The Different Degrees of Enthusiasm

I believe many think about how enthusiastic they will feel after submitting a bunch of cover letters and manuscripts out to editors and getting the reply they want. When I first send out the first and second cover letter, I imagined I would be jumping with excitement when opening a letter that says that my manuscript is accepted. In reality, for some writers, the feeling of happiness is there, but the enthusiasm is delayed.

The busy tasks of purchasing stamps, envelopes, and other necessary purchases, sending the letters by mail, and emailing cover letters, takes a good amount of time. Then I get emails from editors responding with a pending notice of two weeks to a month or they want to see the whole manuscript and I will have to wait again. Then I go back and forth doing the same thing. Yes, it takes time, but it is also fun. With the busy tasks of submission, once I got the note of a contract, I was instead in a bit of a daze. I knew right then and there that my book would be published by a publisher, but the feeling of hard work in the process and submitting to multiple editors, took over me at that moment. I was of course happy, but I did not experience the feeling of jumping up for joy like I imagined months ago when I first started submitting.

The next day, it all sunk in to me. The fatigue, but enjoyment of the submission process was replaced with enthusiasm. The enthusiasm I felt from the note by a publisher who accepted my manuscript and then gave me a contract led me to jump with excitement. I was ecstatic.

I also noticed something else, seconds later. I truly believe that I am more overjoyed and full of excitement because of the hard work I put into it. I think I would have been happy if the first or second publisher accepted it, but I would not have this great and special feeling that I have now. It was more of the feeling of my manuscript being accepted. It was the feeling of the whole process, which at times felt like stumbling blocks and delays. It taught me more of what many novelists go thru and the rewards they reap whether it is small or large.

I believe there are different degrees of enthusiasm. I enjoyed this one. It was indeed a fun process. What is your experience? What is your opinion on this?