NEWS: How I Got My Agent!

Oh you guys. I’ve been dreaming about writing this post since I first started blogging, and now it’s here. It’s here!



I have the privilege of sharing my How I Got My Agent story! And I know it's long, so if you want to skip to the end, I'm fine with that. I won't know the difference. ;)

I started writing my tenth manuscript, an NA Sci-Fi novel, on May 22, 2013 and I finished the first draft on June 14th. It was the fastest I’d ever completed a first draft at the time, and I was floating. The book was totally different from anything I’d written in a long while—up until then I’d only written YA (albeit, my characters tended to border 17/18) and I’d written a lot of paranormal. But I learned the hard way YA Paranormal is insanely hard to break into right now, so I decided to try something new.

After several months of editing and trading with critique partners, I sent out my first batch of shiny queries on September 6th. The next couple weeks filled my inbox with loads of form rejection letters and one particularly nice personalized rejection—but rejections nonetheless. I started thinking maybe trying something different didn’t matter and the result would be the same as the last four manuscripts I’d queried.

I kept submitting and distracted myself with reading and brainstorming.

On October 7th, I submitted to Miss Authoress’s Secret Agent Contest. Unlike many other writing contests, the entries are chosen by a random lottery generator, so your odds of making it in are 100% random. Those who are chosen get an e-mail before the entries are posted to let them know they’ve made it into the lottery. I’d entered a Secret Agent contest with a different manuscript earlier in the year, so I knew how it worked and what to expect.

Except I didn’t get an e-mail. My entry wasn’t chosen for the contest.

I was disappointed, but I distracted myself with NaNoWriMo plans and continued to send out queries. I reminded myself there were loads more contests coming up like Agent Treat and Baker’s Dozen and Pitch Wars, so I always had another chance in the future.

Then, on October 14th, the Secret Agent was revealed—except it was a surprise of two secret agents, Emily Keyes and Louise Fury, and thus there would be twice the winners, which were posted shortly thereafter. To this day, I’m not sure why I clicked to see who the winners are—I don’t usually, especially if I’m still kinda disappointed, which I was. But I clicked and read the names of the winners.

And I nearly had a heart attack. Because listed under “Runners up” was “#41 Slave and Sira.”

I stared at the winner entry. It couldn’t be a coincidence, could it? Had someone else named their novel Slave and Sira? That seemed really unlikely, considering “Sira” is a word in a language I made up for the novel.

I raced over to entry #41 and read, with shaking fingers, my entry. The first 250 words of my novel. The entry that I was sure hadn’t made it into the contest was posted, and had comments, and the secret agents said it was a strong opening. What. What?!

I ran back to the winner post and checked again to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, but it was there! Louise Fury wanted to see my query and the first three chapters of my manuscript. After receiving instructions from Miss Authoress, I sent off the partial that very same day. And I danced. Around Twitter, anyway.




I worked hard to distract myself and finished my outline for the NaNo novel. Then on Halloween, I received a request from Team Fury for the first fifty pages. I danced for joy and sent the pages, announcing to myself that I’d received the best Halloween treat ever.

Then I prepared myself for the long haul. Ms. Fury’s stated response time was 4-6 weeks on partials and 6-8 weeks on fulls. I focused on NaNoWriMo and didn’t think about my partial…until I received a request for the full a couple days later on November 3rd. I was beyond excited. I ran around the house and jumped up and down and sent out the full and squeed with joy. Literally. I was brimming with happy energy.

Then a couple hours after I sent the full, this happened:


Ironically, I was in mid-text conversation with someone, telling them the good news about an agent having my manuscript when I got the notification. I may have flipped out in mid-conversation and been all OMG THE AGENT IS FOLLOWING ME ON TWITTER. I REPEAT, THE AGENT IS FOLLOWING ME ON TWITTER and my poor non-writer non-Twitter friend was confused, but I regret nothing.

I’m not gonna lie, the next couple weeks were filled with me checking to see if I’d been unfollowed because she decided she didn’t like my manuscript after all and I might have checked just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. But I wasn’t dreaming. And she didn’t unfollow. And I focused on NaNoWriMo and tried really hard not to think about my manuscript being read by the amazing Louise Fury. For the record, I totally failed—I was thinking about it constantly.

Then Pitch Wars came along and a few members of Team Fury were mentors and I wasn’t sure what the protocol was for mentors who may or may not have already looked at your full, so I asked. And after the most nerve-wracking twenty minutes of my life, a fabulous Team Fury mentor told me the team already had a meeting and I might not have to submit to Pitch Wars and I should be hearing from Ms. Fury soon.

