When An Agent Calls

The call.

You know exactly which one I’m talking about. It’s the call every unagented writer dreams of. An agent you queried punches in your digits,  gushes overth your manuscript, and says how much they would love to represent you. I had that day dream frequently. And I hoped, prayed that it would actually happen some day.

Most days my phone was silent. The email, however, was buzzing. With rejections. Over 100 for my first middle grade book.

Things looked a little brighter for my second middle grade book – a 3rd place contest win, a slot in Sun versus Snow, and a few requests. But soon after, the excitement died down. I didn’t make it in to Pitch Wars 2016, I built up sixty rejections, and most of the requests I had gotten were months before. So long ago in fact, I was sure they were lost in someone’s cloud. And of course no one understands the cloud enough to get it back.

But there was one outstanding request…

It was a query I sent out on August 30th. Thirty minutes after I hit send, the agent replied. Her email was cheery and fun. And that’s what she thought of my query, so she requested the first fifty pages. unknown

Then on September 6th, she sent another email requesting the full manuscript.

Sure she sounded excited. Yes she was more timely than the others. Still, it was one agent, and all I could focus on were the ones who had sent rejections. Or worse. No responses leaving me with a tiny ounce of hope in my heart that my head knew were no’s.

On October 1st, I had a heart-to-heart discussion with my critique partners and decided to take a break from this story. I loved it, but maybe it wasn’t the right time. I had to focus on something different. Get excited again. So for closure, I wrote a post about dealing with rejection (here), put the manuscript notes in the cabinet, and outlined a new story.

On October 6th, I was deep into the new story, a contemporary YA, or as deep as I could get lying in bed with the flu, when the phone rang. It rang several times that morning, mostly from my mom checking on me, but this was a number I didn’t recognize. Of course that meant salesperson.

But what salesperson leaves a voicemail? Um, one who wants to sell your book?

The phone call was from Kathy Green of Kathryn Green Literary Agency. The agent who thought my query was fun and had requested the full manuscript just one month ago. It was my dream, or a flu-induced hallucination. Either way, she told me she loved my story and would like to represent it.

This was the call I had been waiting for. The one I’ve dreamed about. But… I know! You’re thinking but what? Well, something had changed. I convinced myself I should focus on YA. I was sure my little middle grade light science fiction had no place in bookstores filled with fantasy and magical realism. What’s so great about a kid who doesn’t want his parents to get divorced compared to a kid who fights fantastical beasts and saves the world?

Then we talked. Kathy loved what I loved about my book. Specifically that it wasn’t fantasy or magical realism. It was a real kid with real-life problems and she believed in it. And there were other things: her agency is small, which I prefer, she’s an editorial agent, which I need. Our moms live in the same area carefully watched over by a sibling, our sons want to be chefs, we both have ties to North Carolina and New York. It seemed too good to be true.

Yes it was a dream – a dream come true! I know, corny, but so was the jumping and dancing I did after we hung up. woman-308872__180

And the way I told my family and friends I had an agent. It was like getting an engagement ring and continuously wiping the hair out of your eyes.

img_1701HALLI GOMEZ teaches martial arts and writes for children and young adults because those voices flow through her brain. She enjoys family, outdoors, reading, and is addicted to superhero movies. You can find her on Twitter.

 

9 thoughts on “When An Agent Calls

  1. Halli, I am so excited for you! Congratulations on taking this next step–you worked hard and deserve every bit of success that is headed your way 🙂

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