Getting the Submission Call with Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

I think the New Year should be celebrated with hope. What better way to inspire that feeling than a series of posts about success. Let's all keep the goal of success firmly planted in our hearts and minds this year. May we all have as good news as Laurie Elizabeth Flynn shares!

I never thought my heart could pound as hard as it did when my agent, Kathleen Rushall, first called to offer representation. I was sure I’d never feel that tongue-tied and terrified yet excited again. But then, while out on submission with my YA debut FIRSTS, I found myself on the receiving end of a whole new breed of call entirely: the “we have an offer” call.

And that day, I found out that my heart could pound even harder.

I was working at my day job when my phone started ringing, and I couldn’t actually answer it. I had my purse strategically positioned so that I could see my phone at all times, from every angle on my desk (one of the many crazy behaviors of a writer on submission… don’t judge!) and could see Kathleen's number flashing. Right away I felt nervous sweat start to form as my mind raced a thousand miles a minute. What if it was bad news? Maybe just a kind rejection? As disappointing as that would have been, it was still less scary than letting myself think what I wanted to think: that it could be my dream coming true. I kept pushing that thought out of my head, no matter how badly it wanted to keep coming back, because I knew how upset I would be if I let my hopes go floating away like a hot air balloon for nothing. I had to stay anchored to the ground, so I let my doubt hold me down.

I raced into the hallway as soon as I could get away (I’m surprised I didn’t trample anyone over in the process) and quickly called Kathleen back. Then she called me back a few seconds later and told me that we have an offer for FIRSTS. An offer from a brilliant editor I seriously couldn’t wait to start working with. Kathleen told me all the details while I tried not to jump up and down in my professional banking attire. I could tell she was just as excited as I was, and she answered all of my questions before I had even asked them. (That’s the mark of a seriously great agent!) I still had a couple hours left of my shift, and I had no idea how I was going to keep it together.

After I got off the phone with Kathleen, I called my husband immediately. The first thing he said when he answered: “You have an offer, don’t you?” I guess he was okay with letting his hopes fly sky-high. Or he just had more faith in me than I did in myself.

By the time I got back to my desk, I was still blinking in disbelief. I was going to be a published author. My book was going to be an actual thing. Everything I had worked so hard for was happening. The year and seven months I spent in the query trenches, the contests, the two manuscripts I shelved, the Word docs full of murdered darlings, the late nights I stayed in and wrote instead of hanging out with friends, the frustration, the laughter and tears. All of it.

A couple days later, I got to have a call with my editor, Kat Brzozowski of Thomas Dunne Books. Kat couldn’t have been more welcoming and enthusiastic and I knew more than ever that FIRSTS had found its perfect home. Kat understood FIRSTS and my writing so well already. When we hung up, I was filled with a newfound sense of excitement for what FIRSTS was going to become with Kat as my editor.

Being on submission is a lot of things. It’s exciting and intimidating and awesome and nerve-wracking and frustrating. You check your phone for new emails a LOT (at least, I sure did). It’s challenging and rewarding and can produce some very high highs and some even lower lows. Querying was stressful, but when I was on submission, I felt that the stakes were even higher because I was that much closer to my book becoming a book. Everything was intensified. But the great thing is that when you’re on submission, you have the best support system imaginable: an agent who believes in you and your work, and who always has your back. Even when I felt down about something, I never forgot that, because Kathleen was so unfailingly positive.

So if you’re on submission and feeling weighed down, remember that your agent will fight for you and will do everything he or she can to see you succeed. Remember that you have writer friends you can lean on for support. I’m pretty sure this business never stops being a cycle of ups and downs, highs and lows. What sets writers apart is how we deal with that ebb and flow. Keep writing through everything. And don’t be afraid to let your hopes float away a little bit. Just believe that you’ll catch up.

Bio:

Laurie Elizabeth Flynn writes contemporary fiction for young adults. Her debut, FIRSTS, will be published by Thomas Dunne Books/St Martin’s Press in 2016.

Laurie went to school for Journalism, where the most important thing she learned was that she would rather write made-up stories than report the news. She also worked as a model, a job that took her overseas to Tokyo, Athens, and Paris, and spurred her fashion obsession.

Laurie now lives in London, Ontario with her husband, who is very understanding when she would rather spend time with the people in her head. Laurie can mostly be found writing happily at her desk, with the world’s most spoiled Chihuahua on her lap.