QUEUE FREAK OUT.



I’m not gonna lie, you guys—I started crying. Happy tears. I kept telling myself it might be an R&R request but I didn’t even care—I’d be totally happy with an R&R.

Then started the longest two weeks of my life. Because I didn’t hear anything and I was glued to my e-mail and I kept fighting off stupid neurotic thoughts like what if she changed her mind or what if they confused you with someone else and my anxiety levels slowly crept up. And I tried to keep cool and calm and collected.

But then the Pitch Wars entry date came. After major agonizing over a decision about whether or not to enter with a CP, I submitted thinking if I heard anything, I’d withdraw right away.

Then on December 6th, just twenty minutes before I’d been planning to go to bed, I got the e-mail I’d been dreaming of for years: Louise Fury had read my manuscript more than once, spoken with her team members, and they wanted to talk to me. Was I available this weekend?

HELL YES I WAS AVAILABLE.

I was immediately overloaded with excitement and anxiety. Anxiety up the wazoo. We scheduled the call for the next day and I barely slept that night. I collected my list of questions and reviewed my research and when the call came, my hands were cold and shaking.

The call itself is a blur. Team Fury shared my vision for the book, and I agreed with the edit suggestions, and Louise was totally supportive of my wanting to write in multiple categories and genres, and when I hung up the phone, I was having a major David After Dentist episode.



I had seven queries out at the time, so I sent out three notices and five withdrawals, including the withdrawal from Pitch Wars. Out of the three notices, I received two requests for the full and one non-response. Both agents who requested graciously bowed out, and I was actually relieved, because it saved me from the agony of having to choose.

Which is great, because my choice? She’s pretty darn awesome. And it may have taken ten manuscripts and eight years, but I am so incredibly honored to say I’m now represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency! And I could not be happier to be joining Team Fury. :D



Query Stats (for this manuscript):
Total Queries Sent: 25
Rejections: 21
Partial Requests: 1
Full Requests: 4
Offers of Rep: 1
Twitter-sized bite: 
How writer @Ava_Jae landed her agent Louise Fury with her tenth manuscript. (Click to tweet)

71 comments:

Laura Rueckert said...

So happy to read this post, Ava! :-)

AND I CAN'T WAIT TO BUY SLAVE AND SIRA!

Ava Jae said...

THANK YOUUUU!!! It was awesome finally being able to write the post. YAYY! *still twirling*

Michelle4Laughs said...

Congrats! The longer the journey, the sweeter the victory!

Ava Jae said...

I like that! And I have to agree. Thank you! ^_^

Shay De Flory said...

OK HAVE NOT READ THIS POST YET GOT TOo XCITED AND COMMENTED THIS MAKES NO SENSE OK READING IT NOW BRB!!!!111

Ava Jae said...

LOL! Thank you, Shay!! :D :D :D :D (And happy reading).

Ava Jae said...

Ha ha thanks! I don't usually use GIFs, but the occasional called for it. :)

Shay De Flory said...

Ok WOW! It makes a big difference reading someone's "How I Landed an Agent" when you've been following them (lurking for a year beforehand) and their story.
It fills you with a lot of hope! Like genuine, real hope! You also get a weird kind of joy...like you got an agent for five seconds. Is that wEirD? And The Bent Agency too! COME ON!!! Woop! Woop!!


So glad you've been supported in NA, too - NA that's different. I'm hoping this is the beginning of NA breaking out of the romance area. Also, being able to have the freedom to write in different genres is just so... *holds head then pulls back hands and makes a poor explosion sound effect*.


I recently got a rejection for my NA as it sounds too close to dystopia and we know how that market is right now... So yeah, same thing in regards to paranormal romance, but I'm still going to continue onward! My next is going to be NA sci-fi fantasy (old school fantasy mixed with sci-fi) we'll see how that goes come the time. But yeah, my point is, I almost ran from NA, but now I def don't think I will thanks to this post.


Now, do I really need to say Well Done? Ah shucks, I'll say it anyway!! Well Done AVA!


Promise to update us on what it's REALLY like to go through revisions and edits? The ups and downs and so on?


Oh Oh! And quick question, (if you can answer) did your online presence play any factors?


Speak soon! :D :D

Susan Sipal said...

Congratulations again, Ava! I'm so, so happy for you. I loved reading all the details and the gifs, especially Colbert, are so much fun. I felt I shared in the excitement with you! Can't wait to see what great things happen from here. :-)

Ava Jae said...

