Submissions, Silence, and Ghosting…


This week, I’ve found myself in limbo, waiting for responses to finalize work projects. Meetings postponed, emails unanswered—it’s a frustrating state of suspension. It’s reminded me of a reality that many writers face during the querying process: ghosting.

Querying agents and editors can already feel like a daunting process. Writers put their hearts on the page, crafting the perfect pitch, only to send their work out into the void. The silence that follows can be deafening.

We all understand that everyone has busy schedules and backlogs to manage. But how long does it really take to send a simple “no, thank you”? Choosing not to respond is, in itself, a decision—a decision that leaves writers questioning everything.

When a query goes unanswered, it can feel like your work isn’t just rejected, but irrelevant. Writers are left to wonder:

- Was my work so bad it didn’t deserve a reply?

- Did my email get lost in the shuffle?

- Am I completely invisible?

The truth is, ghosting often stems from discomfort. Many people fear confrontation or don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings, so they choose silence. Ironically, this can hurt more than an honest rejection. Writers are resilient; we can handle a polite “no.” What’s harder to endure is the endless waiting, the not knowing.

Simple Solutions to End the Silence

There are ways to address this. If time or emotional bandwidth is an issue, here are a few suggestions:

1. Auto-Responses: Create a standard rejection email. It can be short and polite—something like, “Thank you for your submission, but this project isn’t the right fit for me at this time. Best of luck!”

2. Set Expectations: If you have a policy of only replying to submissions you’re interested in, state it clearly on your website or submission guidelines. That transparency helps writers manage their expectations and time.

3. Provide Timelines: If you need more time to consider a project, let the writer know with a simple acknowledgment or update.

These small gestures can make a big difference. Writers aren’t asking for personalized feedback on every submission—just clarity and respect for their time and effort.

The Long Wait

I’ve heard stories of writers who received responses years after sending a query. Others have had promising initial interactions only to be met with silence when following up. While no reply might be the standard for some, it’s important for agents and editors to recognize the emotional toll this takes. If the policy is “no response means no,” make it explicit. Writers will respect the boundary if they know it exists.

At the end of the day, we’re all short on time. Ghosting wastes everyone’s time—not just the writer’s, but also the agent’s or editor’s, as the system becomes clogged with follow-ups and uncertainties. A simple “no” can free up a writer to move forward, to query someone who might say “yes,” and to focus on their work.

Productivity, Process, and Progress

Overcoming the Creative Roadblocks

In recent years, the non-fiction aisle has been flooded with books promising to unlock greater productivity, efficiency, and mastery over your time. The message is clear: we’re obsessed with doing more, better, and in less time. Yet, modern work often feels like an endless juggling act. Remote meetings blend into Slack conversations, toggling between twenty open browser tabs, replying to emails while searching for attachments that seem to have vanished into the ether. Amidst all this chaos, we schedule carpools, pay bills, and handle life’s demands.

We know context switching is a productivity killer, yet most of us do it all day, every day. Is there a better way? Can we allow ourselves to focus on just one task at a time?

The Mental Overload of Modern Life

Did you know we have up to 60,000 thoughts per day? Astonishingly, 95% of them are repeats from the day before, and up to 80% can be negative. The mental chatter is relentless:

• “I don’t want to sit through this boring meeting.”

• “Why can’t I remember my password?”

• “What’s wrong with me? I’ll never finish this project.”

It’s no surprise we feel drained. Research suggests that multitasking can double the time it takes to finish a task and increase error rates by up to 50%. Yet we still do it. Why? Often, it’s a form of procrastination.

The Procrastination Trap

When faced with a big, daunting task, we tend to start with smaller, less important ones. The logic? Crossing a few things off our to-do list will give us the momentum to tackle the big one. But those smaller tasks often snowball, leaving the real priorities untouched.

Strangely, the tasks we procrastinate on are often the ones we care about the most. They’re the big-ticket items:

• “Finish novel.”

• “Record podcast.”

• “Launch business idea.”

Why do these tasks linger on our to-do lists, haunting us year after year? The fear of failure, inadequacy, or unmet expectations often paralyzes us. We avoid starting because starting means committing.

Decision Paralysis: The Creative Killer

At the heart of procrastination lies decision paralysis—the overwhelming anxiety of choosing a path when the outcome is uncertain. Creative work, in particular, requires countless micro-decisions, each one stacking atop the last. It’s exhausting, especially when you don’t have all the information or can’t see the full picture.

In the past week alone, I’ve felt this paralysis:

• Trying to design the weapons and landscape for a futuristic battle scene.

• Deciding on a side character’s name and backstory.

• Figuring out how to cancel a mysterious streaming subscription no one in my family seems to use.

• Connecting a Roland synthesizer to my computer.

Each of these required more steps than anticipated. What I thought would take two steps ballooned into five—or seven. Frustration mounted, inertia set in, and progress ground to a halt.

Overcoming the Roadblocks

The solution is both simple and maddeningly slow: focus on one task at a time.

• Commit fully to solving one problem.

• Resist the urge to think about what else you “should” be doing.

• Accept that progress will take time and energy.

It’s not glamorous, but it works. The real win is learning to celebrate the small victories along the way. Solving a major roadblock—whether it’s figuring out a plot point, finishing a sketch, or debugging code—is just as important as crossing the finish line.

Step-by-Step, Detail by Detail

Creative work isn’t about monumental leaps forward; it’s about methodically tackling each step, each detail. The key is to fight the temptation to judge yourself for “not making progress” and instead focus on what’s in front of you.

This is advice I need as much as anyone else. Finishing creative projects always takes more time, energy, and mental effort than expected. But every step forward—no matter how small—is still progress.

So, to anyone feeling stuck on a creative project this week: hang in there. Celebrate your wins, however minor they seem, and trust that every detail you solve brings you closer to the finish line.

You’ve got this.

https://www.instagram.com/art4_marax/reel/DFQ24Q1oKVL/

EoE Book 2

Starting work on the second instalment of the Eye of the Ocean featuring underground temples, ancient mazes, and monsters of stone.

Solveig is alive but her bid to rescue Laurie lead to her mother’s capture. Her efforts to save her mother from Norfolk’s clutches and escape the island only draw her further into the ancient secrets locked in the heart of the Eye of the Ocean, secrets Norfolk and his Order of Ravens would gladly kill for.

YA Horror WIP

Hoping to finish my YA Horror WIP this summer.

Featuring an ancient mirror, a dark book of fairy tales and a man who slips through time and shadow to stalk and disappear members of the same family.

Archive 81 meets Lost Stars set in Geneva (Switzerland) in 2008.

The Eye of the Ocean 1

The Eye of the Ocean - - Collaborative Project Launching June 2021

Photo by Matheo JBT on Unsplash

Photo by Matheo JBT on Unsplash

I’m thrilled to be a part of a very exciting collaborative project - The Eye of the Ocean is an illustrated novel and highly crafted deck of playing cards designed by Lorenzo G. at Stockholm 17.

Check out the promotional material here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/requiemcards/the-eye-of-the-ocean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERvqfCRvjj8