My First Foreign Rights Deal EVER

Super excited to announce that EARTH TO DAD is going to be published in mainland China!

As the title of the post implies, this is my first foreign rights deal EVER, so I'm still geeking out about it. I honestly can't wait to hold the Chinese version in my hands.

A huge shout-out to Brent--who, you may not know, is also his agency's subsidiary and foreign rights director--whose hard work and dedication totally brought this about. And a huge shout-out to Uwe, whose top-notch mentoring put Brent on this path. I feel so fortunate to have landed at Triada.

I Sold Another Book!

I'm thrilled to announce that I sold another book!

From Publishers Weekly: Alison Deering at Capstone has acquired Krista Van Dolzer’s middle grade novel Earth to Dad. The story follows an 11-year-old boy who spends his days waiting for transmissions from his Mars-colonizing dad until the daughter of a dead astronaut moves in across the street and he risks missing a transmission for a shot at real friendship, embarking on a journey exploring life, death, and wonder. Publication is planned for fall 2018; Brent Taylor at the TriadaUS Literary Agency sold world English rights.

I can tell I've been delinquent in my blogging of late because I don't think I've even mentioned this manuscript. Suffice it to say that the idea came to me during the excitement of NASA's Pluto flyby. Like the rest of the world, I was mesmerized by the images and the general thrill of space; this book was the result.

This was the first book I've ever tried to sell on proposal, which is to say we pitched roughly the first sixty pages and a detailed synopsis. But literary-minded science fiction isn't the easiest to sell, so when a couple of editors expressed interest in the full, I was more than happy to oblige. After jouncing over a few more bumps and divots, I learned that Ali loved the manuscript as much as Brent and I did, and I couldn't have been happier. Now I get to work with the brilliant team at Capstone, and the book's release is only a little more than a year away!

A huge thank-you to Brent for believing in this project as much as he believed in Clyde the Second, and a huge thank-you to YOU for sharing this journey with me. Once I've got revisions for these two under control, I plan to get more rounds of "An Agent's Inbox" scheduled!

SOLD

When you sell your first manuscript, you're ecstatic. Your lifelong dream is (finally, always finally) coming true. You did it. You really did it.

But you can't make a career out of selling your first manuscript (unless your name is J.K. Rowling or Stephenie Meyer). You've got to keep selling them, and as I mentioned in this post, that was the one thing I hadn't been able to do.

Until now.

From Publishers Weekly: Brett Wright at Bloomsbury has won at auction Krista Van Dolzer's Don't Solve the Puzzle, a middle-grade murder mystery set at a math camp, with built-in logic puzzles that readers can solve alongside the main character. Publication is scheduled for winter 2019; Brent Taylor at the TriadaUS Literary Agency brokered the deal for world rights.

If you've been a longtime reader, I can guess what you're thinking: What the heck is DON'T SOLVE THE PUZZLE? Only slightly better known as Clyde the Second, DON'T SOLVE THE PUZZLE is a companion novel to DON'T VOTE FOR ME, also known as Clyde, and features Esther Lambert, an art kid from DON'T VOTE FOR ME who ends up at a math camp by mistake.

When Bloomsbury showed up on Brent's submission list, I couldn't have been more excited. Some of my very favorite authors are published by Bloomsbury (hello, Shannon Hale and Lindsey Leavitt!), and when I was browsing my own bookshelves, I was surprised to see how many of my books had that funny-looking archer on their spines. But the first interest in the manuscript came from another press, and when it became clear that neither of these publishers was going anywhere, Brent set up an auction. I'm sure you can guess who won:)

For more information on DON'T SOLVE THE PUZZLE, feel free to check out the "Books" tab at the top of the screen. I hope you'll have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.

Change

It's okay, you don't have to pay

I've got all the change

--Ben Folds, "Still Fighting It"

I don't do change well. I don't think many people do, but since it's becoming clear that change is going to be the theme of our 2016, I've decided to embrace it.