Wheeeee! Thank you so so so much, Shay! I'm really psyched too, about everything you said and more. (And no, I don't think it's weird. I'm always more excited about agent news when it's from someone I've interacted with, especially for an extended period of time). :)


I've been seeing more and more writers landing agents and contracts with non-Contemporary Romance NA, which I think is entirely awesome because I'd love to see more of it on the shelves. And I'm super happy to hear that this has encouraged you not to give up on NA!


As for revisions and edits, I will definitely write about the experience. I'm really looking forward to it, in a possibly naïve, possibly crazy way.


On the matter of my online presence...I know Louise and her team checked up on my blog and Twitter accounts before the call, because they mentioned it briefly, but I don't think it was a determining factor. It just probably didn't hurt. :)

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much, Susan! And the GIFs were fun to find. I should use them more often. :)

Shay De Flory said...

Yeah, I mean I slice and dice my followers and who I follow every time it goes over a hundred. Sometimes I feel counter-productive doing it but if I've seen I'm following someone who hasn't used their twitter for a month or I'm added by someone who has like 200,000+ followers....I dunno, you know?


I just read up on Fury and I like that she says she embraces change. I think we need more of this now, esp with self publishing in the mix, writers can push what they want and I think people are realising that playing it safe doesn't always win readers. Playing it safe is also what causes saturation in the market. (But what do I know, ey? I'd be published by now if I was that clued up lol!)


And naive or not, it's going to be an experience, no?! I so hope the wait is not too agonisingly long before you are on the shelf; I know how slow traditional publishing can be.


Andwho, I should probably leave some space for others to type stuff in the comment section, right?


HAVE FUN WITH ALL THE JOY & EXCITEMENT!!!

Laura Pauling said...

Congrats! Very happy for you!!!

Ava Jae said...

Thank you! ^_^

Ava Jae said...

I actually pretty regularly unfollow people who've been inactive on Twitter for roughly 60-65 days. If they come back later and I notice, I'll sometimes follow back, but otherwise...*shrug*


Also, I agree! I found her philosophies really encouraging while I was devouring my agent research. :)


Editing will definitely be an experience! I know I'm going to learn a lot, which has me pretty psyched about the whole thing. Even if it'll be a little (or maybe a lot) painful. We'll seeeeee...


Finally, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Jamie K said...

Congrats! How exciting!

Ava Jae said...

Thanks so much! :)

Carissa Andrews said...

So freakin' awesome, woman! And so proud of you! I've followed your blog and amazing tweets for as long as I can remember. This is just fan-friggin' tastic! Congrats!

Emma Adams said...

Wow, what a journey! Congratulations (again)!

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much, Carissa! Yaaaayyy! *twirls*

Ava Jae said...

Thank you, Emma! Again! Yay!

Lily Mars said...

Wonderful post! Thanks for sharing your story. Congratulations, and best wishes for your book's success! Looking forward to seeing it on the shelves.

Tina Fariss Barbour said...

Congratulations! You have worked so hard, and I'm glad you're finding this success. :-)

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much! ^_^

Ava Jae said...

Thanks, Tina! :)

Martina Boone said...

Oh, I am so, so happy for you both! That's beyond wonderful, and I'm sure she will do a fabulous job for you. The Bent Agency is truly spectacular! : )

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much, Martina! I'm so beyond excited to join the ranks of TBA and Team Fury. :)

Haneen I. Adam said...

that is GREAT news Ava!!!! so so so happy for you :D hard work do pays in the end, you Go Girl! and I noticed the new line "Rep'd by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency" and it sounds so cool ^-^

Ava Jae said...

Thank you, Haneen!! You're so right that hard work does indeed pay off. And adding that line to my bio felt pretty darn awesome. :)

Annette T Dodd said...

Aw, I'm so happy for you. Congratulations! :o)

Ava Jae said...

Thank you, Annette! :)

Shay De Flory said...

Thank YOU for sharing the experience! :D

Ava Jae said...

Absolutely! It was a really fun post to write, even if it turned out insanely long. :D

Ava Jae said...

Thanks! ^_^

Caroline said...

Congratulations! So happy for you!

EM Castellan said...

Congrats! Such great news, and well deserved! :)

Melissa Maygrove said...

"...my poor non-writer non-Twitter friend was confused, but I regret nothing."
ROFL xD

Congratulations!!!!!!!!! I'm happy dancin' with you. :D

Ava Jae said...

Thank you! :)

Ava Jae said...

Thanks so much! ^_^

Ava Jae said...

Ha ha thank you, Melissa! We can all happy dance together! :D

Jan Lewis said...

