Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Location: Books & Such Central Valley Office, CA
Disclaimer: These observations are based largely on my own practices and those I’ve observed from the many agents I know and admire. But each agent is different (just like each writer) and has different strengths and weaknesses. When it comes to your experience with agents YMMV. (Your mileage may vary.)
Phew! Finally a communication that’s easy to interpret. If an agent asks to represent you it means he likes you, really likes you. You Like Me.
Since this is Friday, I thought– if anyone’s reading blogs on a summer Friday in August, that is–it would be fun to share stories of how you met your agent, wooed your agent, heard the offer of representation and signed with your agent. C’mon readers, spill. Use the comments to share your stories. After talking all week talking about how hard it may be to find representation, I think we need to hear some success stories. Because the truth of the matter is that it’s really all up to God in the end.
What fun, Wendy, to relive such a milestone.
I entered my historical romance in several RWA® chapter-level contests and finaled a number of times, which resulted in five requests for fulls from agents and editors serving as final-round judges. I sent my full to the two agents on December 18, 2009. The next day–my wedding anniversary–I received an email from Rachelle Gardner that began with words that set me to shrieking “Oh, my gosh!” and literally bouncing off the wall for fifteen minutes: “I’d like to discuss the possibility of representation.” Four days later, on the eve of Christmas Eve, we did just that, and I received one of the best Christmas presents ever: representation.
I spent eight months on a massive rewrite of the story under Rachelle’s direction (75% of the story needed to be ditched and rewritten). In December 2010 Rachelle and I sold the story to Barbour Publishing, and I received another awesome Christmas present: my First Sale.
I learned two valuable lessons. One: representation doesn’t guarantee an immediate sale. Hard work is often required. Two: heed your agent’s counsel. Agents know what they’re talking about.
I met my agent, Rachelle Gardner, when she was an editor. I pitched a novel and a non-fiction book to her, she asked for proposals, but turned them down. Nevertheless, we seemed to click.
Fast forward in time. I’d kept up with her. She’d become an agent. I’d become discouraged and given up writing. I entered a contest on her blog for the best first line for a story, and won. The prize was an edit of the first scene of a novel. I submitted the work that had been turned down more times than a Holiday Inn bedspread. Her response was, “Send me something that needs editing.” I submitted more, we corresponded, and she accepted me as a client. My fourth novel will be published this fall.
I gave up on my writing career. God didn’t. Moral: listen to God.
Ooooh, Wendy!Reliving this sets my heart to pounding every time! 🙂
Over the past 20 years, I continued to hone my skills. I joined various organizations. I sent off manuscripts. I took classes. I hoped. I prayed. I dreamed. I prayed some more.
Child #1 developed a chronic illness. We lived in and out of hospitals for years. After a bit of an interlude, I continued to write. Two years ago, my strength was ebbing. One year ago, I was ready to throw in the towel. Still…that ever small Voice kept nudging, “Don’t give up…don’t give up. I’ve created you to be more, do more, grow more.”
I followed three blogs. I learned. I prayed over specific agents. Finally, the Lord led me to the one who I began regularly communicating with via e-mails.
Fast forward to about four months ago…When the offer of representation finally came…it was the sweetest crescendo…perhaps, the closest thing to Gabriel blowing his horn! The night my agent and I finally spoke on the phone…I literally saw spots! I knew THE CALL was coming, but nothing can actually prepare a person for that moment. My husband rushed to get me a glass of water. I held the phone in one hand, and put my head down between my knees while trying to take notes with my other (hand)! Thankfully, my agent wasn’t there to witness this comedy at the time. Shhhh…don’t tell her, okay? 😉
For those still searching for the perfect agent: Dont. Ever. Give. Up. When it’s your time, God will ordain it. Two years, or 20, to God years are all relative. If writing is His design for your life…He’ll literally move Heaven and Earth to make it so!
Amen and Amen.
I’d heard about my agent for years before we met. I was told by those who knew us both that we’d be a good fit. But illness intervened and it was a few more years before I felt I, and my writing, were ready to take that next step. I first spoke to The Agent at my first Mount Hermon conference in 09, but we didn’t make it past the word count of my novel, which was very high despite my having trimmed away massive amounts of wordage. I was a little saddened, but not surprised, that I hadn’t trimmed my manuscript enough to interest The Agent. But I also felt a familiar nudge from the Lord. “Wait and see.” I’d been writing (and waiting) for nearly 18 years at the time, so this was something I was used to hearing! Fast forward several months, and a group of writers represented by The Agent’s agency held a contest on their blog called Audience With An Agent, in which they chose six first chapter entries from all the entrants and passed them along to The Agent, who chose the winner. That winner was my novel, which was significantly shorter than it had been at the MH conference, but still on the too longish side. I continued trimming, The Agent read my story, and several months later she offered me representation. This December will make it 20 years since I picked up a pen (it really was a pen back then) and turned a childhood hobby into something far more serious.