You can visit Laurie’s blog at www.laurieelizabethflynn.com or find her on Twitter at @laurellizabeth

Links:

Website: www.laurieelizabethflynn.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurellizabeth

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9816754.Laurie_Elizabeth_Flynn

Getting the Submission Call with Sarah Glenn Marsh

What could be better for the first day of the New Year than a drop of inspiration. I hope you enjoy this story of submission success from my friend Sarah Glenn Marsh. 

Fear the Drowning Deep: Getting the Submission Call

Hi everyone! I’m so happy that Michelle is willing to let me share my story with her wonderful readers. I used to visit this blog often to read the interviews and successes, hoping that someday the publishing dream would happen for me. Back when I was querying, I only spent about 3-4 months in the trenches before I signed with Christa Heschke of McIntosh & Otis in July of 2013. I was so excited! But while even my short stint of querying was tiresome and nerve-wracking (I could go on, but most of you know this stuff already), I’d soon find out about the even harsher realities of being ON SUBMISSION.

When your book is out on sub with editors, you give up a lot of control. Pretty much all of it. Your agent sends the book to editors after pitching it to them, and (usually, depending on the agent) will share responses after the editors read. You take the responses, learn from them if you can, and revise between sub rounds if you spot a pattern in the feedback…but that’s about it. It’s not like querying, where, if you know you’ve got a good query letter, you can send out a few more right after getting an agent rejection.

And if you’re a type-A like me, super-proactive, always making lists, wanting things to happen right away and doing everything in your power to make them happen—well, submission is going to suck for you. I’m sorry. But it is. If you’re like some of my other agent-sisters, you can focus on your next project and stay cool and collected through it all. If so, I admire you! And if not, welcome to the club.

Being on submission for a few months is tough. Being on submission longer than a few months is tougher. Even with a fabulous agent to support you. Even with great friends and CPs, and understanding family members, the emotional ups and downs are like nothing I’d ever experienced! (The tears! The chocolate-eating!) After a while, I did adjust to the whole, “this situation is out of my hands” concept and worked on preparing my next book for sub.

So—as is often the case—the moment I was focused on other things, Stuff Happened.

I was celebrating a successful round of revisions on my next book at a fantasy art/music/writing convention called FaerieCon when I got THE CALL. That’s the, “We have an offer!” call from my agent, Christa. But please, give me a moment to set the scene for you:

I’m in a large ladies’ restroom at a hotel. There’s a changing area with mirrors and benches. The changing area is full of ladies halfway into elf ears, glittering wings, and all sorts of gorgeous fairy garb. I hear my phone buzzing from my purse, but by the time I get to it, the ringing’s stopped—and I have a voicemail from Christa. I knew she was about to take a trip to London, and my first thought was that something had gone wrong with her travel arrangements (don’t ask why she’d call me if such a thing happened—my mind jumps to strange conclusions!). But her message said, “I have good news! I’m in the airport, but you can call me back…”

To all the fairies trying to get ready in that changing area, I apologize. The amount of shrieking and happy dancing and I THINK I HAVE A BOOK OFFER that went down was probably obnoxious. Okay, it was obnoxious. I’d have been giving me the side-eye, too. I might’ve even splashed sink water everywhere as I attempted to dab cold water on my face. Still, I trust none of your evening was ruined by my extreme enthusiasm!

So, fairy Sarah (that’d be me with glitter on my face and flowers in my hair) rushed through the hotel to get to the relatively quiet lobby, where I could call Christa back and hear what she had to tell me. And there I heard the news I’d wished for with all my heart, for many moons: editor Kristin Kulsavage of Sky Pony Press, an imprint of SkyHorse Publishing, wanted to buy my YA debut. A little historical fantasy called FEAR THE DROWNING DEEP.

I’d like to think that Kristin saw what I see in the book, and what I hope readers will experience if they decide to join a girl named Bridey Corkill on the windswept cliffs of the Isle of Man, over a century ago: magic. Not spells or potions, though those have their place, but the magic of discovering what’s hidden in a tide pool. The magic of what the ocean gives, and takes away. The magics of first love and family and sisterhood, and how the things we fear can drive us apart—or bring us closer together than we were before we faced down the danger and lived to tell the tale.