Congrats Ava!!! So thrilled for you!!

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much! ^_^

RoweMatthew said...

Congratulations. That's fantastic. I didn't think such a thing was possible anymore. Agebts being such rare and reclusive creatures. That gives us all some hope

Charlotte Brentwood said...

Wow, congratulations! I am in a similar place to what you have been - the waiting, the wondering, the freaking out. Have already had some rejections on the full but it's still out with a couple of agents. Hoping I can write a similar post soon, but trying to convince myself otherwise just in case.


Hope you've been celebrating! You deserve it!!

Ava Jae said...

Thanks! I don't think it's quite as rare as you think, but it's definitely exciting nevertheless. :)

Ava Jae said...

Thank you, Charlotte! The waiting is definitely the hardest part, and I wish you all the best with your submissions!

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much! :)

Robin Red said...

This… I think I'm going to cry.

http://media.tumblr.com/8efcfccc87560a21ac340b8eef252626/tumblr_inline_msw2kc3Kps1qz4rgp.gif

This is literally me for you right now. I've been following your blog for over a year now, watching each step, so congratulations, Ms. Jae. Shoot for the stars.

Ava Jae said...

I love that GIF! Totally cracked me up. :)


Thank you so very much, Robin! It's been a wild ride and I very much look forward to what's ahead!

Darth Lolita said...

CONGRATULATIONS!!! :D You truly deserve this :3

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so muchhhh! ^_^

M Kinnel said...

That is way cool! Congrats! Oh, by the way, love the gifs!!

Ava Jae said...

Thank you!! And the GIFs were fun to pick. :)

Vicki Leigh said...

Yay!!! *kermit flail* So excited for you, CP!!! :D <3

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much, Vicki! ^___^ *kermit flails with you*

Candace Ishmael said...

Congratulations Ava! I'm so happy for you. And even more important, I'm so happy to see all the wonderful responses on here. I think it's really tempting to be jealous when another writer get's represented or published or otherwise has success because we feel like we're somehow in competition. But the more stories like this I see, the more I'm reminded that it's a sign the publishing industry is humming along healthily and that with each book published, it opens the door for more. Congratulations again!

Krystal Marquis said...

Congrats! Amazing success story and a reminder to never give up! :D

Lauren said...

*happydance*!!!!!!! That is sooooo exciting! I didn't even know that there were agents who were willing to work with an author who wants to write in multiple genres! Best of luck and I can't with to read your book! *spins around in a circle and then skips happly away*

Ava Jae said...

The responses have been beyond wonderful! It's really made something already exciting even more of a joy to share with the community. :)


As for the jealousy thing, I actually wrote about that not too long ago, because it's totally normal, and I think we all experience it at one time or another. (Or several times. It happens). The important thing to remember, I think, is we're not really competing with each other—it's not like readers will only ever read one book ever (unlike some products, where customers will choose ONE and that's it). Like you said, with every book published (and every book that sells well), the door opens for more!


And thank you so much! ^_^

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much, Krystal! :)

Ava Jae said...

*happy dances with you* Thank you so so much! And yes, I was really excited that she was totally open to my desire to write in more than one genre/category—it's something that really stood out to me. :)


*skips and spins in circles*

cynthiarox66 said...

OH MY GOD CONGRATS!!!! You really deserve it. I remember your query from the NA forum, and it was awesome, and I'm just honored to know that I read it before it got picked up by an AGENT AHHH!!!!

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much!! The query and first 250 workshop on that forum was absolutely wonderful and I'm so glad I participated. :)


YAYYY!

Mónica said...

CONGRATS, AVA!!! <3333

Ava Jae said...

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! ^_____^

Ron Smith said...

Nice post and congrats!

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so much! ^_^

Ara Grigorian said...

HOLY CRAP! How did I miss this?!?!?!?!? Congrats, Ava!!!! This is awesome. You're awesome! This is turning out to be a great year!!!!

Ava Jae said...

THANK YOU, ARA! It's definitely turning out to be a pretty fantastic year! YAY! :)

Jeremy Feijten said...

Now I feel bad I haven't had/taken the time to visit your blog. All the same, I'm so happy for you! You've written so many stories and worked very hard to achieve your goal. If anyone deserves this, it's you. I really hope this will be the beginning of a great career for you.
And while you're trying to make it happen, we'll be hoping and striving to get there too, one day. Would be if several readers from your blog appear at the same

Ava Jae said...

Thank you so so much, Jeremy, and no worries at all about not checking in in a while. :)

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