Let the Nail-Biting Begin!

I did something Monday I've only done once before, I sent off a picture book manuscript.  I immediately felt nauseous after I heard the "plunk" of it landing inside the mail slot.  It's been my baby for a year.  Thanks to Shannon, Kristin and Myrna's awesome advice, I revised and fine-tuned it before sticking the stamp on.

But still.

You wonder.

Is it ridiculous that I checked my mailbox Tuesday afternoon?
Yes it is.

I'm diverting myself working on Christmas gifts and cleaning the house.  Not sure why this mailing is making me so jittery.  I've had plenty of rejections before.  And even made art of it here.  But this feels different.  The stakes are higher.

The last time I sent a picture book manuscript out, I sent it to ONE editor and never sent it out again.  But that's the way I began with magazine articles too.  It took me a whole year before I began sending stories out on a fairly consistent basis and the rejections didn't hurt so bad after awhile.  Then I started getting hand written notes and even acceptances.

Now it feels like I'm starting all over.  Maybe I just have to keep sending out, like the short stories and since this is the beginning again it feels raw.

I'll let you know what happens, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I won't hear anything until four months from now IF I hear anything at all.

No I'm not worried.

**Chatter, chatter**

My nails are stubs.  Nothing new.