And so it begins...
After writing four novels and publishing them through a fairly well-known, but boutique press, I decided I wanted to work with an agent. It’s only been seven days since I signed the contract, so I thought I’d share a bit about my journey while it’s still fresh. Maybe I can help others who are deciding whether to go straight to the publisher, to self-publish, or to seek out an agent.
Today, I just want to share a bit of the background to my journey. My current manuscript is a sweet/clean contemporary romance. This is the first time I’ve written in that genre, so it seemed a logical time to try out another path to publishing. In full disclosure, though, I did query another historical romance quite extensively, but to no avail. I got some nibbles, but nothing connected with any of the literary agencies I reached out to.
Here’s a sample book cover my daughter mocked up for me. Smitten is actually the name of the cat, who has a hand (or should I say paw?) in bringing the hero and heroine together.
I pitched Smitten directly to a dozen literary agencies and participated in one #Pitmad. I got a few nibbles from that, but nothing connected. When #KissPitch rolled around, I decided to pitch one more time. I didn’t expect much but thought it was worth a try. I got a couple nibbles from that.
My plan was to participate in #Pitmad a couple of weeks later, and if nothing panned out, to self-publish. But then, my mom passed away, so life got a bit hectic, and I decided not to bother with #Pitmad.
Since I hadn’t heard back from either of my other #KissPitch queries, I’d pretty much resigned myself to self-publishing. (I make that sound worse than it was. I was actually eager to try it.)
Then, the day after I missed #PitMad, Katie Salvo from Metamorphosis Literary Agency contacted me, saying that her senior agent had passed my manuscript to her. She was still reading it, but planned to finish over the weekend and wanted to talk on Monday if I was still unagented. I’m not a “squee-type” personality, so let’s just say I was cautiously optimistic, even eager for that conversation.
On a side note, Katie is open to queries. In particular, I know she's looking for more contemporary romance, but she represents a number of genres and subgenres.
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Katie Salvo - Junior Agent
A traditionally published novelist, certified copy editor, and avid reader with eclectic genre interests, Katie Salvo loves nothing more than to see authors succeed in introducing new ideas and fresh voices to the publishing industry. With a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, Katie has a background in literary criticism, philosophy, political theory, and history. She is particularly interested in representing women’s fiction, romance, nonfiction, historical biography, historical literary fiction, and academic works in the fields of study listed above.
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We chatted that Monday, and she sent me a contract to review. It was pretty standard, but never having worked with an agent, I asked a few questions. A week later, we’d both signed, and the proverbial ball in now rolling.
In later posts, I hope to go deeper into items of interest and things I’ve learned on this journey, and maybe even answer some questions. I’ve left the comment section open below if you’d like to respond. You can also find me on Twitter @MaryJeanAdams. If you’re a member of the #WritingGroup community, reach out and say hi!
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