For a long time, I thought the reason summer was my busy season was because you all wanted me to edit while you’re on vacation. Really, you guys deserve longer breaks from your work in progress for more than a week, but I’m indulgent like that. (I slept until 8:30 this morning — well, the morning I’m writing this — and that’s extremely rare for me.)

But lately, I’ve found a way to quantify my stress and I noticed that as soon as the kids were out of school and my oldest now a graduate, my stress levels… plummeted. That’s coincided with my sitting on the couch, working on my own fiction. (and probably sleeping until 8:30, but that’s another story.)

Coincidence?

Not on your life.

Whatever the reason, I’m glad to say this summer is shaping up for me like almost every other: busy. Which means that if you need me (and why don’t you???), better get in the queue now. I still work on a first come, first served basis and I’ll do my best to hold a date if you’re a deadline person, but know I’m not going to sit idle for a few days while I wait for you. I have a college tuition to pay starting in August!

Right now, I’m not so busy that the Rush fee is active. That could — and probably will — change at any point, so if you’re working on something that you think or know will be ready for an edit soon, well, do NOT rush it. Not for my sake. Remember you always want to send your editor your very best (unless you’re stuck and you need my expert eye, at which point holler and I’ll help. Of course!).

So what do you do?

Contact me. Tell me you know it’s the busy season, and you want to make sure I’m on your radar. If you’re an existing client, will it make a difference? Quite possibly; I take care of my people.

But if you and I haven’t worked together yet, don’t despair. You won’t be thrown to the back of the queue time and again. Nope. You’re my people now, at least temporarily, and I take care of my people.

What does that mean? It means I’m not too busy to communicate with you (generally) about where you are in the queue and when I’ll get to you. It means you’ll get 100% of my attention and be the only project I work on until it’s done. (Not all editors, I’ve learned, work this way.) It means you potentially get to make me so busy, I impose the rush fee.

Got it?

Now, get busy on your fiction. Summer’s here (unless you’re Down Under, but that’s a logistic we can work out another time). Hopefully your stress levels plummeted as much as mine have. Hopefully you’re busy writing, and you’ll need me before you start shopping for school supplies or (eep!) dorm room linens. Be in touch, let me know you’ll me.

In the meantime, I’ll be over here. Busy.

One in an occasional series

 

I have to laugh. A few weeks ago, I posted about how it’s time to line up your editor for the summer. I can’t speak for other editors, but around here, summer’s my busy season. You’ve got to get in soon, especially if you’re a new client.

I guess you guys were listening because … well, August is now completely booked. Funny enough, it happened within a 24-hour period, too.

However, summer’s more than one month long, and June and July… crickets are chirping. Lots of open weeks… June and July have as many weeks as any other month, and right now, any of those weeks are yours for the taking.

Look over where you are in your manuscript. Even if you’re not a West of Mars client (and why aren’t you again?), you may want to have a chat with your editor about his or her expected availability when you need him or her. Even if, like me, the answer will be, “I’ll make time for you. No worries,” it’s still polite to let your editor know what you’re thinking, so they know to expect you.

I can’t speak for others, but whenever someone says, “I’m aiming for June and I’ll be in touch when I know for certain,” I jot a note on my June calendar. Client X? it says, and I’ll include word count if you’ve given me an estimate. That reminds me to hold space open; one thing I’ve learned is that open spaces always fill (unless, for some reason, it’s March. Why is March my slowest month?).

Talk to your editor about your projected schedule. And get yourself on the June or July calendar soon. August is full… what month will be next?