In closing, I want you to remember a few things I learned the hard way! First, use your support systems. Bend the ears of your critique partners and friends when you feel down. Second, submission can be an even bigger waiting game than querying. Everyone’s path to publication is different, and the many stages happen at various times for different people—maybe it depends on where Mars is sitting in relation to Neptune and the non-planet Pluto, or something. I don’t know. But I’ll say it again: everyone’s journey is different. Last, don’t take the rejections to heart. This is something I’ve really had to work on. I love words, and when those words aren’t good news, it hurts me. That said, NOTHING about a pass from an editor (or agent) means that your story isn’t valid, or that you aren’t valid as a storyteller or person. It may not be the right time for a particular story to get published, but the words inside you are important, and you should never stop writing. As long as you keep going through the doubts, the dream is alive, and you’ll get there.

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Sarah Glenn Marsh is a YA fantasy author represented by Christa Heschke of McIntosh & Otis Literary. Her debut historical fantasy, FEAR THE DROWNING DEEP, takes place on the Isle of Man in the early 1900s, and will be published by Sky Pony in the spring of 2016. Find it on Goodreads here. 

An avid fantasy reader from the day her dad handed her a copy of The Hobbit and promised it would change her life, Sarah's been making up words and worlds ever since. She lives, writes, and paints things in Virginia, supported by her husband and four rescued senior greyhounds: Romeo & Juliet, Grimm, and Khaleesi. 

Visit Sarah online at Sarah Marsh Writes, and on Twitter @SG_Marsh

Getting the Submission Call with Ami Allen-Vath

Submission is a secretive place and for good reason. It's not polite to kiss and tell. (Imagine the stress of querying on steroids.) Ami Allen-Vath is here to shed a little light on the process.  Thanks, Ami!

Being here on Michelle’s blog is so weird and exciting, you guys! In May of 2013, I was in the query trenches and bummed about not making it into one of the awesome query contests that Michelle co-hosts. (There’s another one coming up: Sun vs. Snow—check it out!) Then, about three months later, she posted a Query Questions interview with Victoria Lowes of The Bent Agency. I queried Victoria and two months after, I was on here with my very own “Getting The Call” post talking about my query to agent journey. Today I’m back to say that I’ve made it through the fiery pit of “sub hell.”

Being on sub started out very fun and OMG THIS IS CRAZY! I was a little awestruck when I first got the list of editors Victoria would be pitching my book to. My agent started with a mid-size round and then as responses came in (fairly positive, seemingly subjective but yet NOPE) my agent would send more out. Fun fact: my agent used my query as her pitch—it was basically word for word so keep this in mind querying writers: Your query may never die!

The time it took from starting sub to the offer was about five months. It felt like soooooo muuuuuuch longer but I’m not going to complain. I would have never gotten through this without some people who knew what I was dealing with. I had something every writer on sub needs: A SUB SUPPORT GROUP. There is nothing like dipping into the pool of obsession, overanalyzing and anticipation than with a fun-loving writer friend or two. Writerly support is always good but if you have someone who is also going through sub or just got out of it, hold that writer friend tightly. Checking in and getting check-ins from others in the trenches made everything so much easier.

You know what didn’t make it easier? Going into Barnes & Noble and drooling over book spines, publisher names, and all the gorgeous covers. Holding other pretty paperbacks and hardcovers in my hands in the YA section was this beautifully awful form of torture. I’d be on the brink of tears so many times just holding a book and knowing that someday, somehow–please please please somebody– that could be me.

That’s why rejection is so hard. In querying or with your book on submission…it’s one more person saying “Sorry, I wish I had better news!” “I loved this BUT…” Yes, getting emails from my agent with a rejection gave me mini stomachaches. One made me cry. Sometimes I felt like I just wasn’t quite good enough. It felt like my book was becoming so ALMOSTY. I saw other writers in the trenches going through similar stuff. So much second-guessing. But just remember, those feelings are temporary. They usually fade or at least begin to ease up the morning after. I strongly advise against sub rejection being interpreted as giant red signs that say GIVE UP NOW.

The day that Victoria emailed me to call her was my son’s birthday. She told me we had an offer and I’m pretty sure I made her say it all over again and “Whaaaat?” I was in a fairly calm state of shock and awe. Since offer day, I’ve been on the brink of tears (but never legit breaking down) about the whole thing a good handful of times. I had a decent amount of time from offer to actual contract signing to get used to the idea of becoming published, but still can’t quite wrap my head around it. (Yes, there is still more waiting to be done after you get the offer—take note, as this can be fairly quick or fairly lengthy).

