I Just Submitted My First Novel To Five Different Publishing Houses
And here are some lessons I learned in the process.
Last year, I took a break on Medium to write my very first novel.
And I completed it. By God, I completed it.
I surprised myself by finishing my novel within 6 months. By doing so I joined a small, select group of writers who wrote their first books in their twenties.
I know this sounds more than a little boastful, but please, be kind enough to allow me my fancies. See, I never thought I would actually finish the book. The novel, when I was writing it, took me on so many strange, wild and wonderful turns it came as a surprise to me when I put down the last word.
I almost wept when I submitted my manuscript.
Alas, my book was not selected for the Epigram Books Fiction Prize, the novel-writing award I had sent it to. If it had been, I would have won anywhere between $5000 to $20,000 Singapore dollars.
Oh well.
After a few days of moping, I decided to edit my novel, and re-submit it to not one, not two, not three — but five different publishing houses. I will know in a few months' time whether my book is accepted or not.
