A full-service literary agency that focuses on books for the Christian market.

Tuesday in the Life of an Agent: Pitching Projects

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Author: Rachel Zurakowski

Location: Books & Such Main Office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Tuesday morning started out much like Monday morning, but I managed to get a shower. Things are looking up!

With coffee in hand, I arrive in the office and survey the damage left during the few hours I was gone.

Email box full? Check!

Query box full? Check! (How is this even fair? I spent yesterday clearing it.)

Stack of mail at least two feet high? Check! (I really need to get to that reading.)

Calendar? It’s possible that I have a phone call or two.

The main agenda for today involves sending out my authors’ projects to editors. This starts as research. I look at my list of projects and my lists of editors, and I decide which editors I should send projects to. Sometimes I pop onto Publishersmarketplace.com to do a little research. I can look at recent deals made by editors to see what interests them. I then send the pitches  to editors if they haven’t already requested to see a certain project. When the project is requested either through a meeting, a query, or our web page, I send the proposal or manuscript out right away. I also spend some Tuesday time writing pitches for projects and editing proposals.

Throughout the day I answer important messages in my inbox as well.

That’s usually enough to fill any Tuesday.

I think I’ll go out to a restaurant for dinner tonight. It’s my birthday!

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  4. Jill Kemerer

    Happy Birthday! I’m sure a full box of e-mails and queries isn’t the best gift you’ll receive!

    Thanks for the peek into your day. It’s interesting to read about!

    Reply

  11. Timothy Klingerman

    Rachel, Happy birthday! I hope you have a blessed day and a good dinner. Thank you for blessing us with your posts.

    Reply

  14. James Andrew Wilson

    Happy Birthday! Hope you feel young today, full of happiness and energy, and sell a dozen projects to rich and generous publishers.

    And you really should get to that reading pile. Never know when there might be a groundbreaking, mind-bending, heart-wrenching, impossible-to-put-down, brilliant new manuscript from one of your clients. Not unlike the one that arrived at your door last week. 🙂

    Reply

  15. NikoleHahn

    Happy Birthday! I thought agents were busy, but to hear your schedule makes me complain less about my job. I’ll take procrastinating pastors any day. LOL

    Reply

  16. Lucy

    I feel like I’m late in the queue, but

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    and thanks for the thoughts and advice you so kindly share with us through the blog.

    Reply

  18. Karen Barnett

    I’m really enjoying this look into the life of an agent. Have a splendid birthday. You should have taken the day off to celebrate — but then that pile would be even larger tomorrow, right?

    Reply

  21. Morgan Busse

    Happy Late Birthday! I’ve enjoyed reading these posts and capturing a glimpse inside your very busy life.

    Reply

  22. Lori Benton

    Hope you had a wonderful birthday, Rachel. I’m a day late in catching up on my blogs, but it’s great to get a peek inside your day-to-day. What a great idea for a blog series.

    Reply

  23. Melinda Evaul

    I missed this post yesterday! Hope you had a wonderful birthday. Thanks for sharing your hectic life with us. It’s busy on our side of the desk too.

    Reply