Today we celebrate Agent's Day!!! Well,
at least here on the blog we do. But that's all that really matters, right? Oh and feel free to tweet under #AgentsDay too if you want to share some twitter love.
First, let's all stop and say THANK YOU to all
the literary agents and all they do! Their passion and hard work is much
appreciated. So today, we celebrate them!
Soooooo, please feel free to share your
appreciation/love/gushiness/respect and whatnot for any particular agent(s), below
in the comments section. This can be from agented writers to their agents or
other writers who just had a great experience/feeling/situation with an agent
that they'd like to share.
PLEASE REMEMBER to be genuine and
professional in your comments!
I'm hoping this will do two things. I hope it
will give everyone a chance to show their appreciation while giving agents a
chance to feel the love. And I also hope it will help writers get to know some
agents better. Maybe you'll hear something great about an agent you didn't know
much about or maybe you'll even learn about an agent you've never heard of. Oh,
and I'm also hoping it will be lots of fun, so that's actually three things. :)
Now before we continue I had some writers who easily
agreed to help me out and wanted to sing some praises for their own agents
here, so I hope you enjoy reading those below.
But first!!! I wanted to thank all the agents who have helped me get this blog running over the last few months. You guys are awesome! And I would love to share some words for my
agent...
Cupid:
"Obviously I can't share who it is, but she
knows who she is. :) I am one of the lucky ones who got to sign with their
dream agent. Seriously, she was like a celebrity to me, and when I got to speak with her on the phone, it was cooler than if George Clooney had
called. She's the perfect blend of hilariousness and professionalism, she
pushes me and my work to be its best, she's passionate, and she's like the
hardest worker I know. She will always be thee agent of agents, and I
couldn't ask for a better person to have on my side! So, thank you!!!! Super Secret Cupid's Agent!"
Now let's hear from the others....
"Molly Jaffa and I have been working
together for a little less than four months. Signing with Molly was one of the
most incredible things that's ever happened to me. But it was also a little
scary too, because there's no way to know if you've chosen the right agent
until you've spent time working with them. Within weeks, I knew I'd made the
right decision. Since the minute I said yes, Molly has had my back. An agent's
job is so multifaceted, and Molly wears every hat with ease. And, on top of all
of that, we click. We really click. So, Molly, THANK YOU. Thank you
for seeing something in me and my little book. Thank you for being a
ninja-assassin-agent who is always ahead of the curve. Thank you for answering
every little, stupid question. Thank you for being a professional. Thank you
for knowing, in both writing and business, when to push and when not to. Thank
you for all of these things. But thank you most of all for your love of this
business, because your passion inspires me in a big cheesy way."
"My agent, Lauren Hammond with ADA
Management, is like my literary fairy godmother. When I hit the agent-search
market after separating from my first agent, I had a list of ideal qualities my
new agent had to have in order for me to sign with them. I was extremely
cautious, and honestly, a little scared of signing with a new agent. But the
second I talked to Lauren on the phone, I knew she was the perfect match for
me. She's super communicative and incredibly enthusiastic about my work. Which
were just two of many qualities that I wanted in my new agent. The best part?
She gets my crazy and gives the best pep-talks around. I just
love her to death and am so happy that I signed with her.
Lauren ROCKS and anyone who is lucky enough to have Lauren offer to represent
them would be crazy to turn her down. I couldn't be happier! Love ya
Lauren!" :)
"Shout out to my agent Pam van Hylckama Vlieg of Larsen Pomada. Pam kicks butt with her communication, knowledge and
enthusiasm! I couldn't ask for a better agent in my corner."
"I only signed with Tricia Lawrence a couple of weeks
ago (via request from The Writer's Voice Team Cupid's LC!) but I can already
tell that Tricia is an agent who pours her whole heart into her clients' work,
and will bend over backwards to see it succeed. When we've spoken about my
manuscript, she brings so much excitement and passion to the discussion.
Hearing her talk about my work, it's hard not to believe in myself and in my
story, and that's absolutely priceless. Thanks for being an awesome agent,
Tricia!"
"Everyone likes to think about how it feels
to sign with your agent, but sometimes I think about how it must have felt for
Adriann Ranta when she signed me. Sure, obviously she loves me, but she just
pulled a nobody from the slush pile and offered to dedicate her time to me for
free until her resources paid off for both of us. Kind of amazing, really. I'm
thankful that she's got the balls to take a running leap into the slush pile,
and take a chance on a new voice."
"Having Louise Fury for an agent is like
having a literary rockstar represent you. She's tough, she knows the business,
she LOVES books, and she's so funny sometimes I can't catch my breath. I always
wanted an awesome agent- I just never thought I'd end up with one as cool as
Louise. THE MURDER COMPLEX wouldn't have found its happy home at Greenwillow
without her! Thanks for all you do for me and my career. You're the best in the
business (but I might be a little bit biased!)."