So to get into more detail of the sale, I am beyond thrilled that Kristin Kulsavage of Sky Pony Press, an imprint of SkyHorse Publishing has bought my YA debut, Prom Bitch. I had a conference call before we accepted the offer and Kristin was so wonderful. She loved the dark edginess of Prom Bitch mixed with the light and swoony romance and humor. She got my book and wasn’t interested in trying to make it one thing or the other. This meant so much to me and was important (crucial) in selling my book. I’m so thrilled to move into the next phase of this journey with another person who believes in my book.

My story about being on sub is just one in a bazillion. Sometimes it’s a first book; sometimes it’s the twelfth. Sometimes you get an offer in week two and sometimes in year two. There are so many ways to make it out of being “on sub.” So keep in mind, that a success doesn’t always mean a big auction with a giant advance or even a sale at all. Every journey is different. As long as you don’t give up or stop writing, you’ll still be a writer and your dreams are always within reach.

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Ami Allen-Vath is a YA contemporary author, represented by Victoria Lowes of The Bent Agency. Her book, Prom Bitch is forthcoming from Sky Pony Press in fall of 2015. 

Ami loves books, good and bad TV, and ice cream. She does not like birds, cilantro, or cartoon character impressions. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children, and a dog named Yoda. She can be found on Twitter: @amilouiseallen, Facebook, and her blog: “Ami with an I.”

My official I have A Book Deal Post: 

https://amiallenvath.wordpress.com/2014/11/11/1514/

Add PROM BITCH on GoodReads: 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23556537-prom-bitch?from_search=true

The Scoop on Literary Auctions!

I recently did a post about the submission process. However, I don't know much about the excitement of literary auctions, so I've asked Clelia Gore of Martin Literary Management to explain how they work.

Thanks, Clelia! I'm wishing this on all my friends!  

If you have reached the auction stage of publishing your book, then congratulations are in order – that means you have successfully finished your manuscript, impressed an agent enough to represent you, successfully made it through the submissions process, and have multiple publishers interested in purchasing your book for publication who are prepared to vie against each other for your work! An auction also happens if your agent has deemed your work a particularly hot commodity and knows many will be interested. Obviously, auctions don’t happen to every author and it is a wonderful situation, indeed.

The agent manages the auction which will have at least two participating publishers. At Martin Literary Management, we have an auction form that we have the publishers fill out that includes information like the advance offer, royalty rates, subsidiary rights, marketing and publicity plan, option clause, print run, etc. We want to know as much information as possible, because it is not just the advance offer that is important—there are many other factors that can help an author make their final decision.

The agent sets a date and time by which offers must be submitted. The auction is blind so the publishers do not know what the other publishers’ offers are. Once the agent has all of the offers, there can be a winner, or the auction could go another round if the offers are similar or if another publisher is willing to match the highest bidder.

Ultimately, choosing a publisher is the author’s decision. The author may want to go with the publisher offering the highest advance, but other important factors have been laid out that help inform the author which publisher may be the best fit for them.

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It was when Clelia first read Charlotte's Web in the first grade that she got hooked by the magic of books. Her love of children's books carried through adulthood and she is delighted to dedicate her life to bringing quality books and stories to young (and whimsical adult!) readers.

Clelia is originally from New Jersey. She currently divides her time between Seattle and New York. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Boston College. She received her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law and practiced law as a corporate litigator in New York City.

In 2011, she decided to dedicate her career to books and reentered graduate school at Emerson College. In 2013, she received her master's degree in Publishing and Writing. While she was studying publishing and taking creative writing courses at Emerson, Clelia worked as a managing editorial intern in the children's book division at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Clelia also honed her editorial skills as an editorial intern at Oxford University Press. She also taught academic writing and research courses to freshman students at Emerson College. 

The Submission Call with Holly Jennings

This is the best kind of story ever! And I think Mike, SC, and I are all begging for copies when Holly's book is released! (Hint, hint, I have a kindle or paperback would be fine.) Thank you Holly for giving us a little insight into what submission is like from an author's viewpoint.

Did anyone else see summer this year? I think I blinked when it whizzed by. In fact, the entire year soared past but it turned out to be one that would change my life.

