Encouraging Words

     So...my manuscript is circulating. Seventeen days and no word. I know in my head that this process will take AT LEAST a month and could take A YEAR (yikes!). But in my heart, I'm dealing with it like I have a plastic bag over my head with minutes of oxygen left.

     In my efforts to distract myself (aside from writing, which is never quite the distraction I hope it will be) I'm scouring the internet for inspiration. But I'm finding things like...

    SOMETIMES YOU FAIL. AND IT SUCKS

    WHOSE FAULT IS IT IF YOUR BOOK DOESN'T SELL?

     So much for inspiration.

     I found an article on one of my favorite websites: Cracked.com about famous authors whose books took a long time to sell. Figured that would cheer me up.

     Not so fast...

     I read about John Kennedy Toole's Confederacy of Dunces which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1981 and was published in 1980...

     ....ELEVEN YEARS after the author committed suicide after a five-year battle to get his book into print.

     On this cheery note, I emailed my forever supportive son about Toole.

     His reply:

     "Don't worry, Mom. That won't happen to you."

     I hope he's referring to the suicide part. Then again, it's more likely he's referring to my chances of ever winning a Pulitzer....