Monday, December 3, 2012

And so it begins - HOW I GOT MY AGENT

Let's take a moment to just stare at the title of my post.

*STARES* O_O

All right now. Here we go:

For the majority of this year, I spent most of my time staring at my inbox waiting for the e-mail that would change my life. Most of you know how that story ended. And in the month since I posted about the way my R&R ended, I amassed a good handful of crushing rejections from agents and contests alike. And somewhere toward the end, I resigned myself to the fact that my two years of hard work writing and revising, this MS might not go anywhere, and that even if that happened, it would be okay. I decided to work even harder on my WIP to get it query-ready by next summer.

And then last Tuesday came along. I was home sick with the immortal sinus infection from hell, and in the middle of a work week so intense that when I thought about everything I needed to do, I'd involuntarily groan "Oh God" out loud. I was in bed with a cup of tea, focused on something else besides my writing career for once, when the e-mail showed up in my inbox. "Re: Requested materials: [manuscript]."

I didn't have time to do the usual pre-rejection ritual, where I circle the room a few times psyching myself up before I open the e-mail, before the auto-preview popped up: "Rebecca! I missed my stop last night because of [protagonist]."

"Oh wow," I said, "it's a really nice rejection!"

I had to read the e-mail at least three times before "I am certain that I am the best agent for you" sank in.

Yep. After three years of waiting and working and tears, I got an offer of representation on November 27th, 2012. And it completely blindsided me.

And the day after that, after I got home from work, my phone rang, and the second offer blindsided me even more.

I've blogged here about the value of being a pessimist when it comes to the submission process, but there is one downside! When more than one lovely, talented, amazing agent is passionate about your work, you are so not prepared for it. I dreamed about things like this, where I had more than one dream agent to choose from, but I never thought they would actually HAPPEN. So this weekend, I entered the Decision Bunker (capitalized for dramatic emphasis), and thought about it.

And thought about it.

And thought about it some more.

And watched a lot of Lord of the Rings and ordered a lot of takeout.

And this morning, after lots of agonizing and making lists and rending garments, I came to my decision, and I finally signed that contract. So I can officially say to all of you that I am represented by the fantastic, the incredible, the wonderful Sara Crowe of the Harvey Klinger Agency.

I can't think of anything else to say, because I am still so thoroughly stunned and happy and grateful for this opportunity to take the next step with such a perfect partner. I am so excited to work with Sara and I can't wait to see what the future holds. I will be going on submission next year, and I know I wouldn't have gotten this far without such an amazing group of writers in my corner. Thank you, thank you, thank you all so much!!

26 comments:

  1. Love happy agent stories!! Congratulations!!

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  2. Congratulations! Hard work --> success. Always.

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  3. CONGRATS!! SO happy for you! *fist pump*

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    1. Thank you so much! I got so much help from you Operation Awesome ladies and the Secret Agent contests! <3

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  4. See? I just knew it would happen! (Somebody who could write so well about their crushing almost-agent experience was bound to get agented in a very short while.)
    Heaps of happy congratulations!

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    1. Awww, you're such a sweetheart! Thank you so much!

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  5. *Jumps up and down and runs around the room*

    Congratulations and I KNOW you made the right choice because Sara is my agent, too! And she is brilliant! Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Crowe's Nest!

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    1. YAY! I couldn't ask to be part of a better group. So happy to be part of the Crowe's Nest!!

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  6. YAY! I am so excited, and now I can read your book, and...yay! It couldn't happen to a better writer person! :D

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    1. Thank you so much! Your AW message a couple weeks ago was so sweet - it really made me feel a lot better after a rough rejection. <3

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  7. Congratulations! I knew I'd be reading your agent success story before too long and here it is! And what an agent too! I'm so thrilled that you've got your happy ending after all this time and I wish you much luck on submission to publishers. I look forward to reading your first novel very soon!

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    1. Thank you so much! And I know I'll be reading yours before long, too!

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  8. Becky!!!!

    Woo Hoooooooooooooooooo! That's me yelling it alllllllll the way from Seattle - did you hear it over there? WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! There it is again, just in case!

    I am beyond happy for you. Beyond. And while maybe things didn't go the way you'd originally planned - and yes, there were a few disappointing weeks in there - look at where you are now! So well deserved, Becky, and it just goes to show how all of your hard work wasn't for nothing! In the mean time, I'll live vicariously through you. Yep, still waiting. :) Ho hum.

    What an awesome way to end 2012! I'm excited to watch this journey unfold for you and can't wait to get my hands on your book!

    Congrats!

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    1. *hears the faint sounds of jubilation echoing through the streets of DC*

      Thank you SO MUCH, Erin! It's been such a tough road for us, but I know it's not long for you now, either. I hope a certain SOMEONE'S ears are burning right now. ;)

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  9. HUGE congrats from a fellow Nester! Sara is AWESOME. I love her to pieces. I'm so happy for you!!!

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    1. Thank you so much!! I actually was linked to your blog post on handling multiple offers during the midst of my Decision Bunker weekend and was nodding at everything you had to say... and I glanced over and saw who your agent was. It was a nudge from the universe if I ever saw one! :)

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  10. Congratulations! Love your success story!

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  11. Holy cow! How did I miss this? What exciting news!!! Oh boy, I can't wait to see your books in print now. Sara Crowe is amazing. What a great team you'll be! Congratulations and Happy New Year, Becky!

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    1. Awww, thanks so much, Katrina! <3 We will certainly see what happens, eeeeek...

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  12. Wow, what wonderful news. Congratulations! I know what you mean about bracing yourself, so I can see how you'd be lost about how to be in such an enviable position. Good luck moving forward.

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