Novel Nerves and Friday Feedback

I just hit the SEND button with an attachment of my new novel, India Flips to my agent, Edward Necarsulmer. Here's what will happen: he will clear off all other things from his desk, eager to start reading right away because I am oh so fabulous.

NOT.

Okay, yes, he adores me, but there will be no clearing of the desk. What will happen is that India Flips will get into his MASSIVE reading queue. And the EARLIEST he will get back to me is late July.

But I obsessively read it through, editing and copyediting it no less than five times this week. Now it is 46,000 words instead of just shy of 45,000.

I am scared, but I must let go of it, and it's a good thing that I have a very busy summer of teaching writing camp, and then reading as many books as I can possibly get my hands on.

If you are interested in reading the opening page of India Flips, I have bravely posted it over on Gae Polisner's blog today. (You know my friend Gae - of Pull of Gravity fame?)  She is working in concert with Kate Messner's big summer project, Teacher's Write.

She has a new weekly feature called Friday Feedback, in which she, or a guest author, posts an excerpt of something he, she, (I?) are working on, and then invites peeps not only to give feedback, but to post their own excerpts for feedback from her (and the guest author.)

Isn't that the coolest? So what are you waiting for?

If you need another push, here is the link to Friday Feedback - I'd love to hear your thoughts!