Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Agent News!

As Christina mentioned in this post, we got to celebrate some good news during our last meeting-- because I got an agent! Yay! Here's a bit about that agenty journey.

After working on my first novel for about three years, writing and revising and attending workshops and conferences and going to some awesome critique groups, I felt ready to start querying agents last year.
It was exciting when someone wanted to read more.













Of course there were rejections.












But I took it all in stride.










And I kept working and revising and submitting and attending workshops, conferences, and awesome critique groups.













Finally, one day...an agent emailed to set up a phone call! So we talked, and she offered representation, and she was awesome and nice.












But the next day, I had a call from another agent!





She was awesome and nice too, and also offered representation.


So that was great, but I had to make one of those hard decisions-- you know, where you have two great things in front of you and you can pick only one.









I thought back to other tough decisions I'd had to face...



I took a few days to think about it, and made a decision about which agent felt like the right one for me. I sent her an email, and she called right away! But I was at work, so I missed her call.

But we talked the next day, and we're both thrilled to be working together.



She sent me the contract...













...and I'm now represented by Joanna Stampfel-Volpe of Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation!

Here's her adorable self right here:


Doesn't she look smart and bookish?








Like always, we celebrate good news, so at our last meeting, the critique group brought me a cake!(I should mention that the novel is called CHAINED and it's about an elephant, so the theme of the cake will make sense.)

Monica was especially happy for me, since she's also represented by Joanna and knows how fabulous she is.
Joanna requires all clients to wear Snuggies after signing with her. It's kind of like a cult. A warm, comfy, cult.
Ok, not really. But that would be awesome.

44 comments:

  1. Such great news, Lynne, and I love the name of your group's blog. I've got you subscribed, so I'll be back often!

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  2. Love your groups blog! What a wonderful idea! and so happy about your wonderful news - go Lynne!

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  3. Excellent news, Lynne. Two agents fighting over you...an author's dream come true. Love the pictures of your journey. Way to go.
    Bonnie

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  4. Great news, Lynne! Nice blog! I'm subscribing and look forward to keeping up with you and your writing.

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  5. Wonderful news, great blog and group name. Although all those cupcakes are making me hungry!

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  6. Congratulations Lynne! You're so fortunate to be blessed with an awesome critique group.

    Jenny Bailey

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  7. Love the blog and love the good news. Can't wait to hear news of a sale soon! Oh, and definitely wear the Snuggie in your author photo for the jacket. :-) Cognratulations, Lynne!

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  8. Thanks for the laugh, Lynne, and Big Congrats on signing with fellow agent Joanna. As you know, I've been trying to get into that cake group for some time now.(Just ask Monica) Gosh, maybe I have to move to Texas!

    Good luck on your blog. I'll be reading ;-)

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  9. Hooray Lynne! I am so thrilled for you and I can't wait to read your book. A good friend of mine is repped by Joanna, too, and I hear nothing but awesomeness whenever her name is mentioned. Congratulations and good luck!

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  10. Congrats!!!! Joanna is made of all things awesome! Best of luck to you!

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  11. Congrats -- Joanna's my agent, too. But I didn't get the Snuggie memo. Damn.

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  12. Congratulations on landing on agent! The story was wonderful and the pics, too--I laughed, I cried--but mostly, I laughed!

    (My agent didn't get me a Snuggie . . . hmm . . .)

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  13. Thanks for all the nice comments & congrats, people! Great to see some agent-siblings here too.

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  14. Congrats, Lynne! That is so exciting! I saw your news on the Blueboards too!!

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  15. How wonderful ... and what a great post... and what a yummy, yummy theme. I got a sugar high just from looking at the cupcakes!

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  16. Congrats, Lynne! Isn't it great when all that hard work pays off? And now you get to be part of a snuggie cult. :-)

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  17. HAHAHAHA Thanks for this post. It made my day!

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  18. This is hilarious!!!!

    Congratulations, Lynne :]

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  19. What a fun way to document your journey. Your pics made me laugh. Best of luck on a quick sale!

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  20. Very cool, Lynne. LOVE the pictures.
    You know, we're sort of like agent step-sisters... ;-)
    Here's to a quick sale!

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  21. This is so cute! I like it a lot, thanks. Good luck with your sale! Exciting.

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  22. This post is just fab, Lynne, and I'm thrilled for you and Joanna!

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  23. This is so much fun! I love all the pictures. :D Congrats :D

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  24. Joanna wears snuggies in the office. Honest.

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  25. Congratulations!!! May you have a long and happy life together and many, MANY sales! :)

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  26. Thanks everybody, for all the nice comments! Glad you've enjoyed the post.

    And Janet, I had no idea Joanna wears Snuggies in the office. That must be why she seems so happy & upbeat; she's so very comfy.

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  27. Congratulations.

    Such a warm and fuzzy story. I love happy endings.

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  28. Congratulations! Very nicely done with the photos as well. :-)

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  29. Hi Lynne, Congratulations, what wonderful news! I came across your blog via VR Leavitt - her post was about you today. Just started to follow you guys - what a fun and interesting group you are! I'm an illustrator currently working on my own picture book, trying my hand at writing, so I'm thrilled I came across your blog. Can't wait to hear more about it! Cheers, Susan
    http://susanbethstudio.blogspot.com/

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  30. Hi Lynne! Thanks very much for stopping by my blog. I really appreciate it. Best of luck to you and your fellow writers. (Btw, Snuggies rule) :-)

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  31. This is hilarious. The post, not the outcome. Congrats!

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  32. Congrats on your happy, upbeat, Snuggie-wearing agent! Can't wait to read CHAINED.

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  33. I loved this post - especially how you took it all in your stride and your comparisons to the other 'tough decisions' you've faced! :-)

    Congrats!

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  34. What a wonderful post! Congrats on all your hard work.

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  35. I tried to imagine this post without the pictures- Naaa- not the same thing, is it? Good for you.

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  36. First off- congrats!!! Loved the story :)

    Secondly, your whole site tickled me senseless because a very good girlfriend of mine runs a custom cake operation (they're so pretty, you just don't want to eat them...but then once you do, you're so glad you got past it, heh...). She also happens to be my beta reader. We have a deal. Every time she gets really into whatever I'm writing, I will ransom the pages for a batch of whatever she's making (I'm a big fan of the buttercream frosting from scratch, myself, and have admittedly eaten it with a spoon- for dinner- once or twice).

    So she (really) named her business "Cake for Pages".

    It's a small world after all, no? ;)

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  37. Hahaha :). I loved the "taking it in stride" pic! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

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  38. Kimberly, what a delicious and evil plan!

    Rebecca & Catherine, the diet Coke in that picture was originally a bottle of rum, but I realized we may want to keep the blog a little more kid-friendly, since it'll be linked from author websites and such. But I really loved it with the rum bottle.

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  39. Congratulations!
    How apropos to have a celebratory cake.

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  40. Congrats, Lynne! (Found your post via Pimp My Novel's Weekly Roundup.)

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  42. Just found this blog, Lynne. What a wonderful, comfortable, delectable gathering of friends. I think I'll stay. {}

    Pass the cake!

    Congratulations again on Agent-Snuggling with Joanna. {}

    -Pamela Ross

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  43. Love this post! (checking out from the bb) Way to go on getting a fab agent, and congrats. enjoyed reading about your journey!

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  44. Thanks, Terry! Glad you found the post and enjoyed the read.

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