If there’s anything I hate to do, it’s wait. At the gas station, at the grocery store, at the doctor’s office…it’s wait, wait, wait! Drives me nuts. I want to get going, get things done, move, do something! Not just stand or sit there.
If you’ve been at this writing gig for long, you’ve faced that most difficult aspect of writing. The Waiting. You scramble to refine your craft, make your manuscript strong, put together a proposal, and send it off. And then? You wait.
And wait.
And wait.
And…
Well, you get the idea. It happens at every stage of the process. When you send it off to be edited. When you’re waiting to hear from an agent. When you or your agent send it out to editors. When it’s being taken to committee. When you accept a contract (getting that hard copy to sign can seem like it takes FOREVER). And believe me, the waiting doesn’t end when you have a publishing contract. If anything, it gets worse.
I know it’s hard. So I wanted to give you a couple of tips to endure. First, when you’re waiting, don’t stop. If you’re waiting to hear from an agent, keep writing, keep working at refining your craft. If you’re waiting to hear from the editors to whom your agent sent your proposal, keep moving forward. If your manuscript isn’t done, finish it. If it’s done, get started on your next project. Work on your platform. Improve your presence on social media. Learn all you can about promoting your book. Waiting doesn’t mean stopping cold. It means you’ve done all you can in one area, but there are plenty of other areas to keep working on.
Second, and more important, remember that you are not in control. I know, I know, doesn’t seem right, does it? But friends, you’ve got an almighty Advocate on your side, and He’s at work on your behalf. No, not getting you published, but refining you so you are an ever clearer reflection of Him. So when you hit a waiting period, why not study what Scripture has to say about waiting. Such as:
Psalm 27:14–Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Take heart, because God is in control. What do you have to worry about?)
Psalm 5:3–In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. (Be expectant! Not anxious or driven, but expectant. God is at work, and His ways and path for you are perfect. Rest in that.)
Psalm 130:5–I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. (Your hope is in Him, in His word, not in your writing, in your agent, in a publisher…keep your focus on Him.)
And those are just a very few Scripture from the Psalm. Dig in and see what God has to say about waiting, friends. I’m guessing you’ll find it’s not a hard time, but a time of great growth and blessing. And a time when, if you keep your focus on Him, you can be at peace.
