hurry up and wait

I made a plan, and I’m sticking to it.

I actually made two plans:

1. query agents in small batches, only on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays — refine based on feedback, and only send a new query if an agent drops out. Try and write in the meantime.
2. apply for any job I’m remotes qualified for, prepare like hell for applying and interviews, and take whatever comes my way.

So the plans are in motion – I have 20 queries outstanding, I submitted a story to a literary contest, and I’ve got three different jobs in the “waiting to hear back about interviews” stage.

It’s all waiting.

The literary part, I get it, it’s all glacial. But here’s the bit about the jobs that I don’t get. Everyone’s in a huge rush. Two of the interviews I’m waiting to hear back about, the interviewer said they wanted someone in by April 1.

Was this a set up for April Fool’s, were they just saying what they thought I wanted to hear, or were they just underestimating how long the process would take?

The other said that they want three more interview stages completed before they make their decision – before 4/10.

If there were agents who had my proposal and said I’d hear back with a decision today, I’d be going crazy having heard nothing.

Employers… Well, it’s the same thing. I am going crazy. I’m more used to HR departments being flaky as hell though, so I suppose I’m glad it’s one and not the other.

I wouldn’t mind at all, though, if both agents and employers wanted to go ahead and make some offers.