We have an announcement
Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you’re sitting down, because I have some FANTASTIC NEWS!
I can say that I officially HAVE AN AGENT! I signed with Jennifer Mishler and Frances Black at Literary Counsel this week! They were enthusiastic, they were helpful and informative, and they loved Superfreak!
I am beyond stoked for this. I know its cliche, but I have wanted to be a writer ever since I can remember. My favorite activity in elementary school was doing a board book. I can still remember writing “Princess Dewdrop” and “Webby and the Tar Monster.” In Kindergarten I won a chance to eat lunch with Normal Bridwell (who writes Clifford books). I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. In middle school I wrote my first novel. It was 200 pages of total crap. But I’d written it. I wrote short stories for me, for the school literary magazine, and tried, occasionally, to send them to magazines. Then college came and I gave up for awhile. I wrote, but it was fan fiction, or snippets that never went anywhere.
Five-ish years ago I decided to try again. I got a couple articles published in an art magazine. And then I wrote several novels. I even finished them. I found a crit group, but it was for adult. Then I tried out a YA idea, and I LOVED it. And the rest is history. Writing is so much a part of my life, that even when I got discouraged, I still came back to it eventually.
And for the ladies at YA Fiction Fanatics, my current critique group – I couldn’t have done it without you. I love you all and thanks!
Whether you want it or not, here’s my story about getting the offer:
Last Monday I went to work after a week and a half of issues. Friends having unexpected heart surgery, a weekend trip to the emergency vet with the cat, another friend whose mother went to the ER, just lots of “stuff.” I was looking forward to a teacher workday where I could get a lot done once my grades were in. I’d even, in the previous weeks, finally managed to accept that I might never get published. And I didn’t like it, and wouldn’t give up completely, but I’d resigned myself. Then I go to an hour long faculty meeting. I come back, get the rest of my grades nearly finished.
I check my email. I saw that Jennifer had responded, and I opened the email, expecting another rejection. Instead, she’s telling me how much they loved the story and they want to offer me representation and when can they call.
I then paused, pulled the email up on my computer screen (I’d been looking at my phone) read it again, just to make sure, and proceeded to skip around my classroom. Thank God no students were present. They already think I’m a little crazy. After that, I called my roommate who teaches at the middle school. I called my mother (who told everyone around the phone my good news. I could hear them all shouting in the background), called my grandmother, started to call my Dad and realized he couldn’t answer the phone at work (so I had to wait for that one). I then had to finish my grades, and then I skipped down the hall to guidance. Again, thank goodness for empty halls.
Wednesday I got someone to watch my class, and I went outside to sit in my truck in the school parking lot and I talked to Jennifer and Frances on the phone. They were enthusiastic, they named specific characters and plot points they liked. They put up with my crappy cell phone connection. They answered every question willingly and seemed like really great people. I told them I had another manuscript out with another agent. They signed off, and I promised an answer by Tuesday. I then went and emailed the other agent.
And waited.
And waited.
And, yup, waited.
I checked the contract, I asked a few more questions, I checked again. Every time I read the offer email I get excited all over again.
So now that I’ve been long winded and annoying - its official! I have a real, honest-to-God literary agent!
It can be done – don’t ever give up. I’d written Superfreak off as being a good manuscript at the wrong time. Jennifer and Frances proved me wrong. It can happen!
I’m so excited and so ready to start in with edits. Let’s go!
Hope you all have a fantastic week!
