Now for the hard part

I sat staring at my screen for a while on Monday when I finished the first draft of my middle-grade fantasy novel. The panic didn’t set in until I hit send and the email whisked off into cyberspace; too late now to turn back.Now the hard part starts, waiting. I’m not known to be a patient person, but waiting for my selected few trusted readers to get back to me with their input and suggestions will ultimately help improve my editing. It’s always good to know what they liked, didn’t like, what worked, what didn’t work, or where they fell asleep!This waiting will also allow me the necessary time away from my novel so that I can start the excruciating task of editing with fresh eyes.Have you ever wondered what the actual process is for publishing a book?I think authors all have a different method or process and I believe it is crucial that we use whatever way works for us. My mom has a whole new appreciation for what an author goes through since her visit; she now asks how I’m doing rather than the dreaded question: “is it at the publisher’s yet?”So now the million dollar question is, what do I do while I wait to hear back?I could start another devotional book, or a children’s picture book like my niece asked me to, or I could start on book two. What do you think?While I tried to decide what I should do this morning, I planned the retreat day I will be offering my husband’s church, and I found all the supplies and prepared the music. Then in an effort to keep procrastinating from writing this blog, I did some housework, called my mom, checked my emails, and organized some paperwork!Ps. Let the research begin!