Welcome back to Tuesdays: Behind the Scenes! Each week, I’m opening the doors a little wider and inviting you into the real, unpolished moments that shape my work.

This week, we’re talking about one of the hardest parts of writing: sending your work out into the world and then waiting for someone else to decide what happens next.

Submitting a manuscript is its own kind of emotional roller coaster. There’s the excitement of pressing send, the hope that this might be the yes, and then the strange quiet that follows. And keeps following.

You refresh your inbox. You try to focus on something else. And somehow, the waiting becomes a full-time job of its own. Or at least, it used to be…

The difficult truth is that you can’t control the editor or agent on the other end of your query. You can only control the work you put into the story, the courage it takes to submit, and what you choose to do while you wait.

So I’m writing, revising, and reminding myself that a quiet inbox is not the same thing as a final answer.

When I first started querying 6 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing. How long is too long to wait? I received offers, then quickly discovered they were from vanity presses.

Did I get discouraged? Well, of course I did. But these past six years have taught me valuable lessons. I joined RWA, I took dozens of classes on honing my craft, and I entered multiple contests. All were pieces of the puzzle to make me a better writer.

But guess what? I’m ready now… So for me, at this point… I’m giving it until my favorite holiday: Halloween. Then I’m pressing go on the next chapter in this writing career—with or without an agent or publishing company backing me.

If you’re waiting on something important too, I hope you’ll be gentle with yourself. Keep going. The story—and the next chapter—may still be unfolding.

I’d love to hear from you: what helps you stay patient when you’re waiting for an answer? Share your thoughts in the comments, and I’ll see you next Tuesday for more behind-the-scenes fun.