"I've known how awesome Kate Schafer Testerman is for a long time. She was always one of the first agents I queried
with every new manuscript, partly because I thought her list was so impressive
and partly because I knew how kind and on-the-ball she was. We worked on
several blog things before I signed with her, and I always appreciated how
prompt she was with her responses and how easy she was to work with. Now
that she's my agent, I appreciate this even more. Kate is passionate and
hard-working, and anyone would be lucky to have her. I know I am."
"Jessica Faust, I know we haven't been
together long, but your sharp eye, great advice, and class have made
it feel like forever. Sometimes all I can think about are
the fantabulous books I know we'll create by our combined powers. I'm
so excited to keep working with you. You've given me the confidence I need
to go forth into the wide, sometimes scary world that is the next step of
publishing. I'll always hold the memory of that first breathless
phone conversation close to my heart. I could list a million things about
why you're the perfect agent, but one makes me smile without fail. In your
revisions letter you put; "Don't make any changes that don't
feel right". It's a two-dozen-sugar-cookies-and-seven-cokes kind
of high to know my feelings and my work are respected, and I will
always, always respect your feelings and work in kind.
Thank you, Jessica!"
"It's difficult to find a person outside of
one's own family who you know truly has your back. A person you can trust to be
honest with you and tell you exactly what you need to know, not just what you
want to hear. Over the past year and a half since signing with her, my agent
has not only been an incredible sales woman, selling both books I
have thrown at her, but has also been my counselor, my editor, my
cheerleader, not to mention my most valued beta reader. But above anything
else, she has been the most supportive and encouraging influence I
could ever have hoped for. To have someone believe in your book is a truly
wonderful thing, but to have someone who believes, not just in your books, but
in yourwriting, is far, far greater. To the amazing Carly Watters of PS
Literary, you are a dream, and you make the publishing universe one I am happy
to be apart of!"
"My agent, Neil Salkind, is the missing
piece. He was able to look at my nonfiction project and immediately link it to
something bigger in the market and lead me to my niche. One short phone call
and he twigged me on to what my project could be. Inspiration! He put meaning
behind what I'm trying to accomplish with my project and his ideas are always
like a huge revelationary light bulb going off over my head. Not only do I
appreciate his hard, unpaid (to this point--come on book deal!) work, but I
also thank him. He's a fabulous person to have on my team and I wouldn't be as
far as I am without him. Thanks, Neil!"
"Kathleen Ortiz has been
my agent for about a year and a half. At this point, she's walked me
through many disappointments, triumphs, major choices, and long periods of
uncertainty. Through all of that, she rarely takes more than a day to answer an
email. She calls me when she knows I'm upset or confused about something that's
happened with one of my projects (and has done so both early in the morning and
late at night). She sends me hilarious little YouTube videos to celebrate
awesome news. She is unfailingly excited about my writing and my career, and
she critiques like nobody's business so that I can keep improving. She's
super-sweet, but I have ample evidence that she's a fierce advocate on my
behalf. Knowing someone like Kathleen has my back has made this whole
publication journey not only bearable but fun."
From the MacLeod Clan:
"We think our agent, Lauren MacLeod of The
Strothman Agency, is the best! Let us count the ways…
L is for Laird of the MacLeod
Clan, which welcomes new clients with open arms.
A is for approachability,
always available to answer questions, and keeps us in the loop when we go out
on sub.
U is for unbelievably quick.
Lauren manages going to conferences, connecting with editors, reading
manuscripts, and will still deliver notes to us on time!
R is for her really cute
SlushPuppy! Who can resist his sweet face and adorable antics, along with the
ability to doggie paddle in slush?
E is for her editorial eye,
awesome and quick to find ways to make our manuscripts shine!
N is for new, fresh ideas!
She’s always willing to help brainstorm and guide our writing when it’s still
just a WIP.
We love our agent, and you will too. Thank you
Lauren, for everything you do!" <3
Mary Elizabeth Summer:
"I have THE best agent in the entire world. And that's saying something, because there are many, many amazing agents out there. But Laura Bradford is a true gem, and here's why. Reason #1: She is a networker's networker. She connects with all the right people on a personal level. She doesn't just send your book out into the ether, she builds excitement for it first, making sure an editor has it fresh in mind before she even sends it, and that can make all the difference. Reason #2: She's got loads of humor and personality, which not only makes her fun to work with but also HELPS YOUR BOOK. By that I mean, she reacts to a story the way the best kind of reader would, so her editing suggestions are always spot-on and spark creative solutions. For proof of her sparkling, sharp wit, check out her Twitter feed. Reason #3: She cares about her clients. Okay, so lots of agents care about their clients, BUT Laura's agency is by design small and tight-knit. She keeps in close contact with each of us while we have projects on the move, and she responds in minutes if we have a question or are in need of something. I couldn't be happier with my agent choice. Thanks, Laura, for all your hard work and for helping me through this crazy, stressful, exciting process!"
