This one’s been on my mind for a good year or two.

A naturally impatient person – though I like to think of it as being ‘efficient’, rather than just a pain in the neck – I like there to be cogs turning, even when my attention is on other projects.

Because the truth is that having a book published, from writing that first word to seeing it on a bookshop shelf, takes literally years. Years and years. And years.

Most authors have felt frustrated by the slow pace of publishing. We work for a long time on a book, and then we often have to wait for months for it to be worked on by our busy agents, then wait for it to be submitted to publishers, then another long wait while we find out if an editor wants to pick it up, and then – if there’s a yes! – we wait a long time before the book is released.

They say ‘patience is a virtue’. And it truly is.

All of these waiting periods are for valid, necessary reasons. Edits take thought and time. Staff are busy. Schedules are filled with other exciting books. It’s just the industry as it is. And frankly, sometimes authors also need the time to reflect on what we’ve done and to grow, as my first poetry editor – Jamie McGarry – once astutely reminded me. 😊

I used to drive myself mad. I couldn’t stop thinking about the next stage. I’m a terrible fantasist. My imagination goes into overdrive very easily. But over the years, I’ve developed my own ways of managing the slow pace of publishing in a way that makes me at least feel a few shades calmer, even if I still lose my head at times…

Keep writing

What is a writer? Someone who waits, or someone who writes?

Sometimes the only thing to do is keep writing. Edit an ongoing project. Start something new. Who knows when you’ll be ready to submit again. It could be sooner than you think.

In addition to new books, you could always experiment with some poetry, explore topics with some short stories, and submit your words to anthologies and journals. Not everything has to be a standalone book. When I was predominantly a poet, most of what I did was submit one-off pieces to various places. But now that the world has flipped and I’m mainly a novelist, I always forget about this option.

Keep editing

If you know an agent or editor isn’t ready to start working on your manuscript for another few weeks or so, keep editing it.

Proofread it. Read it again. And again. And again. Editing is one of those things that’s never really done, it’s just a process where eventually the writer is done. And until that moment comes, you can keep improving your work.

Experiment with writing different things

If you’re a novelist, write a poem. If you’re a poet, try a libretto. Non-fiction, you say? Write a blog!

Waiting time is the perfect time to learn more about writing. The more you do it, the better you get. It’s a universal truth. Same for any skill, really. Keeping your mind supple by experimenting in other formats helps to hone abilities and inspire new ideas for your next work.

Master self-promotion

If you’re really stuck and feel like you can’t focus on anything new, perhaps its time for a different focus for a while.

Write blogs, update your website, reach out to reviewers and podcasters. Remember to keep your publicist in the loop, of course. 😊 But seriously, it’s the perfect time to think about your back catalogue, and what you can do to raise awareness of it. The fun never ends!

Future planning

This one might just be for me! I am such a planner.

I love a spreadsheet. A diary. Lists. Oh my good god – lists! I’d live my whole life by a checklist if I could. I love sitting down and planning out what I’m going to do that week, that month, that year. It somehow helps me feel productive before something is even done. And also, it means I’m kept accountable, and have a lovely record of how far I’ve travelled, too.

Read!

This one is simple. Read. Read. Read.

I barely get time to read at all these days. Life is BUSY. But I do still try to at least read a few pages later on at night, before sleep. It’s probably why my dreams are so often very disturbing. I’m actually on the brink of finishing my current work-in-progress very, very soon, and I plan to do a hell of a lot more reading before I start anything new. Inspiration can come from anywhere, you know.

And that’s it! What other tips do you have for getting through these long waiting periods? I’d love to know in the comments!