What was the most nerve-wracking experience of writing a book? It was every single time I sent any part of my manuscript to someone to read. Pressing that ‘send’ button is one of the most anxiety-producing events most writers will ever feel.

But then it gets worse.

Then comes the waiting. It’s not as if you have sent someone a two-page document to read. We’re talking about 100,000+ words that you have poured your heart and soul into for months or years. We’re talking about characters that came alive in your imagination; who grew and evolved over the course of the book. We’re talking about an entire world created from nothing and that you hope others enjoy.

And there is nothing to do but wait. And wait. And wait.

On the one hand, you want immediate feedback. You want to discuss a certain scene or a character arc. You want to know right away what they thought of the world you created or the relationships between characters.

But it is unrealistic to expect someone to speed-read through your manuscript. And do you really want that? Do you want them reading so quickly that they gloss over the description of that sunset that you spent hours crafting until you had just the right words to describe it? Also, didn’t you write a book for people to enjoy? Why steal that enjoyment by rushing them.

So you are stuck. You’re stuck waiting and waiting until they read the manuscript at their own pace.

What’s something you had to wait for where it felt like the waiting was interminable? Let me know in the comments below.