How to Survive Being on Sub: What to Expect and How to Handle It by Holly Riddle
When you’re deep in the query trenches, things can feel pretty dark. Really dark. Particularly in today’s querying landscape where agent silence is the norm and even just an acknowledgement of your and your book’s existence feels like a small victory.
That said, when you finally do sign with your agent, the moment you’ve been waiting on for months, maybe years, it’s easy to think that it’s all uphill from there. For some, yes, that’s the case. There are those lucky ones who sell right away. However, just like querying takes time, persistence, and patience, being on submission (or “on sub”) requires even more so.
When I signed with my agent in 2021, my naïve, optimistic self thought that I would definitely sell quickly. I had a great manuscript, great hook, and editor interest as soon as I signed with my agent.
Reader, that didn’t happen. However, I did learn quite a lot about being on sub in the process, from the months of waiting, from my agent, from myself, and from the fantastic community I’ve discovered of other authors similarly on sub.
But let’s talk about you. Here’s what to expect once you’ve signed that dotted line with your agency and how to keep yourself sane in the months or years (yes, years — I can hear you sighing over there) to come.
Expect That You’re Probably Going to Need to Manage Your Expectations
In thinking about this blog post, I enlisted a little help from my agented author friends over on Twitter, asking them what they wish they’d known about the realities of being on sub/what to expect after you sign with an agent.
I received a ton of wonderful, smart, thoughtful responses but I noticed that there was a pattern. So many authors said something along the lines of “Being on sub is really, really hard and it takes a really, really long time.”
It’s easy to ignore this fact when you’ve just signed with an agent. You just reached an amazing milestone and you finally have someone in your corner who is passionate about your work and confident that they can sell it (after all, they wouldn’t have signed you had they not thought that they could sell your book).
However, the realities of publishing are that the majority of authors do not sell their first book that goes out on sub — and that’s okay! As Gytha Lodge commented on my Twitter post…
And they were absolutely correct! Your sub experience will likely take longer than you hoped and you might not sell that first book. That’s why it’s oh-so-important to use your time on sub wisely (which we’ll get to in a moment).
Expect to Rely on Your Agent
Another thing that many people said in responding to my tweet? How important agent-client communication is. Your agent is your only source of information while you’re on sub. They’re the only ones who can tell you which editors have your book at the moment, what feedback editors are providing, etc. All news, good or bad, flows through them. They control the entire process and for those of us who prefer to be in control ourselves, that can be a bit difficult.
You can regain some of that control by working with your agent to establish how communication occurs. Every agent has their own style and preferences, which you’ll ideally discuss before signing, but, at the end of the day, you have to ask for what works for you.
Some authors want to know any news, the second it comes in. Some authors want to be more removed from the sub process and only want good news, no bad news. Some authors want updates once per month, so they can anticipate that agent email and not worry about it the rest of the month.
Ask your agent for updates in a manner that’s best for your mental health (and if you ask for one thing and realize it doesn’t work for you, don’t be afraid to ask for something different!).
Expect to Always Be Working on the Next Thing
“Work on the next thing.” Yeah, yeah, yeah — I know. This little nugget of wisdom is passed around the writing community so much that it probably just makes you roll your eyes at this point… but it’s popular because it’s true.
If your first book doesn’t sell, you’ll need something to go out on sub with next, so start working on something, both to distract yourself from your inbox and to be ready to go when either (a) you need something else for your agent to submit to editors, or (b) an editor shows interest in your currently on-sub book and wants to know what else you’ve got in the pipeline.
You’ll want to be strategic about picking this next project, though. Talk to your agent (that’s what they’re there for). What makes the most sense to work on? Is this a good time for you to try out a new genre or age category, or do you need to stick with what you’re best at and/or what will most likely attract editors’ attentions?
Additionally, as you get editor feedback, now’s the time to begin looking for patterns. While a lot of editor feedback is simply a form (even when it doesn’t look like it; trust me — I’ve compared notes with other on-sub authors and rejections can be nearly word-for-word the same across the board), if an editor gives specifics that go beyond just “didn’t connect with the voice” or “wish this was more immersive,” they might be on to something.
For example, maybe multiple editors (even just three or four) mention your manuscript’s pacing. Moving forward, with every new project, make a point to nail the pacing, so that’s not a problem that arises in the future.
Lastly, as you strategically plan your next project, make sure you’re working on something that you’re really, really excited about. If you’re not loving the process, stop and re-evaluate. Being on sub is hard. You’re waiting on your little book baby to do something, anything! For an editor to breathe in your direction! If you’re not loving what you’re working on in the meantime, you’re just not going to have a good time, period.
Expect to Need Your Community
We talk about “the writing community” all the time, but let’s be real. Sometimes, the writing community doesn’t feel so much like a community as it does a bunch of cliques with lots of online drama, or folks just trying to get as many follows as possible. However, if you stick with it and try to find those people that you can relate to, you’ll be glad you did. Being on sub is hard; you want folks who understand the process and what you’re going through (because god knows your family and non-writer friends won’t).
The bad news? The only way you’re going to find these people is if you put yourself out there. Yes, as an introvert, I hate this. However, you’ll find that much of the writing community is welcoming and friendly, and looking for connection just as much as you are. So, comment on that post. Sneak into those DMs. Ask to join the Discord group or chat.
Expect to Need a Break Every Once in a While
Sometimes, being on sub just takes a mental, emotional, and even physical toll. While, yes, it’s smart to have something else in the pipeline, don’t feel like you can’t use this time to take a brief break.
The sub process for a single manuscript can take up to a year or longer, as an agent wades through the various potential editors that they could submit to, often having to wait for a rejection from one before they can send to another. With that in mind, there’s no need for you to get a polished manuscript ready and out the door in the next few months. You can relax for a bit and you should, particularly if you’re feeling like sub is having a negative impact on your mental or physical health.
Sure, It Kinda Sucks — But We’re Also Really, Really Lucky to Be Here
The sub process is long, difficult, and definitely not easy. However, just the fact that you’re on sub means that you’ve achieved quite a lot.
You have a manuscript (maybe multiple) that other people (your agent) believe in enough that they’re willing to put time and effort into it, in the hopes that it will one day sell. You have that “in” in the publishing industry that you need in order to reach any traditional publishing goals. The editors who have helped craft some of your favorite books are now reading your book — and even if they decide that it’s ultimately not for them, some editors will provide really wonderful, kind feedback about what they admired about your book. (When the person who edited an NYT best-seller says your book is well-written and they loved your main character, it kind of sticks with you, even if they don’t make an offer.)
Just like querying, being on sub takes persistence, patience, and dedication. It’s not (likely) going to be easy — but you absolutely can do it.