Mary Elizabeth Summer:
"I have THE best agent in the entire world. And that's saying something, because there are many, many amazing agents out there. But Laura Bradford is a true gem, and here's why. Reason #1: She is a networker's networker. She connects with all the right people on a personal level. She doesn't just send your book out into the ether, she builds excitement for it first, making sure an editor has it fresh in mind before she even sends it, and that can make all the difference. Reason #2: She's got loads of humor and personality, which not only makes her fun to work with but also HELPS YOUR BOOK. By that I mean, she reacts to a story the way the best kind of reader would, so her editing suggestions are always spot-on and spark creative solutions. For proof of her sparkling, sharp wit, check out her Twitter feed. Reason #3: She cares about her clients. Okay, so lots of agents care about their clients, BUT Laura's agency is by design small and tight-knit. She keeps in close contact with each of us while we have projects on the move, and she responds in minutes if we have a question or are in need of something. I couldn't be happier with my agent choice. Thanks, Laura, for all your hard work and for helping me through this crazy, stressful, exciting process!"
***
AWESOME! I love it all!
A big thanks to those who participated!
A big thanks to all my readers!
A big thanks to everyone leaving comments today!
And a GIGANTIC "THANK YOU!" to all the
hard-working AGENTS out there and for everything you do!!!! It's much
appreciated!!!!
Now get to gushing everyone!
Wheeee! This is so fun!
ReplyDeleteOf course I thanked my agent in my email, Cupid, but I also want to give a shoutout to Laura Bradford. She read the full of my first manuscript and gave me the kindest rejection possible. It was that rejection that convinced me that I wasn't crap as a writer and to keep going with One (the MS that got me signed) while putting that other MS in a drawer. I'll never, ever, ever forget it.
Thanks Laura!
Thank you, agents, for the great work you do!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to find out for myself!
I would like to give a shout out to Annie Bomke of AB Literary (http://www.abliterary.com). Annie offered me an R&R back in October. I submitted the revised manuscript to her, and she decided to pass but praised the work I did on it. I emailed her and asked if she had any more advice, and she sent me another email with more ideas! That manuscript is now under contract with Spencer Hill Press and I'm sure it was because of her great ideas for revisions that the manuscript got picked up. She even offered me good luck and congratulated me on Twitter when I made the announcement! Annie is a truly classy lady in the tough publishing world and I'm sure her clients are lucky to have her!
ReplyDeleteKimberly Ann Miller
TRIANGLES, Spencer Hill Press, June 2013
Thank you, agents, for the great work you do! I'd like to find out for myself!
ReplyDeleteFirst, I thank my wonderful agent Mollie Glick who is so fantabulous in so many ways I can't even count them all. And also Holly Root, who I worked with before when she assisted my first agent. Two agents I hold in the highest regard.
ReplyDeleteTeri Brown
Three agents really stick out in my mind as being incredibly kind and treating me as a person, not just a query. So in that case, I'd give a little shout out to Pam Van Hylckama Vleig, Julia A. Weber, and Jessica Sinsheimer for being pretty darn awesome. Out of all the agents I queried, these three stick out the most.
ReplyDeleteI'd also sing praises to Janet Reid (of course) for being the queen of all queries and spending her free time teaching the rest of us what not to do.
It is very hard to query, even harder to accept rejection, and harder still to continue on after rejections. But when we get a kind response, it means the world to us. Actual interactions mean even more. So thank you so much. Your kindness is truly appreciated.
No names at the moment, because I am nothing if not a bit superstitious, but a huge shout-out to the agent who not only gave me an amazingly thoughtful rejection on the first manuscript I queried, but has given me two fantastic editorial letters on the second one. I have never gotten such thoughtful, on-point feedback before, and for the first time I feel like the manuscript in the Word document is coming close to the manuscript in my head. It's been such a wonderful ride so far, and I'm so happy to have gotten this opportunity!
ReplyDeleteI'm sending out huge agent love to Elana Roth who truly rocks the editing support this writer needs. Congrats on some big projects you've sold and I hope to add mine to the list soon!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this opportunity to express agent appreciation! I'm fortunate to be at a wonderful agency--in addition to Kathleen, Joanna Volpe has also been generous with her time and support. I feel like I'm being guided by a team of people that works really well together!
ReplyDeleteMy former agent, Meredith Barnes, was absolutely wonderful. And if she hadn't left agenting for another job in the industry, I'd still be with her (*sobs loudly*). She put an unbelievable amount of time into helping me revise my mystery novel over several months but never had the chance to send it out.
ReplyDeleteI'm still looking for another agent who will love my book as much as Meredith did.
I have a few that have gone above and beyond for me ;o)
ReplyDeleteI'm new to querying, and one of my first experiences with it came from the awesome Laura Bradford. She gave me personal feedback twice on my MS and it was kind and helpful in every way.
Also, I have a soft spot for Victoria Marini. She's been great at communicating and always has prompt and friendly responses.
And although, Louise Fury isn't my agent, I do intern for her, and she's everything Lindsay said and more. She gave me a chance and truly values my opinion. I love her to pieces.
Thank you agents for everything you do <3
I really appreciate how helpful agents are, blogging and tweeting tips for us writers. Michelle Witte and Jennifer Laughran both come to mind for me. They answer so many questions during askagent sessions on twitter, and are so friendly about it.
