A Full Manuscript Request!

A lot happened yesterday for me as an American. I like many of my fellow Americans sat glued to our television not believing the images being broadcast of the insurrection and seige at the Capital. However, this post isn’t about yesterday’s events in Washington D.C. Something else happened yesterday for me personally– something big. I got an email from a literary agent requesting the full manuscript of Sailing in Silicon Valley. Amidst the chaos going on, I opened my email as my phone buzzed to notify me of the email. My husband was sitting on the couch, and watched in confusion as I shot up from my chair and began to scream hysterically.

The pure joy against the carnage that was happening on the television was indescribable. I grabbed my laptop and went over the manuscript one last time, double checking, and triple checking for errors that I had possibly missed. With a deep breath and a trembling hand I sent my full manuscript off to the agent. Along with the manuscript I sent my deepest hopes and wildest dreams of it being a success. It was the oddest sensation, to finally have something I’ve so desired, yearned for, worked for, cired over, and beat my head against my desk for to finally happen.

This morning I woke, feeling an emotional hangover from the events of the day before. Then I remembered, an agent asked for my full manuscript. The heaviness of the emotions from the day before seemed to lift. I know what happened yesterday in D.C. is incredibly serious, and lives were lost, but if this past year has really taught me anything it is to celebrate the joys in life. I also know that there is a 50/50 chance that the agent won’t like the full manuscript and I am doing my best to temper my enthusiasm. But for today, I am allowing myself to be really excited and enjoy the moment.

I remember last year about writing about how your query letter only has to work once. I compared the perfect query letter to mixing a great cocktail. Each component to the letter needing to be mixed just right. I guess I may have got the cocktail right. Even more important I am glad that the manuscript piqued interest. So for the first time ever I feel like I have moved to another step in the process of making a dream in my life come true. Even if the manuscript is passed on, I at least have got the chance to know what a full manuscript request feels like. I will tell you it feels incredible, amazing, and it is pure JOY.