The Email Addiction

I've often talked with fellow writers about how easy it is to become addicted to your email, especially when you're on submission.

What I should've said is "especially when you're on query submission". Getting query rejections is normal, but when you see an agent has sent you an email back, before you open it, there's a chance it will be a request for a full or other good news.

Once you have an agent, and he/she starts submitting to editors, the email addiction changes. At least for me!

My young adult is on submission.

My agent picked 8 houses she thought would be a good fit and a good start for the submission process. I was geeked, to say the least.

A little over two weeks later, I get an email from my agent titled "Tagged: update". Of course I eagerly opened the email and scanned the contents.

Three shiny rejections.

Ugh! Okay...Five more to go and there's always a few rejections at the beginning. All my friends have been very supportive and walked me through what to expect. My agent told me how normal rejections are at first, etc. I'm glad she doesn't mind having a newb for a client. : )

The following week, another email from my agent and I stared at it, knowing what it would be. My agent would call me on the phone if we sold.

I waited to open it. I went to the bathroom...did my dishes (with my laptop near the sink and my inbox still opened) and finally I opened it.

I've never waited to open anything! I'm an email addict, as I've mentioned. But suddenly, opening emails was less exciting. LOL

I did eventually see my two new rejections and since they didn't match any of the other reasons for the rejections, I'm still in a good position.

The one cool thing about editor rejections, is how helpful they can be. Editors are people too, and I respectfully disagree with some of the reasons given for the 'no' but all of them give you priceless food for thought! I would never complain about my agent sending the rejections to me. They're great...but they're not a sale, which would be HUGE.

A friend of mine has told me to eat a Twizzler for every rejection to minimize the impact, and while this works to some degree, it still hasn't taken away my fear of opening my email.

Each time I do, now, I scan to see if my agent has emailed me and if the subject line is "update".

Sometimes, I'm really glad not to hear from my agent. LOL Whoever thought I would say that??

Anyone else feel this way? Or am I alone on my little island?

Best,
Gin