The Agent in this story was played by Wendy Lawton. 🙂
You hit the nail on the head, Wendy! It’s all up to God in the end. In February 2011 as I attended my first ever national writer’s conference, the one-page I took for a non-fiction book caused a stir and four publishing houses showed an active interest. I called a writer friend and asked her what I should do. She put me in contact with her agent, who drove all the way to the conference and met with me the very next day. The rest is history. I just submitted that book proposal, so we’ll see where the Lord leads!
I wrote my first book because I honestly felt it was something I was supposed to do. When I actually finished it I had no illusions about getting published, and I didn’t want to be the guy who collects a trunk full of rejection slips, so I said a brief prayer: How long do I have to push this thing before I can quit? The answer (I just knew, somehow) was, Get one person to read it.
If I was going to stop at one, a publisher didn’t make sense; it had to be an agent. So I studied the Guide and made a list of six agents who handled this kind of thing. There was one other (Janet Grant) whose blurb sounded really good, but she also said, “I’m full, so I won’t take you on unless I love your writing.” At the last minute I added Janet to the list. I mean, why not? I sent out seven proposals, first fifty pages.
Two of the agents never answered, four sent form rejections, and Janet (the last-minute addition) wrote to say, “I love your writing, but there are pov problems. If you can fix it, I’ll take another look.” I figured this was a test (I figure everything is a test), so I read six books on pov, printed out a copy of the manuscript and highlighted all the pov problems. The rewrite took about six weeks. She read the whole manuscript this time, but still didn’t offer representation until several months and several revisions later. By that time, the actual offer seemed like just one more small step in a long dialog. I was happy, but it wasn’t a big surprise and certainly not a guarantee of publication. Just a step.
I don’t remember any celebration, but I did finally admit to friends and family that I had written a book. Up to that point I hadn’t told a soul (apart from my wife) because people just think a wannabe writer is delusional. Only publication can turn him into a genius, but getting a good agent is almost as validating.
Thanks for sharing your stories, and to you Wendy for asking them to. As an unagented writer, I loved reading about how you found your agents and hearing the message to never give up.
My current agency turned me down nine years earlier, feeling my adult novel manuscript was well written but “too young adultish.” I went on to take classes, work with a mentor, and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. I sold the much-rewritten adult novel to a small literary publisher that three years later published my first young novel. The adult novel didn’t do well, but the young adult novel received glowing reviews and major distinctions and awards. It has gone into multiple printings and translation.
In the meantime, my publisher closed down following the director’s sudden passing. I realized I would need an agent to find a new publisher–and I wanted to move out of the small press environment to a major house. An agent with the agency that turned me down in 2001 turned out to be a college friend of someone in my critique group. My critique partner told me the agency was now representing YA and offered a referral. I sent a new manuscript, and while the agent said she liked it, she didn’t offer representation right away, saying she’d get back to me. SIx weeks passed. Another small press made an offer. I e-mailed the agent, and within half an hour she e-mailed me back with an offer of representation.
Although her initial offer of representation had a “shotgun marriage” quality to it, I had researched the agency and it had been my dream agency for nearly a decade. We ended up not submitting widely the manuscript that she initially agreed to represent because both of us felt another one I was writing at the time had more marketing potential. She has spent a lot of time helping me with the revisions of that one and we’re optimistic about attaining the major house publication that is my goal.
Not too many authors can say they met their agent on a children’s literature e-mail loop–long before she became an agent. We later met as conferees at Mount Hermon. She became a mentor, guiding me through the ins and outs of the publishing and marketing of my first book. (I forever will be her “reformed reluctant marketer.” :-))
When she became an agent, she offered me representation. I can’t imagine navigating my writing journey without her.
God has a plan for you and your writing. Wendy’s concluding words, “It’s really all up to God in the end,” are key. He can use anything, including a favorite childhood children’s series, to further His purposes.
I met my agent at a writer’s conference — it’s just that he doesn’t know it!
Some of you guys have literally brought tears to my eyes. Such great stories. And so encouraging. Thanks, Wendy!
I entered Novel Rocket’s contest last year. They had twelve mini contests, one per month, and at the end of the year they picked one winner from the twelve monthly winners. I was shocked and thrilled to find out I won.
The prize was that Gina Holmes would submit my proposal to a “to be determined” group of agents and editors. Gina asked me who had seen my proposal and what my goal was (in regards to publishing houses), then she came up with a list of agents she could send my proposal to. She chose to send to Reclaim Management first. About a half hour after she emailed me to tell me she sent them the proposal, she called and said they were going to offer representation. I know she sent the proposal earlier, but from my end it happened that quickly.
