do you feel lucky, punk?
Posted by Mel Francis on 12 Sep 2007 | Tagged as: Chit Chat, Publishing
Crap! I’m Published! Now What? installment 1
Wow. Exactly 9 months ago today, I got the call telling me that HarperCollins did indeed want to buy my book. (I’m sure they meant me. I didn’t believe it at first, but after having examined the contract approximately 4,000,000 times, I am now convinced they meant me.) I got the call at 4 p.m. CST on a Friday, on a holiday weekend. I had given up. My editor had said an offer would be coming by Friday, but by my calculations, it was 5:00 in New York and I was gonna have to wait until Tuesday the next week. So I was cleaning off my desk when my cell phone rang.
I guess she showed me. (Not that I’m complaining.)
When the chapter pubs were signing up for blogging dates here at the cafe, I almost didn’t take a slot. I’m still new to this whole thing and it still feels very unreal. My first book won’t even hit the shelves until January 2009! Do you know how fraudulent I feel calling myself a published author when the only thing I have to prove that is a signed contract? (Again, no complaints. But really, I can’t carry around my contract just to make me feel legit. Can I?)
So I decided that my blog theme should be Crap! I’m Published! Now What? Because I’ll be honest, I’m learning as I go. Thank the writing gods I have a fantastic agent who is good at answering questions, doling out advice, and guiding me along the career path I had already started working toward.
Speaking of agent, I think that’s where I’ll start.
I got lucky when I signed with Deidre Knight of the Knight Agency because she is the kind of agent I needed. She is communicative and positive and when I need a nudge, she knows how to push without being obnoxious or offending. I need honesty and guidance and not to feel like my questions are an imposition. So, I got very lucky when I signed with Deidre because frankly, I didn’t know what kind of agent I needed until I had her.
Not everyone signs with their perfect agent on the first go around. And most unpublished authors don’t know what kind of agent would be right for them, so they sign with the first person who offers and then months (or minutes) later, they regret it.
Sit down and ask yourself some questions. How would you like to conduct business? Do you need a little hand holding at times or are you a hands off, only call me with an offer kinda gal? (or guy. Sorry, fellas.) Do you want to know exactly what the editor said, or do you just need an idea? (And trust me, there’s a difference here and you need to know if you can handle the exact wording of a rejection or if you just want to hear, “They passed. We’ll keep trying.”)
Do some research. Ask fellow writers what they know about certain agents you’re interested in. Ask them how their agent conducts business. (Not every writer will open up about this. Some get a little woo-woo weird about these kinds of questions and that’s okay. It takes all kinds. Respect their privacy and don’t take it personally.) Does the agent you’re interested in have a web presence? That’s a good way to find out how professional he/she really is. If they blog, become a regular reader. See how they react to certain questions. Are they impatient or just to the point? Do they have a tone that sends your warning flag a flyin’? Are they warm and friendly but never answer any questions?
Your gut is an amazing tool. Use it.
Make a top 5 list and search those agents out at conferences and just chat with them. Listen to them on panels and mark them off your list if something doesn’t feel right. Chat with their clients. Don’t just query every agent out there. Be selective and be honest with yourself about the kind of agent you want.
The perfect agent for me may not be the perfect agent for you. That doesn’t mean they’re bad agents. (Well, some are, but hopefully you’ll have done your research and will be well informed.) Finding the right agent is as subjective as this business. I should’ve bought a lottery ticket the day I signed my agent, because it was my lucky day. Don’t rely on luck and your horoscope to lead you to your future business partner.
Do your research. Ask questions. Read the blogs. Be selective and listen to your gut. Oh and most of all, write a damn good book so you’ll have your choice.
Peace y’all,
Mel, I’m at the same place as you - a “published” author, still waiting for my first release. It’s an odd place to be, isn’t it? But so sweet!
Great info on the agent search.
Natasha
September 12th, 2007 at 6:14 amAWESOME–thanks for sharing! Hey, did they tell you instantly that they wanted you, or did you do revisions first? Can you tell us a little about that?
September 12th, 2007 at 6:22 amGreat advice, Mel! And with your luck came a truckload of talent;)
September 12th, 2007 at 6:43 amThis is such a timely post. I’m in that place where I know my next move is to look for an agent. At least my next move according to my goals, etc. Thanks for the advice and pushing me to take that step.
September 12th, 2007 at 7:06 amGreat blog post, Mel!
~Marly
September 12th, 2007 at 7:20 amGreat post, Mel…and Happy Anniversary! I remember standing on the beach talking to you on the phone and hearing the AWESOME news! Great info to share with people. I totally agree with you.