But it's still sort of terrifying.

It started at the end of last year, actually. I'd been feeling like I needed to blaze a new trail, but change is hard, so I resisted. Then, just before Christmas, I realized that the time was right. All of the little loose ends were (finally) getting tied up, so I did the thing I'd been dreading for a while: I parted ways with Kate and wrote a new query for the first time in four years.

I sent my first real batch of queries on the first Saturday in January. Seven minutes later, I had my first request. The next day, the agent e-mailed me with several questions about the manuscript, and the next day, I e-mailed him with my answers. I also told him about a proposal I'd been working on, and he asked to read that, too. Later that same day, he asked to set up a phone call, and during that phone call the next day, he offered to represent me.

I did my due diligence and had some great conversations with two other agents. They ended up offering, too, but I just couldn't get the first agent's enthusiasm out of my head. I was also impressed with his initiative and drive. He didn't have to tell me he'd get the job done because he'd already shown me (and we're all about showing, not telling, in this business).

So now I'm represented by Brent Taylor of Triada US Literary Agency. (If you want to see my query, check out this interview.) He is as fierce as Beyonce and as capable as any agent I've ever met or heard of, and I'm extremely grateful to have him in my corner. As the cogs of another big part of my life start to whir and buzz around me, I can honestly say that I hope these other changes go as smoothly as this one did. To new years and fresh starts!

Book Recommendation: STEERING TOWARD NORMAL by Rebecca Petruck

I know what you're thinking: since Ms. Petruck and I have the same agent, this post must be part of a setup. But I can assure you that it's not. I've read a bunch of Kate's clients' books, and while I've enjoyed almost all of them--her existing client list was one of the main reasons I signed with her--I've never officially recommended one.

Until now, that is.

Diggy Lawson is resilient. When his mom dumped him on his dad's porch, then rode out of town on a tractor, baby Diggy didn't flinch. After thirteen years together, he and Pop have fallen into a rhythm, one that isn't easily upset by the pranks they're always pulling on each other or even the recently weaned steers that Diggy buys and raises for the state fair. So when one of Diggy's classmates, a kid from town named Wayne, shows up on their doorstep with a shiner and an old suitcase, Diggy doesn't panic--until he discovers that Pop is Wayne's dad, too. 

I loved so many things about this book, but the thing I loved best was Diggy. His character felt so authentic, and the things he grappled with were the same things I grappled with when I was a young kid coming to terms with my adoption. I also loved raising Diggy's steer with him--that's something this suburbanite couldn't have even imagined before picking up this book--and the scenes at the state fair were about as perfect as they could be.

Diggy's story is chock full of humor, honesty, and wisdom (not to mention loads of cow poop). Kate is giving away an ARC of STEERING TOWARD NORMAL on her blog, so skedaddle over there and get your name into that drawing. (And while you're over there, you can also enter to win an ARC of THE SOUND OF LIFE AND EVERYTHING!) You have a few more days to enter, so don't dilly-dally!

Great News for Great Friends

Liz and I have been friends since Kate signed us within a week or two of each other back in the spring of 2012, so when I found out that Albert Whitman wanted to buy Liz's latest sci-fi, I busted out my happy dance. The official announcement is over at Publishers Weekly, but if you don't feel like clicking, I've pasted it below:

"Wendy McClure of Albert Whitman has bought NA author Elizabeth Briggs's first YA project: a science-fiction novel called Future Shock plus a sequel. In the books, a Latina teenager raised in Los Angeles's foster care system with an eidetic memory is recruited by a tech company for a mission--a trip thirty years into the future. Publication is slated for March 2016; Kate Testerman of KT Literary brokered the deal for world English rights."

 CONGRATULATIONS, LIZ!