ReplyDeleteI also have big love for Janet Reid. I know she says she's a shark, but with everything she does to help writers, she's really incredible! She recently took a look at my full, and though she said 'no' it was a very kind and encouraging rejection. :)
I loved this post, what a great idea!
ReplyDeleteThough I don't have my own agent yet, there are three who gave me kind and helpful rejections with notes (and to anyone who's queried, we all know how much any kind of critique is welcome): Jessica Sinsheimer, Danielle Chiotti, and John Cusick. Three great agents that a writer would be lucky to have.
Suzie Townsend is a rock star. She's personable, knowledgeable, communicative, and she answers all my questions no matter how ridiculous. Best of all, she's passionate about my work. When I was querying an old manuscript, she blew me away by accompanying her pass with pages worth of fantastic editorial notes. She pushes me to be a better writer while also being encouraging and supportive. Signing with her was a dream come true, and I'm thankful every day to have her on my side.
ReplyDeleteA lot of agents come to my mind because of their willingness to be involved in the crazy online contests we writers adore. Before I sent a single query, 4 agents requested my mss through either the #WVTP or YALitChat Pitch Slam. [You know who you are! Thank you for that.]
ReplyDeleteAgents don't have to be involved in these nuthouse contests. They choose to. And by doing so, they present themselves as approachable and genuinely interested in those of us striving for that next rung.
Thank you to ALL THE AGENTS who volunteer to be involved in ALL THE CONTESTS. You're golden.
All of the agents who come by Cupid's blog are amazing, so I wanted to give them a shout and a big thank you first. There are so many awesome agents I would love to shout to, but with limited space, I want to specifically thank a few:
ReplyDeleteJennifer Laughran has the most helpful tweets, as do Louise Fury, Julia Churchill, and John Cusick and many others with #askagent, and Sara Megibow with her 10 queries in 10 tweets.
Janet Reid, of course, is a wellspring of wonderful information and query advice.
Victoria Marini was fantastic at giving a fast response and feedback to me, as was Alexandra Machinist.
Thank you all so much for the information and time you have given me.
I had to sign off before I had time to add this to my previous comment, but Janet Reid and Jessica Faust have been more than helpful to me. Janet especially is always willing to answer any question I bug her with.
ReplyDeleteA year ago, I sent out an awful query letter to four agents. I got three rejections (one in eight hours), but I also got one personal and helpful rejection. Later on, this same agent gave me another thoughtful and helpful rejection. Like Laura Bradford did for Leigh Ann, Gina Panettieri helped me believe my writing wasn't rubbish. So thank you, Gina, for taking the time to help a new writer when you didn't have to. The personal rejections, even though they are rejections, can help an aspiring writer so much. Plus, I know who to query first with any future project.
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to give Vickie Motter and Carly Watters a shout out. Their blogs are full of priceless information any aspiring writer should be grateful to know. Thank you, and keep up the good work ladies!
Wahoo for agents! Thanks Cupid for letting us share the love today.
ReplyDelete:)
Special love to Brooks Sherman and Sarah LaPolla. Neither of which are my agents, but both have been awesome in offering advice and treating me like a person and not slush.
ReplyDeleteThank you to allll the great agents who sent me (I'm not going to reveal the number, but it's a big number :) ) all the rejections. I was stupid when I sent those queries, before I really got critique partners and help from so many people. EVERY single one of the rejections I got were amazing -- I would not have known to revise (cut 45K out of my MS) or the tweak as much as I did without each one of those rejections. Thank you SO much guys, I really mean it. I feel so much better about my MS now, and once I enter the querying trenches again (maybe after a few more weeks) I feel I will be ready :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much to all the great blogging agents, including Rachelle Gardner, Vickie Motter, Janet Reid, Jennifer Laughran, sigh... I really can't mention them all. OOh, mention! Twitter! I LOVE the tweeting agents too -- (the above mentioned agents) John Cusick, Lauren Hammond, Brandi Bowles, Jessica Faust, Marlene Stringer, Jennifer Weltz, Sara Megibow.... Okay, I can't list all of them. But EACH and every one of them: THANK YOU! Thanks for participating in #askagent and all the great advice you give. I'm so sorry if I missed some of you :( I don't want to make this a 5 page comment :)
Even though I'm not agented, you guys make me feel as if we get the same great advice as your clients. You don't leave us in the dust, and that, to me, is amazing. Thank you so much guys!
Hooray agents! Since I started querying, I've had some fantastic experiences with agents. Two of the most memorable have been with Suzie Townsend and Janet Reid.
ReplyDeleteSuzie was the first agent to give me some valuable feedback. Her advice helped me work through some of the knots in my plot. Her kindness and encouragement gave me the boost I needed to keep going.
Janet Reid's Query Shark website has given me and thousands of other writers some of the best query advice out there. And since her Pay It Forward contest a few months ago gave me renewed hope that my story had at least some redeeming quality, I'm editing with purpose now!
Thank you, Super Agents!
I queried an agent once, who shall remain nameless, who was a no repsonse means no. And checking his QT stats, hadn't responded to anyone in over a year. After 2 months, i closed out my query. A month later he sent me an email stating that he never responded to queries, and although it was a "no" for him, he wanted to tell me that he thought i was very talented and that he wished me luck.
