Saturday, December 6, 2014

The 7 “Be”-Attitudes of Finding Your Agent & New Deal Announcements!

I’m so excited to announce two deals today, both for the wonderful Marcie Colleen, picture book writer extraordinaire. But not only that! I asked Marcie to write on the process of finding an agent for the blog, and she’s created a list of the key qualities that will carry you through your search—it’s as inspiring as it is useful. Be sure to scroll down for her smart advice, which follows these announcements.

Here’s our first deal, for THE ADVENTURE OF THE PENGUINAUT, the story of intrepid little Orville, a penguin who imagines visiting the moon. I love this story, especially for Orville’s dreamy determination:

Children's:
Picture book 

Marcie Colleen's debut THE ADVENTURE OF THE PENGUINAUT, about a penguin who lives at the zoo and dreams of building a spaceship to fly to the moon, to Emellia Zamani at Scholastic, by Susan Hawk at The Bent Agency (World).

And here’s our next deal for LOVE, TRIANGLE and a second unnamed book. The first time I met Marcie she told me she had this title, but wasn’t sure of the story yet. Watching it come together has been a total delight:

Children's:
Picture book 

Marcie Colleen's LOVE, TRIANGLE, about best friends Circle and Square, and the dynamic Triangle that comes between them, and to Alessandra Balzer at Balzer & Bray, in a very nice deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Susan Hawk at The Bent Agency (World).

Please join me in congratulating Marcie at www.thisismarciecolleen.com or on Twitter: @MarcieColleen1.

And now, here’s Marcie herself, with  

THE 7 "BE"-ATTITUDES OF FINDING YOUR AGENT

I am often told how lucky I am to have such an awesome agent. And yes, Susan Hawk is amazing. After all, we make quite a team and sold three books this year—two of which were sold in a five-house auction!

But am I really lucky?

Of course, I tried wishing on a star, writing to Santa Claus, and crossing my fingers that one day an agent would just randomly email me and ask to represent my work. But when it came down to it, those things did not get me Susan.

What did land me such a fabulous partner-in-crime was hard work. It was planning. It was researching.

It was attitude.

You see, the responsibility lies with the writer to do everything within their power to find an agent. So for those of you still looking, still hoping, and still wishing on a star, here are my 7 “Be”-Attitudes to help you along the journey:
1. Be“craft”y. First and foremost, focus on craft. If you want to be agented (and published), spend time making your writing the best that it can possibly be. Take classes, attend workshops, join critique groups, and read books. I feverishly worked on my craft for years before I felt ready to start the query process. And having worked on craft for so long, I was confident that what I was submitting was not half-baked, but something I could be proud of. It’s easy to be eager, but don’t rush this step.

2. Be social. I know social media can be a time suck. But if used well, it can be a writer’s lifeline. By seeking out communities of writers on Facebook and Twitter, I was able to learn more and more about the industry. I was able to keep current with new titles, be introduced to names of agents and editors, and ask burning questions—all without even getting out of my pajamas!

3. Be present. All right, so I eventually got out of my pajamas and ventured into the “real world.” I attended conferences, classes and workshops where I was able to get to know fellow writers, as well as editors and agents. I even had many face to face critique sessions with industry professionals, one of which actually introduced me to Jenny Bent and ultimately led to querying Susan. Sure, these kinds of events cost money—but it’s worth it. Consider it an investment in your dream.

4. Be Nancy Drew. Once you have a few names of agents that you want to query, don’t wait for Santa Claus to deliver them under your tree on Christmas morning. Instead, find them through Twitter, Google and Facebook. Read interviews they have given and blog posts they have written. Get to know what they are interested in and who they represent. Get to know their personality. Find out which conferences or industry events they will be speaking at. If possible, attend those same events. Are they participating in an online forum or a webinar? Again, participate if you can. Sure, this can be a lot of work. In fact, it might even seem like a second job. But isn’t your dream worth it?

