Let’s not overdo it.
When a book is done, it’s done. Sure, you can always tinker with it, but if you do that forever, you will never have a book. There comes a time when you have to stop.
That’s true of agents, too. When I’m doing a negotiation, I fight hard for everything I can. I have been known to keep going even when it’s time to stop. An editor once told me I had done a great job, but it was time to stop. I took a deep breath and realized she was right. This thing could have gone on forever, and who wants forever. The goal was to sell the book and to see it published successfully.
A good negotiation is a win-win. That means you get most of what you want, but rarely all. There has to be a give and take. I refer you to my blog post on the psychology of a negotiation. It’s a carefully designed dance.
We’ve all heard stories about a book that sold only after 32 submissions. That can happen, but if you put all your energy into that, you will be drained. What should you be doing once a book is sent out to publishers? Hoping, praying, wishing? No, that will only deepen your anxiety.
The best thing to do while you’re waiting is to start another book. First take some time off, because you deserve it. Then get your head together and get started. It doesn’t matter how. Whether it’s research, or creating an outline or diving into the first page, the point is that you are now focused elsewhere. And if the book out there doesn’t sell, you will already have something new. And maybe–just maybe–32 times is enough. Maybe it’s time to stop. I would never say never, but you can at least read the handwriting on the wall.
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