ReplyDeleteBest. Rejection. Ever!
Cupid, this sure is going wonderfully! Some nice words are flowing around this blog today! Loving the love!
ReplyDeleteYay agents. Though I'm unagented thus far, I've had some *run-ins* with agents that make me respect and admire them a lot! I've pitched to them at conferences, had extremely positive personal critiques, and I know my interactions with them at those events, as well as their encouraging rejections to my work have helped me get to where I am today. So hooha for agents!! :D
ReplyDeleteA very happy agent day to my wonderful new agent - whom I met through this very blog, thanks to The Writers Voice - Andrea Somberg!
ReplyDeleteAlso a very special thank you to Victoria Marini, who sends hands-down the nicest rejections I have ever received :)
So I thought it would be fun to post something here. *big smile*
ReplyDeleteMy agent is Laura Bradford, and I could talk her up all day and all night. She is a superstar agent who I feel extremely grateful to have in my corner. Even before she was my agent she always answered my questions on #askagent. She offers great feedback, she's got great personality, and her passion is inspiring. And she leaves editing notes in my ms that crack me up. Anyone would be lucky to have her!
Also, I want to give a shout out to Nicole Resciniti for getting my ms and being awesome!
And I want to give special thanks to Weronika Janczuk and Sara Sciuto for the feedback they gave me off my first ms that I know helped make my second that much better. The time they spent wasn't a waste.
And to Kristin Nelson and Pub Rants. I learned so much while writing/querying from her blog.
I haven't been signed with Jennifer Laughran long, but if you follow her on Twitter, you may have picked up on what a tireless workaholic she is. (Well, maybe she gets tired. I suspect she may actually be human.) She pushes me to work harder at my writing and be better, which is just what I need.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I should get back to work right now. :)
I wanted to give an epic shout out to Erin Nuimata of Folio Lit. I participated in a Twitter Pitch of hers and was lucky enough to be selected to submit to her. She asked for more after my submission of a synopsis. When I heard back from her, it was an offer for a Revise and Resubmit.
ReplyDeleteMy need to sing her praises comes from the feedback she gave. Not only was it super detailed and ridiculously helpful, but she was genuinely *nice*. In the query trenches, it can wear a writer down over time to be drowning in a sea of form rejections and sometimes stinging No's.
No matter the result of the R&R, I will be forever grateful for her kind words. She didn't have to write those kind words, but they will stick with me forever. And even if it comes back as a no, pretty sure I am sending that gal flowers. I think agents forget sometimes how much their encouragement can mean to a writer, and I want her to know that hers meant the world to me!
I signed with Jessica Faust in April 2001. It took a while to get my first contract--that was in August 2005--but I was writing for epubs and not sending much her way.
ReplyDeleteIncluding my first contract for Wolf Tales, which launched the Kensington Aphrodisia imprint for erotic romance in January 2006, Jessica--so far--has gotten me great contracts for 20 novels and 11 novellas. She's also helped me self-publish a series of original short erotic romances and handled the reissue of books where I've gotten rights back. She's innovative, smart, sometimes a pain in the ass, but always right. And yes, I admit that freely. No coercion. I don't always agree with what she says, but she's got a great feel for the industry and really knows her stuff. You can't ask for more in an agent.
One of my dream agents, Kate.
DeleteMaria Entenman
A big thank you to all the agents who frequent blogs like this one, giving writers yet another avenue to connect with all of you.
ReplyDeleteThank you to agents like Sara Megibow and Ann Collette, who do "10 Queries in 10 Tweets" and "Today's Twelve," respectively. They give writers so much insight into the mind of an agent reviewing the slush pile.
Thank you to agents like Ginger Clark and Sarah LaPolla, who tweet updates regarding where they are in their query/partial/full piles. It makes the wait for a reply (or no reply) that much less agonizing.
Like others before me, I'm signed with Laura Bradford... and I adore her. Aside from the fact that she's a bundle of surprises in an unassuming package (it took, let's see, at least 4 months before I even knew she liked pink! and glitter!), she's a tough woman who has no problems talking me down when I work up a head of steam, a smart woman who answers my questions using language I can understand, and a patient woman who can navigate my ADD-style of treacherous verbosity that can go on and on and on.
ReplyDeleteThe fact she likes cute, kicky shoes is a bonus, but where I really appreciate her most is those times between the celebratory contracting (well, okay, let's be fair: I love her most when she calls me with offers), where I'm struggling with a plot or a wait or a title. Even if all she sends off is a one-line email telling me all is well, or if it's a two-page rendition of War and Peace to explain a particularly rocky aspect of the industry, I appreciate that she does it.
I am positive that my career is safe in her hands. If anyone can be said to have a "green thumb" in publishing—red thumb? ink thumb?—it's Laura.
Also, her tweets are about as random as mine, and they make me laugh almost every day.