Marley = )
September 12th, 2007 at 7:31 amGreat post. I too am waiting for my first book to come out. And I’ve been thinking about agents a lot lately.
September 12th, 2007 at 7:32 amThank you!
“But really, I can’t carry around my contract just to make me feel legit. Can I?”
Um. Yes. yes, you can. I’m fully in favor of this, and I want to see The Contract at RWA next year. I’m just throwing that out there.
September 12th, 2007 at 7:55 amI can’t carry around my contract just to make me feel legit. Can I?
Um, I TOTALLY would. This is awesome Mel. I’m also considering the agent process. Thanks for this post.
September 12th, 2007 at 8:14 amWow! hello everyone! And thanks for popping in and saying hello.
The editor loved the story and loved the voice. The editorial committee loved the voice but they needed a few revisions. So I took a couple of weeks, did the revisions and sent it back in. There was no offer before the revisions, just a very enthusiastic editor who was behind the story 110%. And now she’s my very enthusiastic editor and I count myself very lucky…again.
September 12th, 2007 at 8:27 amI can’t carry around my contract just to make me feel legit. Can I?
Hell, I would laminate it!
September 12th, 2007 at 9:58 amYo Mel,
September 12th, 2007 at 10:13 amCongrats and keep up the good work.
I can’t wait to read it when it hits the stands.
AWESOME! I’m so glad it worked out for you, Mel!!!
September 12th, 2007 at 10:16 amHey Killer! I’m so glad you followed me over to my writing neck of the woods! Of course, I know you’d follow me anywhere, but that’s our little secret.
I guess I could laminate the signed portion of my contract like Miss Pride suggested and then carry it with me until my book hits the shelves…Hmmmmm.
September 12th, 2007 at 10:18 amYes, it is a weird feeling when you’re waiting for something tangible to turn up apart from that legal document, although personally I felt a lot better when I saw a few checks coming in as well
And yes, Deidre is fabulous. She’s my second agent and although I learned a lot from my first, I also learned that we didn’t ultimately have the same goals, and that is vital-heck-everyone knows I want to be Nora by now don’t they?
September 12th, 2007 at 10:18 amGreat post Mel.
September 12th, 2007 at 10:22 amThanks for this great post, it is really helpful to new writers!
September 12th, 2007 at 10:25 amI was in that same limbo until this July, when my first book came out fifteen months after I sold it. It didn’t feel real for me until I had the release date, but once I had that I no longer needed to wear the t-shirt printed with my signed contract
Congrats on your sale!
Jen
September 12th, 2007 at 10:28 amThis is such good advice! It’s got to be so hard not to jump at the first ‘yes’ you hear–but this is arguably the most important relationship of your career, and it deserves some serious critical thinking.
I’ve never totally understood why some authors want to cloak their relationship with their agent, and even sometimes the identity of their agent, in such secrecy. Maybe there’s a great, logical reason I haven’t thought of, but it seems more like misguided possessiveness. Thanks for being willing to share!
September 12th, 2007 at 10:29 amIt was 18 months from contract to my first novel hitting the shelves, so yes, IMO, it is perfectly reasonable to carry your contract around with you. Of course, sniffing the ink and checking every ten minutes to make sure it really is your name printed on it are optional. *G*
September 12th, 2007 at 10:46 amGreat advice about agents!
Can’t wait to see your book on the shelf!
Nice.
Just more evidence of your talent and personality. We’re all lucky to have you… but I’m the luckiest.
September 12th, 2007 at 1:10 pmAw. what a great hubby you are, Fishdog.
September 12th, 2007 at 3:40 pmHappy 9-month anniversary, Mel! 9 months and no baby, eh? LOL Sometimes the whole “I have my contract, but no book” time feels a lot like being pregnant. There’ll be days you’re glowing, and so happy to be pregnant, and then there are days all you want to do is throw up. A LOT!
Your advice on agents was bang-on. I know it’s a cliche now, but it really *is* better to have no agent than one who doesn’t click with you. And that’s not to say the agent is horrible at his/her job, or that the author is a horrible writer. Sometimes, both think it’ll work out, they hope it will, and they try (God bless them), but the stars just ain’t aligned.
Looking forward to 2009!!
September 13th, 2007 at 7:31 pm[...] Okay, I had heard over and over that the unpubbed would never sell on proposal and that they shouldn’t even try. But, I had heard that from other writers in the industry, not from my agent. This is why having an agent you trust is so important. My gut told me that she was leading me down the right path (for me), so I happily followed. Listen to your gut, it’s usually right. [...]
October 12th, 2007 at 6:25 am