And in other awesome news, Amy's debut, RED BUTTERFLY, got its first review from Kirkus, and it happened to be starred. (I say "happened to be" like there was ever any doubt, but when I read RED BUTTERFLY many moons ago, it was already poignant and beautiful and everything you'd ever want from your award-winning MG. I'm sure it's only gotten better over time.) It's too long to paste below, but you should definitely check it out (and add it on Goodreads while you're at it!).

What about you? Any exciting news, writing or otherwise, that you'd like to share with us?

A Balancing Act

Critique partner and agent sister Amy and I recently had a candid conversation about how we balance writing and motherhood, and superagent Kate was awesome enough to post our chat on her blog. Don't miss parts one and two!

Clyde Sells to Sourcebooks!

It's been a while since I mentioned Clyde. I guess that's just what happens when a manuscript is on submission and you're waiting, waiting, waiting. Then this happened:

From Publishers Weekly: Steve Geck at Sourcebooks has acquired Krista Van Dolzer's contemporary MG novel Duel/Duet, a David and Goliath story set around a middle-school class election and a musical recital. Van Dolzer writes the Mother. Write. (Repeat.) blog, and is author of The Regenerated Man, which Putnam will publish in winter 2015. Publication of Duel/Duet is set for fall 2015; Kate Schafer Testerman of kt literary did the two-book deal for North American rights.

Actually, this started several months ago. At the beginning of June, Kate sent me an e-mail late on a Friday afternoon. She'd just spoken to Steve Geck at Sourcebooks. He loved DUEL/DUET (the manuscript also known as Clyde) and wanted to take it to acquisitions the following week.

Of course, few things rarely happen as quickly as you want them to in this business, especially in the summer, so it took a few more weeks for Steve's interest to turn into an offer. (Oh, I see you've noticed I now have an editor and a manuscript named Steve. This is going to be all kinds of exciting:) ) By the time Kate called that afternoon, I was convinced he'd turned it down.

Instead, he bought two books.

So that's how Clyde sold. In hindsight, this roller coaster ride wasn't nearly as wild as my last one, but it still felt like it. I think that's just how it goes.

If you'd like to learn more about Clyde, I've changed "My Book" to "My Books" and added an actual summary, so feel free to check that out. And while you're up there, don't forget about Steve. 2015 is shaping up to be one exciting year...

Amy's Book Sold!

When Amy and I connected on Kiersten White's blog a while back, I knew right away that she was going to be special. Her prose was smooth and lyrical, and she had a knack for writing characters I genuinely cared about.

Of course, just because I knew she was going to be special didn't mean she had an easy road; as I'm sure you're well aware, this industry isn't big on doling out warm-fuzzies. But when she signed with Kate at the end of last year, I started to hope, and now I'm thrilled to announce that her MG novel-in-verse, RED BUTTERFLY, sold to Christian Trimmer at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers!

For all the juicy details, check out Amy's announcement as well as last week's rights report on Publishers Weekly. I can't wait for you to meet--and fall in love with--Kara.

This Is Not One of Those Overnight Success Stories

This is the post I've written a thousand times in my head but never needed to put down on paper. This is the post I've dreamed about but never dared to hope I'd write. But then, life has a way of surprising you, and as far as surprises go, this one is pretty good:

From Publishers Weekly: Author of the popular blog Mother.Write.(Repeat.) (www.motherwrite.blogspot.com), Krista Van Dolzer, sold her debut novel, The Regenerated Man, to Shauna Rossano at Putnam. Agent Kate Schafer Testerman at kt literary handled the North American rights deal, and the book is scheduled for winter 2015. The middle grade novel is set in postwar California and, Testerman said, has elements of science fiction, as it follows a young girl who becomes the sole defender of “a bio-engineered Japanese soldier.”

Steve, otherwise known as THE REGENERATED MAN for the uninitiated, has had a bumpy road. When they say publishing slows down (read: comes to a standstill) in the summer, they mean it, so by the time fall rolled around last year, I was already feeling down and out. We'd given Steve a college try (whatever that means). Maybe it was time to pack it in and concentrate on the next manuscript.