There are times, when I hit the wall, that the only person I'm writing for is my agent, Laura Bradford. She has no idea what a difference she's made in my life. Without her, the climb to publication, the journey, wouldn't be nearly as joyful. I told my hair stylist today how lucky I am to have Laura, and I mean it!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cupid, for this collective post. It's wonderful for those of us just starting to dip our toes into the publishing pond to hear that there are so many talented, helpful and approachable agents out there!
ReplyDeleteWhen I sent out my first query of my first finished MS, agent Rachel Kent requested the full. Soon after she responded by telling me a few things that needed fixing, and encouraging me to let her know when I was done. Of course, once I finished she requested the partial and then the full once again. And this time, her response sited nothing that needed changing. She passed, but with sweet words and encouragement stating that it simply wasn't her personal preference and that I need to keep pursing an agent with this MS. Her encouragement kept me writing.
ReplyDeleteI also have have to thank agent Uwe Stender. He requested my latest MS and responded lightening fast with helpful suggestions and an offer to look at it again once I'd completed the suggested changes. He's helped me strengthen my writing and my story.
When an agent sees something special in your work and takes the time to encourage and/or help you, whether they sign you or not, they leave a lasting impression on your personal writing journey. They help to fuel you and leave you with a great sense of gratitude.
My debut novel SECRET LETTERS is coming out tomorrow (Hyperion/Disney) and I know I would never have gotten there without the faith and hard work of my agent, Irene Kraas. Thank you so much, Irene!!
ReplyDeleteI'm still working the whole getting an agent part, but I've been lucky enough to have many agents take the time to read my books over the past few years. Regardless of whether the result was a form rejection or feedback, I'm grateful they took the time away from their real clients to give my manuscripts a chance.
ReplyDeleteAlso, there is one agent in particular who has been kind enough to take the time to give me encouragement and feedback on, uh, let's just say ALL the books I've queried before my present one. Her constructive criticisms, while brief, have been SPOT ON every time. Despite the fact that it's come with a rejection, it's encouraged me to take a harder look at those manuscripts and to make them (and the next ones) much stronger. So, thank you, Sarah LaPolla, for challenging me to be a better writer!
As of yet, I am unagented but there have been a couple of agents along the way that have been encouraging beginning with Andrea Brown--who believed in children's publishing before it was cool--and who I had the pleasure of consulting with at the Willamette Writer's Conference back in the late 90's. She asked to read the first few pages of my children's lyrical fantasy. She smiled and laughed in all the right places. Heart soar! In the end she told me why it wouldn't work but did so with what seemed like regret. She let me down on a cloud.
ReplyDeleteEven if we don't get a yay nod for representation, just getting a callback or a contest win because an agent thought ours was the best of whatever bunch they were looking at is sometimes all the boost we need to get over the next hurdle.
That said, thank you to Laura Bradford, re:Spring Into Romance contest, 2009. Weronika Janczuk--last year's WriteonCon. And finally,
Vickie Motter for Cupid's Love Triangle contest.
Honorary mention to Nathan Bransford, while he's no longer an agent, he opened up a lot of windows into the agenting profession and still does to the writing community.
I do not have an agent, but I would love to say a HUGE thank you for being in the business to agents I've had contact with who make me smile!
ReplyDelete*Weronika Janczuk, ninja agent extraordinaire for never mincing words (love, love!)
*Jessica Sinsheimer for letting me throw a resub at her (and loving food as much as I do)
*Erzsi Deak for reading 2 of my novels concurrently and responding to all my questions
*Kathleen Ortiz for requesting my first ever partial 2 years ago when I began writing (oh, that poor, poor girl)
*Rachael Dugas for loving my pitch during YALITCHAT and giving me some confidence with my novel
And once I begin querying in ernest, all the agents who read my queries!
I have to say I have the best agent in the world. Natalie Lakosil has not only believed in me from the day she first read my work, but she helped make my dreams of publication come true. She always encourages me to go a step further, to be the best writer I can be. Happy agents day to all the great agents!
ReplyDeleteI was incredibly lucky to get Richard Curtis, of Richard Curtis Associates, when I sold my first novel back in the early 1980's. However busy he is, he always responds to my emails, has been amazingly helpful in getting my books into print(and back into print!), fought like a mountain lion for my interests, got my books into digital format,and has been there for me in many ways that I can't remember them all since 1983.
ReplyDeleteClare Bell
Author of the Ratha or Named Series
I am another that doesn't yet have an agent, but there are just so many that have been helpful in one way or another through this whole querying process. First of all a big thank you to Gina Panettieri, who is the very first person that ever requested to see more of my work (right here, in fact, during the Surprise Agent Invasion contest). First of all, just the fact that someone wanted to see more made me so happy that I very nearly burst into tears. And then when the rejection came, it was so kind and detailed. Gina didn't have to take the time to tell me specifically what wasn't working for her, but she did. And I used that feedback to make my book so much stronger.
ReplyDeleteThank you to Emily Gref, who took the time to tell me what wasn't working with my query instead of just sending a form rejection. Another piece of invaluable advice that has helped me improve and get just that little bit closer to my dream.