I phoned them the next day. They offered to represent me on the strength of the proposal and the first fifty pages, and I accepted on the strength of their enthusiasm for getting good books written from a Christian worldview into the marketplace.
I don’t recommend signing on a proposal, though. I was terrified when I sent the whole book later. I thought they might tell me they’d made a mistake. But, no, they liked it, thank God. And now we’ve started submitting to publishers. Fun times.
Oh, and this trip took nine years, I think, from the time I finished my first novel. Yikes, I hope the road from the agent to the publisher doesn’t take quite as long. 🙂
I don’t have an agent so unable to share experiences, but want to thank all who told their stories. They have encouraged me. And, Lori, I was one of the six finalist in the Audience With an Agent contest at Novel Matters blog. Although your entry was the winning one, Wendy took of her time to evaluated the first chapter of my historical entry. Her suggestions were very helpful in rewriting the story. I’m happy for your success, Lori. Thanks for the reminder that God knows the end from the beginning. I need to depend on His timing. Thank you, Wendy, for the posts this week.
I love these stories! See, it does happen despite the broken system.
Thank you all for taking part this week. I intended to be much more active in the conversation– especially because it was so content-rich– but one of my clients suffered a devastating loss. I was able to step in and help handle media, notifications, scheduling issues and some of the many details.
Keep the stories coming. They serve to encourage those still on the journey.
I met my agent, Etta Wilson, now retired, at the OCW conference. The first year I attended I had done my homework and knew she would be there. She was on my list of top five agents I’d like to have represent me, but all her appointments were filled. Her table at dinner and lunch was also always filled, so one meal I sat at a table with Wendy Lawton and she encouraged me to pitch my book to her, then recommended I speak with Etta. Although the meal was over, Etta was still seated at her table and I politely asked to speak with her. She asked to see the first few pages, then met with me again three times during the conference only to tell me that I wasn’t ready. After taking classes at the conference I knew she was right. I asked if I could show it to her again next year, and she said yes. So I joined a critique group, worked on the manuscript and met her the following year at the same conference. This time she said yes. The book sold to Kregel.
Alas, Etta retired. I miss her.
Great idea!I love reading success stories. Thank you all for sharing.
A milestone those of us in the trenches aspire to! Thanks for the glimpses of hope, Wendy!
I didn’t meet my agent yet, but I would love to tell how I found Wendy Lawton as my agent, after reading her blog…:)
Thanks for all the stories! It’s especially good to hear the ones from those of you who almost gave up. I’m realizing that perseverance is key to success in this business. And in an instant gratification society, too. Nevah, nevah, nevah give up!
Wow, this is fun! I have a neat agent story. I never sent a query or sample or made any initial contact with my agent, Natasha Kern.
I did, however, enter my ms in this year’s Genesis Contest. One of Natasha’s clients happened to be my first round judge. The judge liked my writing so much she sent my entry and synopsis to Natasha, and then the judge told me to contact her on my score sheet. You can imagine my surprise when the judge told me her agent loved my writing. 🙂
And Natasha was great! I didn’t sit endlessly in line waiting for some omniscient agent answer that would never come. It took her a few weeks to request my ms. Then she read my ms and offered me representation within a week.
I suppose my agent story is a little different from most. No months of agonizing, hours of tracking down agents via social media, or years of connecting at conference. Everything centered around my writing.
My philosophy? Write well, and people will notice.
Me too Marcy. I do know it is in God’s hands. I want it to be in his time,I’m just not very patient when I’m excited about something.
I went to the ’09 ACFW conference in Denver and had the immense privilege of hearing Debbie Macomber. Wow. One of the things she encouraged us to do was to write 5 Dream Big goals on a notecard. So I did. My first big dream goal? Acquire an agent. Somebody like Rachelle Gardner (I even wrote this).
I pitched to Rachelle at the conference. She requested my full. Two months later, she called.
It was quite a funny experience too, because silly me forgot to submit my phone number with the full. So I cam home from work with a message that read, “Katie! I cannot find your phone number anywhere. Not in your email, not on your manuscript, not on your website. Imagine my heartbreak! Please, may I have your phone number?”
I FREAKED out. But I was terrified to get my hopes up. Then I saw one of her tweets from earlier that day and it was about how she was going to call an author to offer representation but couldn’t find the number. I cried. Seriously. Tears of joy. We talked a little bit later. It’s a moment I won’t ever forget.
Neither will I forget when she called again almost an exact year later to tell me she’d sold two of my books to Waterbrook Multnomah. I was able to check dream big goal number two off my note card. 🙂