Gloria, please return my manuscript
Dear Gloria,
it has been over 3 months since you have had my book manuscript, and my attempts to get it back have been ignored. You said back in November that you didn't have time to read it, so why can't I have my manuscript back? I have a list of people who want to read it, so please return it to me. I understand that "you're busy with many projects" but that's no excuse not to fish it out of your closet and put it in an envelope and return it via media mail--a lot of people are busy, you know. Please do not tell me to "print out another copy" since I don't have a printer and would have to go to a print shop. Besides, I don't want my draft copy lying around in your closet anyway. So please just send it back to me, I can reimburse you for the $2 or so it will cost for postage.
Sincerely,
Christine Hoeflich
Gloria, please return my manuscript
Sorry for butting in what seems to be a private communication between yourself and Gloria. I am posting the following advice not only for your future reference, but also, for the benefit of other budding artists and would be published writers:
You should never ever send your original and only copy of any manuscript to anyone. A lot of publishers, agents and reviewers do not retrun manuscripts, not to mention, your work can be lost in transit even if they DO send it back.
Always have a hard copy, AND a copy on a disk; if your computer is not working, you can always use the computers at internet coffees, or the library. If your printer is not working, and/or you can not save a copy on a disk, you can e-mail yourself a copy to a hotmail or yahoo account as an attachment: that way, you can access, edit, and/or print your work from anywhere.
Also, keep in mind, that most than likely, your manuscript is not the only one in Gloria's "need to read" pile. Imagine, you enter in a room of a hundred guests. You're introduced to all of them, and they are introduced to you. It will be easier for them to remember your name, as you are the only new comer, than it is to remember the names of all those people. I know your manuscript is the most important thing in your life, your utmost priority...but, Gloria, and other publishers usually have dozens, if not hundreds of manuscripts to read, all important, all unique, all priority to their writers.
It is part of being a writer having to deal with rejections, and even bestseller writers will not get a reply for each and every of their submissions. I hope you will get your manuscript back soon, but in case you don't, learn to let it go. Whatever you do, keep writing.
God bless you
my manuscript
Dear Goddess,
Thank you for your insight, but there is some misunderstanding about what the actual deal is. Of course I have a hard copy and a couple other copies of my manuscript--Gloria does not have my original. The other thing, where did you get the idea that Gloria is a publisher who reads manuscripts for publication? As far as I know she is an author, but not a publisher and isn't reading other people's manuscripts for publishing.
Several months ago, I asked Gloria whether she would read my manuscript, as I found heavenletters inspiring, and thought she would gain some additional insight as well as perhaps direct me to someone who would be able to better evaluate it. She said yes she would, so I sent her a copy. She read just a few pages and said she found my writing wonderful but had other of her own projects she had to attend to. Of course people get busy (I try to keep my commitments no matter what but I understand when situations arise and they can't be kept, so that was fine with me). So then the thing to do would be to return my manuscript. I emailed her and asked for it, and she let me know it's in her closet, and that she was very busy. I waited some more before I emailed her again, but she wrote me she was busy so I should just print it out again. I told her that that was expensive for me right now (I have kids and try to get by on very, very little), and that I'd be willing to reimburse her for mailing it via media mail. (Besides, I don't want my draft copy floating around in other people's closets.)
She has ignored me, and it just seems so strange. Tell me, if you lent someone a copy of a book and wanted it back, is it not okay to ask them for it? What is so difficult about going into your closet and putting a manuscript in an envelope and into the mail? What is actually going on? Why is she (channeller of GOD) ignoring my polite emails?? If someone asked me to return something of their's I'd do it right away, so I don't understand this behavior, at all.
Thank you for letting me explain,
Christine Hoeflich
Gloria, please return my manuscript
Besides, Gloria has more than encouraged me several times to communicate with her via the web site rather than direct email, and since she has ignored my emails I am doing just this. I do not want to just sweep this under the rug. There are spiritual consequences for every act, and I'd rather that we get all the issues resolved, rather than ignoring things.
Again, Thank you,
Christine Hoeflich