When you have submitted your book proposal, yet another much-hated part of the process begins: The Waiting Game. (And you thought writing that book was hard…) Both writers’ guides I have mentioned provide the publishers’ average response time, and you will quickly notice that it is usually calculated in months, not weeks. “Responds in 3 months to queries,” for example, how about that? Yes, that means you will have to wait for three months after you’ve mailed your query to hear back from the publisher maybe inviting you to submit your proposal. Then you send the proposal, and the waiting game starts again.
You might be tempted to make a follow up phone call or send an e-mail; don’t. Editors do not like to be bothered, especially before the stated response time has passed. It is usually recommended to wait out that response time + one month. If you still haven’t heard back from the publisher, send a polite e-mail checking on your submission status. If it goes unanswered, send it again in two weeks. After that, let go. Consider it a rejection, and move on to another publisher.