I finished my third manuscript (yeeeeeah!), and I did my first pass of edits (uuuuh!), so now I’m back to the moment every unagented author eager to publish with one of the Big Five has to face: finding the Holy Grail literary agent.
I polished my manuscript and centered my titles (because some time ago, after paying an obscene amount of money to read 50 pages, that’s what the reviewer told me to do…), prepared my query letter and synopsis, and started the research. I teamed up with my dear friend Google and looked for “Agents who loved Interview with the Vampire and The Devil Wears Prada,” and I got a list that wasn’t extensive, but a nice starting point like any other.
For my first book, I listed UK and US agencies, read every agent profile, filtered for agents who could match my story and needs, and approached them in order of preference. As happens many times, I wasn’t successful in my quest, but because the failure drove me to improve my novel, I eventually found the person who championed my work and published my book. As I’ve said before in my posts and notes, beyond the will and capacity to write, no quality matters more in a writer than being stubborn as a mule and determined to make things work. I used the same method for my second novel and got the publishing contract, but still, no agent.
Because “third is the charm,” here I am, back in the query trenches for my third book, while I keep writing the fourth, worrying about the sales of the first, and about to publish the second. Did I say I have three kids, two massive dogs, and try to be a good partner and ok-ish human? Sometimes I feel like life is just too much; other times I feel like I should be doing more (usually when the impostor syndrome attacks and I try to defend myself by starting one more project).
These are my horse-sized dogs, plotting to disturb my writing in 3, 2, 1…
To everyone going through the same path as I am, I wish you success. To those who are still writing, I hope you persevere and get what you need (the “want” might be tricky). To the ones who already have an agent and feel they nailed the process: could you please introduce me? Just kidding… or not…
Low point of the week:
Our coffee machine broke down, and for a few days my caffeine intake was sub-par. Soluble coffee is not the same, not to me. I’m sorry.
High point(s) of the week:
Finishing the query package and getting a new beautiful machine that serves coffee without waking up the whole neighborhood.
My green “bucket” and my new beautiful caffeine provider :)