Like so many of the other comments, I have to give a big shout out to Janet Reid. Without Query Shark, I would hardly know what a query is. That is one of the greatest resources out there for a querying writer.
I'm fairly new to Twitter (just joined in February), but have since discovered that there are some truly amazing agents there who are almost ridiculously helpful. Some that come to mind off the top of my head: Sara Megibow with her #10queriesin10tweets. Laura Bradford, to whom I will be forever grateful after her recent rant about the dreaded synopsis. Then there are so many who randomly tweet #pubtips. All of those who participate in the #askagent sessions. None of you have to do that. But you do it anyway. And I will be eternally grateful. Thank you, all of you, from the very bottom of my heart.
I'm not agented yet, but so many agents have helped me along the writing journey. I'm loathe to list them all because I'm bound to forget someone important, but to name a few of them: Natalie Lakosil, John Cusick, Weronika Janczuk, Rachel Dugas, Suzie Townsend and Hannah Bowman.
ReplyDeleteIt means so much when someone takes the time to read your work and comment on it, even if they don't end up representing it. Every little scrap of feedback helps. So thank you.
I am currently unagented. (A condition I'd like to fix.) But, I'd like to give a shout out to Laura Rennert of Andrea Brown Literary Agency. She wrote the nicest rejection letter I've ever received!
ReplyDeleteLaura was the very first agent I queried. My query letter was horrible and my ms wasn't exactly what she represented. She didn't point either of those two things out (I'm sure she knew I'd discover it soon enough). Anyway, her letter was filled with such kindness and encouragement, that it only made me want to get better.
I'm still fairly new to the querying gig but I do have one agent that still stands out to me. Sarah Lapolla requested a full at a conference last winter. I was partially oblivious and partially delusional enough to think it was read to submit.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say it was rejected by every agent that requested at said conference. But Sarah sent a very very nice personal rejection telling me to keep working on it. Which I have.
Thank you for taking to time to encourage a new (and niave) writer.
Shout out to the super agents at Literary Counsel - Frances Black and Jennifer Mishler. These ladies are beyond fabulous. They work tirelessly for their clients. If you get the chance to work with them, you will not be disappointed. I am so incredibly thankful to have their support, professionalism, honesty and enthusiasm. When I begin to lose faith in my work, they pick me right back up. You ladies rock! :D
ReplyDeleteCurtis Brown Australia handled the Girls' Night In and Kids' Night In series for the charity War Child at half their usual commission. The series featured everyone from J.K.Rowling to Marian Keyes and made $3.5 million for War Child. Curtis Brown handled all the administration beautifully and got completely behind the project. They should be ALL your Australian sub-agents, methinks...
ReplyDeleteTo all you agents who take time from your day to tweet and blog - THANK YOU. Your insights and encouragement - not to mention those personalized rejections - make a huge difference in the lives of us struggling writers.
ReplyDeleteAnd to Tricia Lawrence of EMLA - thanks for your patience, encouragement and persistence. You so rock.
Very cool post, and I've enjoyed reading the comments! I'm repped by Miriam Kriss of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency. She was among my "dream agents" when I was querying, and working with her has been fantastic. She works hard for all her clients, and she is incredibly supportive when I have doubts and frustrations about where my work will fit in this industry. Her enthusiasm is amazing, and I consider myself very blessed to be working with her.
ReplyDeleteThroughout my query process, there are a few agents who have taken the time to write personal rejection notes about my manuscript. I greatly appreciate the encouragement and feedback they gave. One was from Stephen Barbara's intern, Katie Hamblin. It was my very first rejection - it was personalized, lovely and encouraging. The other was from Kristy King at Writer's House. She gave me personalized feedback that served as my catalyst for reworking and strengthening my MS.
ReplyDeleteThank you to all of the agents who tweet, judge contests, offer feedback and continue to encourage writers.
I have to toss in a shout-out to my agent Victoria Marini. She is an amazing ball of energy and enthusiasm. Her editorial insights are spot-on. And then, of course, there was the whole selling my novel thing. Lol
ReplyDeleteI'm so thankful for her!
you just keep giving me reasons to love you cupid. this was another great idea.
ReplyDeleteNot only do I want to shout out my praises to my own agent, Lauren Hammond, which Shelley Watters expressed so well already, but also I want to cheer all the agents who've participated in my contests. They're all so generous and kind, and I <3 them all!
ReplyDeleteMy turn! My turn! I would love to give my sincere appreciation to literary agents everywhere, especially to four agents in particular who have helped me on my journey to publication:
ReplyDeleteJennifer Laughran, who gave me excellent feedback on the very first draft of my very first manuscript, after I won a blog contest. I am so sorry for putting her through the ordeal of reading that mess, and I will be forever grateful for the time she took to give me a detailed and helpful critique.
Sara Megibow, whose webinar taught me how to write a successful query letter. She’s as friendly and warm in person as she is online.
Roberta Brown, a sweet, wonderful agent who will always have a special place in my heart.
