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In this minisode of So you want to be a writer: Can you submit your manuscript to multiple publishers as the same time? Tips on how to drag yourself out of a rut when it feels like your novel is going nowhere. Plus: a new Facebook group for the So you want to be a writer community.
Got a question for Val and Al? Ask at podcast [at] writerscentre [dot] com [dot] au
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Listener questions
Ivy asks:
Dear Al & Val,
It’s been a month since I’ve made any progress on the novel I’m writing. I’m over 68,000 words into what will likely be a 90,000 (or so) word story, and I have completely lost myself and the story. Nothing is happening. One day I stepped away from my computer and realized I am going nowhere and quite possibly have been going nowhere this whole time. My novel stinks.
I’m paralyzed with indecision and am frustrated to no end. Should I start reworking everything now from the beginning, or do I continue punching away at the keyboard hoping something exciting (that also makes sense) comes out and cures this disaster? Whatever the case, I need to do something quickly as my first child is on its way, and I’m running out of time!! Yikes!
Any advice, encouragement, or tough love either of you may have would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
A much flustered Ivy
P.S.
You ladies have been a huge inspiration in getting me this far! Your podcast is like a drug that I can’t go long without.
Matt asks:
Hi Allison and Val
I was wondering what you might advise about submitting your work to publishers. I’m getting near the end of my novel manuscript and I’m starting to look into publishers. I’ve read interviews with authors who say to submit to every publisher who takes your kind of work, but a lot of publishers specify no multiple submissions. I get that publishers don’t want to get in the middle of a bidding war. However, submission now seems to involve sending in the manuscript and waiting for a minimum of six months, and if you haven’t heard back by then, you’re not going to. If you did this with every publisher, you would literally be waiting years. Would publishers chuck you aside if they learnt you’d submitted to other companies? What’s an (aspiring) author supposed to do?
Many thanks for the awesome work you do
Matt
Valerie and Allison answer your questions on this episode!
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