In September 2013, I started writing a novel about a Chinese-American girl kicking butt and taking names inside a virtual reality tournament. In May 2014, I entered QueryKombat and by August I had an agent. We started submissions less than two weeks later.

If you think you check your email a lot when submitting to agents, trust me, it goes to a level never before known by mankind when editors come into the picture. I half expected the computer itself to pop up a message that said: STOP ALREADY. 

The cure? Work on another book. Focus on something different than the one on submission. While I recommend having a synopsis of a sequel or possible series ready in case the editor asks, it's also a good idea to have a separate book in progress in case your first doesn't sell. The submission process can be an agonizing process, maybe even more so than the hunt for an agent. Luckily for me, it didn't take long. I had a book deal by the end of September.

Things don't normally move this fast. This is a story of serendipity.

Somewhere at the crossroads of fairy dust and destiny (or more likely my agent's superpower skills), my sci-fi novel about video games and Chinese culture landed in the lap of an editor who (get this) loves science fiction, video games, and Chinese culture.

BAM!

My agent called me at home on a Friday. Normally, I'm not at home on Fridays but I had this particularly Friday off (and he didn't even know that!) See the theme here? 

"We have interest from an editor at Ace." 

At least, I think that's what he said. There were angels singing, so he was a bit muffled. Almost all the genre books I read are published by Ace. They take up a good portion of my bookcase. In fact, they take up a good portion of my house. When I didn't think it could get any better, I found out the name of the editor, who edits -- wait for it...

My. Favorite. Series. Ever.

I got an email from the editor the following week saying she'd like to talk and was wondering if I'd be available during the day. Usually I work an 8-5 job, but serendipitously (see? SEE?), the following Monday was a Canadian holiday. She would be at work, and I'd be at home.

 

We had the call. Yes, after having the call with my agent, I had another with the editor. This was something unexpected for me, but I'm so glad it happened. Between gaming and ComicCon, we geeked it up on the phone for a good hour. When it came to possible edits, we were on the exact same page. In fact, some of the changes she mentioned were tweaks I'd already made myself and was going to discuss with her. She ended the call by saying how excited to work with me. No, no, no. It was the other way around, I assured her. She must have missed her morning coffee.

So, while edits and everything else that follows won't begin until next year and I'm currently deep at work on the sequel, I'm happy to say I've signed a two-book deal with Ace Books and will be working with Anne Sowards (editor of the Dresden Files - Squee!)

Again, big thanks to Michelle, Mike, and SC for hosting QueryKombat, which started me down this path. More thanks to the mentors, judges, and other contestants (because you guys just plain rock). And, of course, thanks to my uber agent Leon Husock for bringing in the deal and being awesome in general.

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BIO: Holly Jennings is a member of SF Canada and writes from her home in Tecumseh, Ontario. Her debut novel Virtual Rebel is forthcoming from Ace Books early 2016. For more, check out her website atwww.hnjennings.com or follow her as she attempts to understand Twitter @HollyN_Jennings. 

Submission 101- Literary Agent Submission to Editors

So you've earned the support of a literary agent. Someone fell in love with your story and has agreed to sell it to editors at publishing houses. What happens with your book next? How do editors get your story and what does an agent actually do? This no doubt varies by agents, but I'll try to share the details I've learned from my own and from speaking with other authors. Hopefully others who have been through it will chime in if their experience differs.

Once you sign a contract with an agent, whether that be for one particular book or for your whole career, the first thing that usually happens is revisions. Your agent will have suggestions for making your book more appealing to editors. They'll take their experience on what is marketable and share that with you to shape your book and get it into the best shape possible. Of course, that also means fixing typos, writing structure, and big picture items. You're taking your already very clean manuscript and bringing it to its shiny best. This process can be anywhere from a week to months depending on the amount of work involved.

When your manuscript is ready, the next step is putting together an editor list. Your agent will study editors and the "want" lists from different publishers and their imprints. He/she will take a look at what each publisher has bought lately and what genre/topics interest particular editors. Then your agent will take your query letter--or sometimes start from scratch depending on the agent--and craft a pitch letter. 

During the submission process, you've gone from querying to pitching, though the concept remains the same--enticing attention for your story. Bad news folks, you still need a query letter and synopsis even after you have an agent. You want to give as much help to your agent as possible so they can come up with the strongest pitch letter. That means tight paragraphs about what is unique with your characters and plot, and who knows that information better than the author. In other words a query letter.