Thank goodness Kate doesn't move on as easily as I do.

Long story slightly shorter: Shauna read the manuscript in a few weeks last September, then took it to her ed meeting. They liked it but had some issues. A few weeks later, she sent some notes, and I revised, revised, revised. I loved this manuscript so much, so I was grateful for the opportunity to make it even better. By Christmas, I was spending almost as much time revising as I was sleeping. By the end of January, I was (finally) done.

After Kate read the revision, she used words like "wow" and "amazing" to describe it, but we still had to wait and see what Shauna thought. And wait we did. Shauna was already swamped, conference season was just beginning, and in the ensuing weeks, I convinced myself that she was going to say no, that she would like it but not love it, that we'd be right back where we'd started. Even when I heard she was thrilled with the revision and taking it back to ed meeting, I didn't allow myself to hope. And when things didn't immediately come together, I told myself I'd told me so.

Then one morning, Kate sent me an e-mail. It was Putnam's offer.

How did John Lennon put it? "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"? I've certainly found that to be true, especially in this business. But maybe, just maybe, that's part of its charm. Having everything figured out is kind of overrated. I'd much rather make it up as I go along.

#

A huge thank-you to Shauna for loving Steve as much as I do and fighting for him as long and hard as I would have. Another huge thank-you to the amazing and insightful critique partners who read and commented on early drafts: Liesl Shurtliff, Myrna Foster, Amy Sonnichsen, Jenilyn Collings, Ben Spendlove, Kelly Bryson, Mónica Bustamante Wagner, and Tara Dairman. I also have to give a shout-out to the KT Lit Sub Club, whose cheerleading and encouragement kept me (mostly) sane: Elizabeth Briggs, Susan Adrian, Erin Danehy, Sara Beitia, and our newest addition, Amy Sonnichsen. Last but certainly not least, a tip of my hat and a heartfelt hug to the incomparable Kate, granter of wishes and weaver of dreams. I must say, there's something to be said for boundless optimism:)

Oh, and one last thank-you to Honey Bear, our kids, and the rest of our family, but mostly Honey Bear. I don't know how I always manage to leave you out of these. It must be because you're always there, my only constant, the one person in the world who feels so much a part of me that I sometimes forget you're not. Nothing would be quite as bright if I didn't have you to share it with.

Agent Sisters

Once upon a time, I sent Amy Sonnichsen an e-mail. We were unagented, and since we'd gotten requests from Kate Schafer Testerman in the past, I allowed myself to imagine that she offered to both of us. Our writing styles were similar, I thought; it didn't seem too far outside the realm of possibilities. So we'd become agent sisters, and Kate would sell both our books, and we'd go on book tours together and sit side-by-side at those little folding tables and foist each other's books on unsuspecting bystanders.

I'm absolutely THRILLED to report we're a third of the way there.

So hop over to Amy's post and congratulate her on signing with the indomitable Kate. I don't know if we'll ever go on book tours together or foist each other's books on unsuspecting bystanders, but hey, it's fun to dream. And as they say on South Pacific, "You've got to have a dream. If you don't have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?"

(For the record, I loathe that movie and especially that song, but it does make a good point:) )

Triplet Talk with Kate Schafer Testerman and Her Three Newest Clients

Welcome to Part III of "Triplet Talk," a continued conversation with the shoe-tastic Kate Schafer Testerman and her three newest clients, Elizabeth Briggs, Susan Adrian, and me! If you missed the first two parts, definitely go back and check those out:

Part I, hosted by Kate Schafer Testerman
Part II, hosted by Elizabeth Briggs

Now we turn the tables, and Kate asks us a couple of questions. We talk querying, submission guidelines, and location, location, location!

Kate: So I want to ask you all something, if I can. I don't want to toot my own horn, but I get so many questions from people (mostly in NYC) about how it is to work from Colorado that I'm curious how you feel about it. And also, I guess, as part of that question, what made you query me?

