I don’t like to travel outside of my comfort zone. But then again, who does? A devotional I read titled Jesus Calling spoke to me on this issue on December 9:

Be willing to go out on a limb with Me. If that is where I am leading you, it is the safest place to be. Your desire to live a risk-free life is a form of unbelief. … In order to follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your tendency to play it safe.

For me, going out on a limb means pursuing publication of my finished novel. If you don’t know, here’s a basic outline of how traditional publication for novelists works:

1. Author writes first draft of novel
2. Author revises novel
3. Author completes revisions of novel thereby producing a “finished product”
4. Author queries one agent at a time for representation before a publisher
5. One agent chooses to represent author based on submitted work
6. Agent shops novel to different publishers for publication
7. One publisher selects author’s work for publication
8. Author’s work may undergo several more revisions
9. Publisher decides to go ahead with publication
10. Agent and author both get paid

I know I will be rejected by many agents, and who wants to wade into a sea of rejections? But sending these queries is outside of my comfort zone, a place I am all too happy to reside. I plan on getting an editor to look at manuscript on a developmental level: what works within my novel and what doesn’t in the hopes I can strengthen my novel. As I pursue publication, I’ll keep you up to date on all my rejections, partial rejections (“It’s good, but…), or possible acceptance!