Nine months is reasonable to wait for a baby.
Nine months is reasonable to write a novel.
However, nine months is not so reasonable to hear absolutely no response from a traditional publisher or agent on a work submitted for consideration.
In the modern world of fiction writing, two major avenues exist for getting creative works to the reader.
The first is the traditional publishing route with researching agents to find out who is accepting submissions for my niche genre (sword and sorcery), personalizing a query letter, writing a synopsis and submitting the first chapter or first fifty chapters to the agent, waiting while the manuscript wallows in a slush pile that most likely is read by a fresh out of college intern who has never read Howard or Wagner, and then negotiating a contract with an agent.
At that point, the agent begins to shop the manuscript which has to go through the same process with a publishing house. If one secures a contract for the book, then an editing and production process has to occur before the reader sees the work.
Enough time for a baby. Or two. Or three.
The second route is the self-publishing route. A writer completes a story, collaborates with others to edit and revise it, works with a designer for a cover, converts the story to a variety of digital and print formats, and then submits it to book distributors such as Amazon.
And in less than the time it takes for a single baby to come out, the story is with readers.
I tried my hand at getting my stories out through the traditional routes and, while I have had success with a short story which reaffirms that I can write to a professional level, the traditional process is too slow and too distant from my readers.
So for the time being, I am choosing to slay the traditional gate keepers and forge ahead on the self-publishing route.
I am excited about the adventure that lies ahead. I know there will be challenges ahead.
But I’m pretty sure I can get a baby out in nine months. Maybe even twins.
