Sunday, January 26, 2020

Accountability How to Submit

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I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to force myself into submission mode.
I keep an excel spreadsheet to track my submissions. I pulled it out in November and realized it looked sparse. It’s so easy to put off submitting.
Even if you have achieved a good query letter, and wrestled your synopsis into shape there is still all the trauma of researching the right agent to submit to.
Three months ago I designated Thursday on my Google calendar as Submissions Thursday.
That simple act gave me accountability.
And improved my submission pattern 100%
Now on the Thursdays I do this (I'm averaging two Thursdays a month which is infinitely better than one submission every three to six months.)
 But I digress.
I'd much rather digress than submit.
 On Thursday I pull out my  spreadsheet and open Twitter on my computer. I search for #MSWL
I find an agent who says they are looking for what I am querying.
I go to their website and read their submission guidelines.
Some have forms. Some have email query requirements.
I follow the guidelines for the ones I think have possibilities and I click Submit.
I do at least two. Sometimes three. And I feel good. 
My friends, it is so easy to convince yourself that no one will ever want to read whatever it it you've written.
Fight it.

Submit.