What to Expect When You’re on Submission: Hannah Howard’s TWO Happy Endings!
🎙️ New episode: Hannah Howard gets real about surviving the submission slog
Hey Bleeders,
Welcome to the second episode in our What to Expect When You’re on Submission series!
This week, we’re joined by the wonderful
, author of Feast and Plenty, two fantastic food-related memoirs that I’ve read, loved, and recommend. Not only is Hannah a returning guest (go listen to her earlier episode!), she was one of the very first people to read a draft of my memoir GIRL GONE WILD—back when I was workshopping it in a Catapult Generator with . Full circle moment: GIRL GONE WILD is now officially coming soon from !So yes—despite all our submission is hell talk, there are happy endings in publishing. They just take a while. Today’s guest is proof: Hannah has had not one, but two books make it out into the world.
This episode is part explainer, part pep talk. Hannah pulls back the curtain on what really goes down in traditional publishing: the unspoken rules, the editors who ask for a specific revision and then want something else, the mental anguish—and how to keep going through all of it.
Here are a handful of highlights from our convo:
🎢 Rejection rollercoaster, anyone?
Hannah recounts the emotional toll of her first submission experience with Feast, getting passes like:
“We published a food-related memoir like a year ago.”
(Um, okay—but this one’s different.)
“I just remember crying in the bathroom [after yet] another rejection. And it just felt like so much.”
Too real. Even the most gracious rejections don’t take the sting away. And the lack of transparency about publishing? Deeply frustrating.
“People were so opaque about the whole process… like it was some sort of secret society that I couldn’t be privy to.”
And that, my friends, is why this series exists—to crack open that “secret society” and demystify how it works. Hannah’s also teaching an upcoming book proposal course to the same end.
👀 What happens when an editor wants a revision… and then another
After an editor gave revision notes calling for “more behind-the-scenes restaurant stuff and more sex,” Hannah delivered. But then the feedback changed entirely.
“And I kind of felt like—wait, but what about the sex and the restaurant insider stuff?”
Ultimately, she went with Morgan Parker, her former college classmate turned Little A editor.
“She got it. She was so smart; she was so insightful. So it felt like an easy choice.”
Fun side note: Last semester, Morgan was my MFA advisor. I was so excited to work with her because of my interviews with Hannah and she lived up to my lofty expectations!
📗 The second book and right of first refusal
With her second book, another food memoir Plenty, Hannah navigated the “right of first refusal” clause in her contract with Little A. Her editor helped shape the idea early on, and ultimately:
“They were very enthusiastic about Plenty.”
Hannah and her agent decided that since her overall experience with book one was good, they would go with Little A again for book two. But even a good relationship with a publisher isn’t a guarantee—she later pitched a third project that got a no.
🆕 Trying something new: fiction
After her third proposal (about multi-level marketing) didn’t find a home, Hannah pivoted—using some of the same research and turning her creative energy toward fiction.
“I have no idea how/where/what's gonna come of it, but it feels really exciting and really terrifying to be just trying something that I have not done before in any way.”
A nice reminder to stay open to reinvention—a nonfiction idea might become a novel or a podcast, etc.
“As creative people, we plant these seeds, and we don’t know what form the project is going to take… But I feel like if we just keep doing our thing, I am optimistic that all this work I put into it is for something; I just don't know yet what that's going to look like.”
Still, Hannah wouldn’t call her MLM project dead.
“I would never say it was dead. I always have a little flicker of hope—you never know, right?”
I totally agree. Just because a project doesn’t land right away doesn’t mean it’s over forever. Publishing is a long game.
🔄 On control (and lack thereof)
“If you’re out on submission, it’s so out of your hands... You don’t know who’s going to say yes or what they’re going to want from it.”
This is the toughest part—learning to surrender. Hannah’s advice?
“It's a great time to start a new project that’s completely different whether that’s a writing project or a different kind of life project. I don’t know—become a baker!”
Whether it’s a novel, a knitting habit, or a sourdough starter, find something to pour your energy into while you wait. Distraction is a great coping mechanism.
💪 On endurance
“Good job. I’m just proud of anyone who’s on submission because it’s not easy… by that point, you’ve gone like 95 percent of the way.”
So true! Whether you're on submission now or just prepping your psyche for what’s to come, this episode is a validating listen. Hannah’s honesty, humor, and resilience are exactly the kind of energy we need to keep going.
🎧 Listen to Hannah’s episode now!
Happy bleeding!
Courtney
I’m teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:
Start a Newsletter to Supercharge Your Platform, Network and Business
How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought
Podcasting for Writers: How to Start, Sustain & Grow Your Podcast
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣️
Wanna tell me about your journey to your submission happy ending? Hit comment below with the Cliff’s Notes and a link to your book!
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