5 Things I’ve Learned Since Becoming an Agented Writer
Honestly, that line still makes me want to pinch myself. I have a literary agent! And not just any agent, but an absolute dream of an agent, THE Carly Watters of P.S. Literary. I couldn’t be more thrilled or excited to work with this publishing pro and rock star human.
And, the last few weeks have taught me some valuable lessons I thought I would share with any of you who might be still in those querying trenches (hate that term).
Things happen right on time. I’ve been working towards this goal, in a serious way, for close to thirty years. Sure, it’s been off and on, and I only got REALLY serious about it in the past ten years or so. But as I said to Carly on “the call,” I’m 52, not 22. There’s a point in my life where that would feel like my chance had passed me by. I simply refuse to do that anymore. I refuse to buy into the idea that there’s an age limit on success. And what I know now is that I’m smarter and have better perspective on what all this means at this age than I would have had in my twenties or even my thirties. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Professional feedback hits different. Listen. My beta readers are AMAZING. Also wouldn’t trade them for anything. But the edit letter I received from Carly was phenomenal. Like, I want her to give me feedback on everything I write. Multiple people have asked me if there was anything I disagreed with in that letter. And while yes, I had to sit on some of it to figure out how I was going to do it, there wasn’t a single thing I didn’t immediately realize would absolutely make my manuscript better. That kind of professional eye is gold. If you’re not getting that from your agent, you might need to look elsewhere.
Editing under deadline is different than editing on your own time. Carly and I decided I would send her a new draft by Labor Day. Totally doable. But also, let me tell you I am WORKING right now. (And I do have a very big girl day job.) Edited on vacation in Maine. Have edited pretty much every free moment I’ve had. Again, multiple people have asked me, “When do you do this?” Well, if you want something, you work for it. Even if it means early mornings and late nights and weekends and yes, vacations. I've worked too hard, for too long, to stop putting in the work now.
Your community is everything. And my community is the best. This, certainly, isn’t surprising to me. But since I shared this news I’ve been wrapped in so much love and support it honestly has been overwhelming. I’m fortunate to have a day job that provides me a built-in community. And, again, I’m old enough to have lived a full life, through multiple degrees, cities, and friend groups. Those people have shown up in droves, bought me wine, bought me meals, left me voice mails, and generally have just been interested in and excited for this journey. What an unexpected, yet unsurprising gift that has been.
Celebrate every win. This industry is bananas, and there is nothing guaranteed about it. Getting an agent is a big deal. Getting an agent like Carly is HUGE. But it doesn’t guarantee my book will sell. Even if it does sell, it doesn't guarantee I'll get to do a book two. It’s all a lot of hard work, a lot of luck, and a lot of perseverance. So while I’m head down, doing the work, I’m still celebrating. I'm celebrating with my people, and that community has now grown by one. And honestly, it’s already been so great, anything else from here just feels like gravy. I'll be celebrating every last bit of it.
My gratitude abounds. And the learning, always, continues.