Manuscript Submission

Oh boy... it's nearly the end of the month already and I've done absolutely no blogging yet!

The truth is, this is the first morning all month that I actually can - so here it goes.

I don't want to give too much away in this post and spoil my April Monthly Favourites post which is coming up next week (how scary is that!? Where did this month go!?) - but right now I'm nestled in my bed with a hot water bottle at my feet and my Macbook on my lap. 

There's a big cup of Cranberry, Apple and Cinnamon tea in my one hand, as the other finally types this to you. 

When I submitted the first three chapters of my manuscript to some literary agents at the end of March, I really didn't expect much to come of it. 

I don't know if it was that I just didn't want to get my hopes up or if I just had a lot of self-doubt but I just didn't expect things to turn out well. I guess I was bracing myself for that rejection letter I'd already drafted up in my head that came to me in recurring nightmares.  

As I mentioned in my previous post, after sending my chapters off to the agents I started to reread them and started picking up typo's and gremlins that somehow I'd missed before. 

I was absolutely mortified, so every chance I had to spare (during my lunch breaks and after work) were dedicated solely to polishing up my work... again. 

I emailed the agents and begged them to let me resubmit, explaining my dilemma. 

The one response I got scared me even more - they said that if it was just typos then it wouldn't change the outcome anyway. 

In my mind, I was 100% fucked. 

I resubmitted anyway and forgot all about it. Well, that's half true. Of course I knew that my book was now in an agents hands for the very first time... and that's big!!! But, I could do nothing more. The rest was now up to fate. So I carried on with my days, finally taking a break from all the editing.

To be honest, I didn't even want to pick up the book I am busy on, On Writing by Stephen King. 

I just needed a break from the literature world. 

A couple of days after resubmitting the first three chapters of my manuscript, I had my first response. 

I took in this really deep breath and braced myself for what it would say.

I had no high hopes - it wasn't that I didn't think I was good enough, far from it actually. I know my book is good... but an agent liking my book?? That's HUGE and things like that just don't happen to people like me. 

I'm not a 'lucky' person. I've never really won anything in my life until two months ago when I won a years worth of free manicures at a 5 star spa and even then I was like... 'Whaaaaat???'

I read the email as my heart thundered in my chest..... then, at the top of my lungs at 05h30 in the morning I started screaming, "Oh my GOD!!!"

Dad came rushing into the room, thinking another robber was trying to break into the house. 

Tears sprung to my eyes. 

The thing I want most in this world finally happened.... an agent likes my book. 

They like my book so much so that they requested the rest of the manuscript. 

Maybe my luck is changing??? Or maybe my book really is just good.

I was thrilled! 

So now that gets me to today - I sent my full manuscript off to the agent (or angel..) on Friday afternoon and now wait her response. 

After submitting, I finally let my hair down with a (big) bottle of OBS.

I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend watching Hank Moody in Californication, sleeping past 5am, walking on the beach with my dog and having time with my nephew.

I took a well deserved break for the first time in months and feel absolutely rejuvinated and ready to start cracking on my third book...... what it will be, that remains a mystery... for now 

What is to become of my book at the agent right now? I don't know..... but maybe soon, The Other Woman, will be on the bookshelves near you! 

Wish me luck, beautiful souls.