Well I did it! I sent in my first book length manuscript to a major publisher today. Then I took my wife out to our favorite restaurant and celebrated with lunch and a wickedly chocolate dessert. This is not my first book length manuscript, just the first one I've felt comfortable enough to send out. Now I'll be on pins and needles anxiously awaiting the response probably my first novel rejection slip. :-) It's a hard SF story (with a touch of Mystery) so maybe I have a chance, since they say that they are looking for SF rather than Fantasy just now. At least my timing seems to be right. Wish me luck.

jon

Yes! Good for you, Jon!!! I look forward to seeing your name on my author's list on Amazon.com. :) One thing for sure is that you won't get published without sending your manuscript in...you're a huge step farther than I am. And I'm really hoping for good results. Great news!

I'll be wishing with you Jstro and checking the forum to see if you get a good letter back :-) Even if it is a rejection slip, at least you sent it. That's more than a lot of people ever do. I think a finished novel is an achievement all by itself. Good for you Best of luck. Shanna :-)

And may the check soon be in the mail as well!!! Should I be seriously happy or incredibly jealous? ;-) You better let us know the minute you get that contract signed. You know I'll pick up a copy as soon as it comes out. (Maybe get it signed?) If you don't mind my asking, which publisher did you send to? Best of luck! Like dialyn said, even getting it sent out is a major accomplishment. You have every right to be very proud of yourself. Cheers!

(Boy, my last post looks seriously incoherent! I'm too excited for you to write clearly.)

I'm not sure I should say which publisher. It might jinx it! Let's just say it begins with a D and ends with a W, has three letters and the middle letter is A. There, I didn't say. :-) I paid a little extra for package tracking. I didn't even know the post office would do package tracking for book rates, but they do. Yesterday the web site reported it left their Hazelwood plant (or local distribution center). Today their web site reported it left their Hazelwood plant yesterday. I guess tomorrow it will report that it left Hazelwood the day before yesterday! Hope my hair survives - or what's left of it anyway. jon

Not that you're keeping track or anything like that. ;)

Nope not me. Out of sight, out of mind. Right. jon

Attached Link: Papyrus Place

Yeah, just like the Mom that follows the school bus when her first born goes off for the first time. It's all right. I'd be doing the same thing were it me. By the way, Papyrus Place has these neat boxes that nest so you can include your self-addressed, stamped box for the return (that will not happen) in a box that is secure. They have other useful writers' resources too.

Thanks for that info. I did include a self addressed stamped envelope for them to send it back in. It was a BIG envelope with about $3.50 in postage on it. I can always hope it will just be a very expensively mailed contract offer - right? jon

That's right!!!! With a movie deal to follow soon after. :)

Congrats jstro!!! This is wonderful news!!!!

Nowadays I mostly just send a small SASE to hold the rejetion letter. It's easier, and most of the publishing houses seem to prefer it. I understand that with novels a phone call is the usual way to convey acceptances, but a yes via mail fits in the envelope just as easily as a no. (One editor admits that she gets a kick out of phoning new authors with acceptances, and the ones that appear to take it all in stride and sound calm are very dissapointing to her.) I just submitted something via email. That was a first for me, I think it's easier to show professionalism with a paper submission. But the editor asked to get it that way, after the first submission was lost.

I submitted a short story via e-mail about a month ago. I'm not sure I'll do that anymore. It was like sending it off into a black hole. On the bright side, I got an e-mail from the USPS on the 12th that informed me that my book has been delivered. Gotta love that package tracking! It now sits in the great slush pile anxiously awaiting the tender mercies of one of their editors. If they decide to reject it I'd prefer to get the manuscript back. It costs darned near $50 to print and mail, so if I can save some ink and resend it to the next publisher, so much the better. And there is always the outside chance that they will pen a comment or two before throwing in the towel. However it works out, I'm just glad I sent it in. jon

Well, from my experience (all of three novels, big whoop, lol) it's about a 50/50 chance of you getting it back -- and that really seems to depend on wether or not it actually gets read! You've got a lot of courage -- takes more than most folks realize. I'm always telling my husband that writing it is only one third the battle. Another third is sending it off. (The final third I'm still waiting on -- the re-writes from the editor. Someday I'll get there...)

Hardly anyone lets you send in a whole ms anymore. [grump!] So mostly it's just partials and outlines and so forth that get sent back, and I can never reuse them because I always discover some mistake that needs correcting while I'm checking to make sure the ms. didn't get dirty. :( People don't loose nearly anything resembling 50% of my submissions though. More like one in six or seven. And a couple of those have been later found and returned, so I think it's more on the order of one in ten irrevocably lost.