5. Be mindful. Check in with yourself. What do YOU want in an agent? Make a list.  Do you want someone who represents a few different genres that you write? Do you want someone who has a background in editorial or is also a writer? How about someone who you can relate to personally? This list is perhaps the most important of all. I knew Susan was my dream agent because she met the criteria on my wish list. But that doesn’t mean she will be perfect for everyone. Don’t ignore your own wishes in your search.

6. Be patient. This all takes time. Lots and lots of time. I first queried Susan in the winter of 2013. We emailed back and forth a number of times going into the spring, eventually met, and she offered representation shortly after, in June. Agents are busy people. If you don’t hear right away, do not fret. Take a deep breath. Continue to work on your craft. Query someone else. Keep moving forward. And never, ever lose faith. Which brings me to the last “be”-attitude.

7. Be dreamy. Never lose sight of your dream. Your dream is what is going to keep you going through the silence and through the frustration. Remember, a rejection from an agent is not a rejection of you. It simply means that you haven’t found your Susan yet. And believe me, finding the one agent who is super giddy about your writing, believes in you more than you might believe in yourself, and wants to take you to the highest heights is well-worth the wait.
Many thanks Marcie, and good luck to everyone on their agent search!

17 comments:

  1. Great advice! And congrats, Marcie!!! A 5-House-Auction! Wow-weee-wow-wow!

    Off to be all I can be!
    Thanks!

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  2. OMG a five house auction. That's the stuff of #7 for sure. Congrats and great list. Loved it.

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  3. Awesome advice Marcie. I remember hearing your penguin's first page in 2013 and wishing I could read the rest...now I can! Congrats!!

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  4. So proud of you, Marcie - you're an inspiration! Congratulations on your upcoming books. I know this is just the beginning for you! Thanks so much for sharing this list. I'm in the agent search trenches right now and this post was like warm, comfort food...just what I needed. <3

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  5. This is a great list, Marcie. I especially needed to be reminded of "Be Mindful".

    Best of luck!

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  6. Great advice, Marcie Colleen. I'm printing this off to post in my studio... to keep the dream alive! Thanks!

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  7. This is EXCELLENT advice, Marcie, written in that inimitable Marcie style. Love your "Be" attitudes. I think they are attitudes that we would BE wise to take with us throughout our writing life.

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  8. Yes...you had a dream, Marcie...but you didn't just dream about it...you had a plan of action and you followed through with it. I'm so so so happy for your success! It is much deserved. And I especially love the advice to be patient...I know I sent out many stories when they were half-baked. Now I make sure they are ready to come out of the oven before I send them off to an agent. :)

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  9. Great list of advice, giving soild direction.

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  10. Marcie -- Congratulations again! And thank you for sharing these thoughtful words of wisdom. Very helpful.

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  11. Can't get enough of this good news! Marcie, you are the perfect mix of hard-working dreamer. :)

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  12. First of all, I can't say it enough- I LOVE YOUR NAME! :D

    Secondly, congrats!!!!! I am soooooo excited for you and so proud of all your hard work!

    And finally, thanks for sharing your tips. I'm exhausted reading them... but it's also late at night and I have four children. :D And they make me hopeful... I do a lot of this. Not perfectly, but I do it... so maybe my "Susan' IS just around the corner! *hugs*

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  13. Congratulations to you both, Marcie & Susan! I can't wait to read Love, Triangle - it sounds hysterically, grammatically scandalous!

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  14. Fabulous advice AND huge congrats to Marcie!!

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  15. I think Wendy's got it right! Great post, Marcie, and all the best for you and Susan down the road!

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  16. SQUEEEE! I'm so proud of you, Marcie. It can never get old hearing your good news. I am honored to have read your draft of Penguinaut. And now I get to see it on bookstores! How awesome is that! You are a hard worker. Your B attitudes is great advice.

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  17. I love great advice--can't get enough! Your books sound awesome! I'm so glad you got your dream agent!

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