You’ve edited your manuscript to a fine work of art.

You’ve researched where you’re sending it.

You put your ‘baby’ out in the world.

Now what?

Authors, especially first time authors, have these horrifyingly bad-for-your-ego lengths of time where you wait.

Every email you get is hope that it’s “the one” followed by crushing disappointment that it’s spam, or just a family member, or anything other than the agent or publisher you’ve submitted to.

When the agents, or publishers, ask to see more there’s an even worse period.  Now it’s more than the query. They have it all.

Having recently gone through a period like this (will not state whether or not I’m still in one) – I joked about a survival kit, and then got serious.  I asked my friends what they’d put in a survival kit for an author in this position.

Overwhelmingly the answer was…

ALCOHOL.

Huh…go figure.

But we did get a few more fun & creative responses…

• Anti-depressants
• Man-candy (then again, we can use this all the time, no?)
• Chocolate
• Barf Bags
• A dark corner to put yourself in
• A box of tissues for your uncontrollable sobbing
• A book called “How to stalk potential editors – the RIGHT way (i.e. don’t be a creep)”
• Bath salts
• A movie with a kick ass heroine
• Video games (b/c those are always awesome)
• Tea
• Art/Photography – any visual stimulation
• The website One Hundred Famous Rejections

I think the most important thing that is missing from this list isn’t something you can put in a basket.

It’s friends who’ve been there.  Who understand when you go to them and rail and cry and whine and let out those frustrations.  Who support you and remind you where you’ve come from and how far you’ve gotten.  Who don’t give up on you, when you’ve given up on yourself.

I’m grateful to have a circle of friends, old and new, that are right there fighting the good fight with me.  That have been where I am, and both support me and offer me words of wisdom and helpful critiques of my work.

So…Mary, Jennifer, Fi, Eden, Sabrina, Ellie and Tonya…thanks for being in my life.  On the days I feel like quitting – so glad I have you around to remind me why I’m where I am…and what’s coming just around the corner.

And lastly, the most important thing I have in my basket.  The world’s most supportive spouse.  Erik…you rock. When I had to make that incredibly difficult decision regarding my novel recently – you helped add in both a voice of reason and of incredible support.

So make up your basket today. Don’t forget that support system.  It means more than all the man-candy and chocolate in the world.