And finally, I am bursting with appreciation for my agent, Laura Bradford. She’s clever and witty and wise. Her revision notes are spot-on. She gives me hope when I’m discouraged. Her always-informative and often-hilarious tweets are the highlight of my twitter feed. She’s made me a better writer, and I’m incredibly honored and proud to be one of her clients. Happy Agent's Day, Laura!
I couldn't believe it when Laura Bradford offered me representation and some days I still can't believe it. (and yes, it WAS hard not to go all fangirl on her when we chatted)
ReplyDeleteShe is insightful, thorough and her editorial comments crack me up. Not to mention the hilarity of her Twitter posts. Seriously, if you are not following @bradfordlit on Twitter, you are missing out big time.
I am incredibly proud to be represented by Laura and so grateful to be working with her.
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ReplyDeleteTO EACH AND EVERY AGENT!
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to name anyone specifically, for fear of leaving someone out, but I would like to say there are some very special people out there in the writing community. The agents I've had the good fortune to connect with have astounded me with their generosity and kindness. These people are busy. They have lives. They have to invest a lot of time in reading our work and they do it with a delicacy of spirit, offering help and guidance. They know what it is we are doing. They understand!
So my shout out goes out TO EACH AND EVERY AGENT!
You are the passion sandwiching with our own that keeps this industry alive and thriving.
I'd like to send a big shout out to Ammi-Joan Paquette for her very nice (and helpful) feedback on a partial she requested from me! Her reason for rejecting was a tough area I had secretly known needed revision, and her response was the proper kick in the pants I needed to roll up my sleeves and fix it. She knows her stuff and, overall, kinda rocks!
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly new to this being agented gig, but I have to give a shout out to my awesome agent, Stephen Fraser of The Jennifer DeChiara Agency. I appreciate his calm communication, his editorial expertise, and his boundless encouragement.
ReplyDeleteOther agents who have offered encouragement along the way: Sarah Davies of Greenhouse, Erzsi Deak of Hen and Ink, and Victoria Marini. Soft spots too for Tina Wexler, Linda Epstein, and Pam Van Hylckama for replying often on Twitter.
As we near the end of the day I wanted to give a special shout out to Vickie Motter and John Cusick! I know I already thanks the agents who have helped on the blog, but I wanted to give them a thank you for agreeing to be my first agents in January when a lot of others were turning me down. (Which I don't blame them. :)
ReplyDeleteSo thanks John and Vickie for taking a chance on me, helping me get started, and being downright awesome during that first contest!!!!
I had a really nice interaction with Bree Ogden last year. She's with D4EO Literary now, but she was with Martin Literary Management at the time. I posted in the Absolute Write board about her then-agency, asking if I were reading their website correctly and if no response within a certain time meant no, or if I should try requerying. I also mentioned that I'd since revised the query I'd sent some months back. Ms. Ogden sent me an e-mail, saying she went through her junk folder and found my query. Even though it wasn't the type of story she was interested in, that was one of the best rejections I got.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time (six months ago), I sent out a query that was just plain bad. I knew nothing about the business, and almost all of my rejections were form letters. However, two agents went above and beyond for me, even though they ended up passing.
ReplyDeleteEmily Keyes of the L. Perkins Agency sent me a multi-paragraph personalized rejection on my query. She mentioned that dystopian (my genre for that ms) was a hard sell, but that she found the plot unique. She was absolutely lovely and super professional.
Jessica Sinsheimer requested my ms and answered my newbie questions at lightning-speed. Though she rejected my ms, her rejection was extremely kind. I can't speak highly enough of her.
If you're looking for smart, professional agents, I can't recommend these two highly enough.
All my fandom to Meredith Barnes, Joanna Volpe, Janet Reid, and Suzie Townsend for being nice, encouraging, and awesome.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know it was Agents Day, but I want to give a BIG shoutout to Agent Awesome Taylor Martindale!!! We're on submission right now, and she's helped me so much through this process. She is the greatest, you guys! Seriously, I am blessed to have her as my agent :D
ReplyDeleteNinja Girl
Omg. This is the cutest thing I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteIt feels like such a cop-out to thank EVERY agent, but seriously, the literary crowd is just such a cool, classy, drama-free, genuinely helpful bunch. I feel like I've learned something from innumerable agents, whether they've run an awesome blog or made a hilarious tweet or given me helpful rejections or what have you.
I love writers and everyone in the publishing industry. Ack. *warm fuzzies*
Sorry I'm late but I want to say a big thank you to all the agents who take the time and effort to maintain blogs that help writers. I've learned so much from Janet Reid, Lauren Ruth and Mary Kole. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to give a belated shout-out to my agent, Molly Ker Hawn of The Bent Agency. I signed with her last week after initially making contact through the BSD contest on this very site! I can't wait to get to work, and feel immensely lucky to have such an amazing agent.
ReplyDeleteThank you also to Cupid for making the connection happen!
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man 42 y.o. from Tampa, Florida, United States
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man 49 y.o. from Tampa, Florida, United States
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Surya12
man 27 y.o. from Tampa, Florida, United States
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I am 6.1 tall with an athletic body.I am looking for a girl to date online. If I could be able to find a girl who likes me I would like to date in real.