And certain publishers do request a synopsis (just like certain agents), so your agent will need one written by you to send with your submissions. (Total bummer, I know.) The synopsis never die, it just gets more crucial.

At this point some agents will telephone or otherwise meet with an editor to gauge interest. Other agents simply email the pitch letter and whatever else the editor requires be sent--pages or synopsis--in order to get started. You've entered the first round stage. Just like in querying, agents send small batches of around ten pitches at a time. Usually, the first round aims at large imprints and might throw in a medium print or two.

Your agent should show your the list your manuscript has gone out to, including the editor names. Now you can either obsess by searching out those editors on the internet and following them on social media, or you can try and keep it cool and aloof and wait for news. Your agent should warn you (or common sense should do this) that you are not to contact or bother said editors. Your job is to wait.

Also if you have a preference for a particular publisher, you can share this with your agent. He/she is most likely happy to research that publisher and find the right editor to send your submission. Just don't go shouting about 'your favorites' in public. In fact, don't talk about submission at all in public. You want the best possible outcome and that means keeping everything quiet and not getting in your agent's way.

And so you're waiting. In my own experience the majority of editors respond in just a few days--either they will ask for more or reject because they have something too similar. (Obviously if your agent called editors first, your submission moves right to what in querying is considered a full request.) There are basically no partials in submission. Editors either want to see the whole manuscript or they reject it outright for various reasons. 

Unlike querying the request rate at this stage is usually close to 90 percent. That's because your agent has done their research  and editors figure this is submitted by an agent, the manuscript is worth seeing. There will be the odd editor who never responds to the pitch. It happens. People are busy. Your agent will nudge and eventually write-off no response pitches.

Now you are waiting patiently and nervously, trying not to check your email inbox every two seconds. The roller coaster has started and it has higher hills and sharper curves than querying. This time control is out of your hands and you must have faith and trust your agent. Not always easy to do. Expect to have times when you patience vanishes and you absolutely MUST know what is happening. Do your best to put that energy elsewhere. Try and hold your concentration enough to work on a new story or go run circles around the neighborhood. Speak privately to your CP. Eat chocolate. Whatever works for you to stay calm.

Some editors will respond quickly, some not so much. At the one month mark, you agent should give a polite nudge just as reminder. At this point editors are reading and deciding whether to acquire. To acquire your manuscript, they must pass you up the food chain, so to speak. They must take you before the acquisitions board where your story will be read by others and evaluated about its marketability. Many people will now read it and 'vote' yes or no. Is it worth while financially to acquire this story? Will the sales be high enough? The higher your story goes, the longer the whole process will take. Thus no news is good news is actually true.

Somewhere along this line, you might be asked to do some revisions so the story can be consider all over again. You'll have your agent's help as to whether the revisions are worth doing or not and how serious the publishers is about acquiring if they are done. I've seen authors say that even after the revisions, that publisher rejected the story, so consider carefully.

Your agent should forward responses from editors to you or possibly just give you parts of what they have received. You can let your agent know if you prefer not to know the details of bad news or if you prefer to have it only sent to you once a month. Either way, decide together what type of communication you prefer. Do you want to know all the results or do you want to wait for good news?

Most passes from editors are very kind and full of compliments. It might not be what they're seeking or they might have something too similar. Some might give more specifics and others might be vague. There's often not much to guide you or your agent in what could be changed or improved upon.

If no publishers decide to acquire on the first round, then your agent will send another round of pitch letters to new imprints. There are usually three or four months months in between rounds. And even after a second or third round is sent, there may still be editors considering from earlier rounds. The whole submission process can take a year or longer of sending out pitches and waiting to hear from editors. And there is no guarantee. Some stories will fail to sell.

If you do receive an offer, your agent will spring into action to negotiate the best deal possible for you and the best contract terms. This also can take many months. Months where you can't share your good news with anyone. 

So that's the basics of a normal submission. Sometimes an agent will feel there is so much interest they will jump straight into an auction where your manuscript goes to the best offer during a short time frame for publishers to express interest. That can happen with a small number of books but is not the usual path.  

I hope this clears up some of the mystery behind literary submissions through an agent. Intense is the best word to describe it. Feel free to ask questions or share your own experiences.