Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Deal Announcement for Robin O'Bryant

You guys, way back in 2009, I signed up a writer named Robin O'Bryant.   I didn't know much about Robin, but I knew that she was funny as hell, and I was laughing out loud reading her manuscript during a long and otherwise kind of boring plane trip.  So I knew Robin was talented and I knew I wanted to work with her, but I also knew it was going to be hard to sell her manuscript.   That's because Robin writes humorous essays, and humorous essays are an extremely hard thing to sell to a publisher without a very substantial platform.    And when I signed Robin up, she didn't have much of a platform at all.  

Flash forward.   It's 2013 and Robin is a New York Times bestselling author who just signed her first two-book deal with executive editor Jennifer Weis at St. Martin's. 

How did this happen?   Two words.  HARD WORK.   I have never seen an author work harder, hustle more, face her fears down, fight the inevitable lows of being an author, and work the highs, the way Robin O'Bryant did.   I don't think this gal ever got anything handed to her.   I didn't see her really get a lucky break, even.   Everything she got, she fought for, and she created an impressive platform and a network of writing peers out there to help her, basically and completely from scratch.   She self-published her book, KETCHUP IS A VEGETABLE and made it a New York Times bestseller.  She runs a popular blog, writes a syndicated column, tweets to her followers, writes prolifically, and parents three beautiful girls.    The woman, as I always say, is a rock star.  I couldn't be happier for her or prouder of her and I can't wait to see what the rest of her journey will be. 

Here's her deal announcement.   Please join me in congratulating Robin on twitter at @robinobryant.  Also, you can read her hilarious blog, Robin's Chicks.   And "like" her on Facebook here

October 1, 2013 - KETCHUP IS A VEGETABLE and ARE YOU THERE GOD, IT'S ME, MOMMY by Robin O'Bryant
Non-fiction: Humor
Robin O'Bryant's previously self-published NYT bestseller KETCHUP IS A VEGETABLE, a look at the day-to-day life of a mother to three, running a household and the everyday monotony of parenting, and the follow up, ARE YOU THERE GOD, IT'S ME, MOMMY, to Jennifer Weis at St. Martin's, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, by Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency (world).

3 comments:

  1. A very motivating story! Persistence strikes again. I can't wait to read her new books.

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  2. What a great story--and a great tribute to where hard work and persistence can get you!

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  3. Awesome news. I'm definitely pumped by news like this. Congratulations and best wishes.

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