Subscribe

RSS Feed (xml)



Powered By

Skin Design:
Free Blogger Skins

Powered by Blogger

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

I have an agent! There, I said it. Oh my freaking God I have an agent!!!!!

Okay, I'm dying. I'm so excited.

I finally got "The Call."

An agent called me this morning saying she wanted to represent me. She' s fairly new, but has done a lot of Non fiction and has spent the past three years doing research and making contacts in the fiction department. There are three of them and they have an office in Kentucky, Virginia, and New York. They have screenplay contacts in LA. And they are real go getters. They were one of the agencies at the New Jersey conference taking pitches, and so many people were impressed with them. I'm so impressed with them, and I think they are the type of people who will stop at nothing to get the job done. They are all about representing the author and not just the book, and they are in it for the long haul.

However, I have two other fulls out. So out of professional courtesy for those who have taken the time to read and evaluate my work, I had to tell this agent that I am very interested, but I have to let the other agents know, and then I will make my decision. She was very gracious to say no problem. I have to make the best decision for me and I won't hurt her feelings if I choose to go with another ageny, but she has to know by Monday because she and her associates are meeting on Tuesday to make a gameplan. They are pow wowing on the authors they have signed and then they are going to New York the first week of November to pitch the books to the editors they have deemed a good fit for each person and try to get a bidding war going.

One of the other agents emailed me today and told me she pulled my file and will read it and get back to me in a couple of days, but the other agent hasn't emailed me back yet, which makes me wonder if she might be too busy and I might end up last on her list of clients if I do decide to go with her. She's a great agent, but is swamped right now. How much time will she realistically have to devote to me? By no means have I made a decision, but I'm taking all of this into account. There is something to be said about enthusiasm. If someone is that excited about your work and willing to do just about anything (including going to NY and pitching your book in person) to sell your book and get you the best deal they can, then that counts for a lot in my book.

Also, I decided to go for it and I emailed the editor who ranked my entry first place (Audrey LeFehr of Kensington) this morning and told her I sent the unrevised partial last week in my excitement. And she emailed me back within 45 minutes and said she loved the first chapter and she would rather have the revised full if I it was available. I told her I'd get it out to her right away. She will be out of the country for two weeks and told me to be patient if it took her a while to get back to me. I told the agent who made the offer and she said if I decided to go with them, not to send it to her. They would take over for me and send it to her and everyone else they gain interest from after their trip to New York. I'm so freaking excited. I've been doing this for so damn long and this is the book I "learned" on. It's about freaking time I got it right. If nothing comes of all of this, I don't know what I'll do.

In the meantime, I'm finishing the last chapter of book two and then doing some major revisions on the GMC so I have something else to give whatever agent I decide to go with.

Stay tuned. I'll keep you all posted. I have to make my decision by Monday. I'm just so excited. I have an agent. I might not exactly know who just yet, but one way or another, I have a freaking agent, folks.

Sorry, nothing funny about this post, but it was just too exciting not to share. I'll get to the funny tomorrow, I promise.

15 comments:

Angel said...

CONGRATS!!!!!!!! wow, what an accomplishment! you should be very proud. I want to read you books!

xxxx said...

OH MY GOSH, are you just DYING?!?? That is super duper awesome and exciting for you. I have my fingers and toes crossed for you that it works out the best possible way.

1 plus twins said...

how totally exciting!! i am so happy for you!

Drewpy Drew said...

Once again you are my hero. Congrats!!!!!!!!

It's nothing personal, but now I have to hate you out of pure jealousy.

Great job and have fun.

Anonymous said...

I'm so excited for you !!!! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cant wait to read your BOOKS!!!! :) WELL DONE!!! DOING THE JIVE NOW!!!!!!!

RR

Anonymous said...

What great news!!!

You must be soooo excited/happy/pleased/proud...way to go Kari.

Dim said...

Tremendous news and a big pat on the back from me...congratulations! You are now the envy of many bloggers everywhere!

- D.

All Things Jennifer said...

Congratulations!!!! HOW FREAKING exciting :)

Kari Lee Townsend said...

Thanks so much, guys. I am soooo excited. It's killing me, waiting to hear back from the other agents and praying I make the right decision. But I have been at this forever, as I'm sure so many others have too, that I feel like, dammit, I don't suck. Someone finally figured out that I truly don't suck. Now let's hope they can sell my book.

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Hey! First of all, to Drew--I THOUGHT I WAS YOUR FREAKIN' HERO! LOL...

Kari--checked in this a.m. to see if you had heard from you know who? NOT YET?!?!?!? That is really mind-boggling!

YOUHAVEANAGENT!YOUHAVEANAGENT!YOUHAVEANAGENT!!!!

PS--I just sent my query to her partner this a.m.!

MaNiC MoMMy™ said...

Me tooooo! Weird!?!?!? I'm DYING over here for ya! Excitedly dying, of course!

It was fun talking to you yesterday! I wish I was drinking some of that pinot with ya!

Gwyneth Bolton said...

Congrats, girlfried! Ahh... decisions, decisions... What a neat position to be in! You go, girl!

Trish Ryan said...

Whooo Hoooo!!! That is SO fabulous! I'm so excited for you, and not at all surprised :)

Keep us posted...we'll keep the prayers coming until then!

JT said...

Yeah Kari!

Anonymous said...

Yyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy!!!!!