Susan: The agents I queried were based all over the U.S.--I didn't see it as anything to even consider. With internet and cell phones and NY trips, it didn't matter to me.

But I queried you because I'd followed you on Twitter for a while, and loved your style...and when I looked at your client list I either had read or wanted to read all their books. GOOD sign.

Krista: Yeah, location was never even a consideration. Two of the best boutique agencies in the country are based in the Denver area, in my opinion.

Liz: I'd already read quite a few of your clients' books and liked you on Twitter and your blog. When I got the partial request I said to my coworker "omg I got a request from my dream agent!"

I think you go to NY enough that it doesn't matter. Plus e-mail and all that.

Susan: Plus it was a bonus that you're in my time zone!

Krista: Yep, like Liz and Susan said, it was your client list that really sold me. Of all the agents I followed closely, yours was the only list that I could genuinely say I loved.

Susan: I remember being so excited when you asked for the full that you'd get the bit with Buffy in it...because I'd followed all your Buffy rewatch tweets.

Liz: Haha.

Kate: Heh.

Susan: And I'm working my way through the kt lit books now, and I was so right! LOVE.

Liz: When I was querying I did meet one person at a conference (also querying) who said you HAD to get an agent in NY, but I don't think that is true anymore.

Susan: Pfft person who doesn't know.

Kate: Exactly. I think anyone who still believes that is too old-fashioned to do well.

Liz: Plus you used to work in NY, right?

Kate: Yeah, I had the whole Park Avenue office and everything for years. Although, OK, funny story:

When I first met my husband online, it was partly because of his writing. And I asked to read his novel before I ever met him in person. I thought I was so cool, with the Park Avenue address, and the big fancy agency I worked for--but Doyce looked us up online and couldn't find ANYTHING. So he was like "well, they may be on a bad bit of Park Avenue, but it's worth a shot!"

And that kind of thinking? Was exactly why the very first thing I did in starting kt literary was build a fantastic web site.

Susan: It's SO critical. For editors too, I'd think! But especially for selling to the writers to query you.

Liz: Yeah, I hate it when agencies don't have good websites.

Kate: Well, less so for editors, who have big houses with well-known names to support them. But for agents, definitely.

Susan: I wouldn't query if they didn't have a decent website or didn't seem to WANT queries.

Krista: Me, neither, Susan.

Susan: Oh, I just meant for editors looking YOU up. As an agent.

Krista: And Kate, I love the story of how you and your husband met. I know I've heard it before, and I think it's sweet and nerdy and perfect.

Susan: It is!

Liz: Video game nerds ftw.

Kate: So let me ask you this--I'm currently closed to queries for the summer. But I've gotten so many great authors through the query pile, I don't think I could ever go cold turkey. Having recently gone through the whole querying process, what do you think about agents who close for vacation and stuff?

Liz: I think as long as they tell people in advance it is fine.

Susan: Agree with Liz. As a client, I appreciate that you (agents) take a break to focus on the work you have and catch up. As a querier I'd understand that you just have to time it right.

Krista: I'd MUCH rather have an agent close than watch them build up an enormous stack of queries that I know they’ll never respond to.

Kate: Oh phew! I do worry. Especially when I know I'm deleting things unread, because some authors are using outdated information on my submissions policy, or just not checking with my site directly.

Susan: I think it's also good to take a break from it and come in fresh. It MUST be draining, having them stream in constantly.

Liz: If writers can't spend five minutes Googling an agent, then I don't think it's a problem to delete them.

Susan: Also THAT.

Krista: I always rechecked an agent's submission guidelines right before I hit the send button, even if I'd just checked them the day before.

Susan: Me too. I really think you have to approach querying with absolute professionalism, like applying for a job.

Kate: So how do you guys find the submissions process, and what are you doing to keep busy while you wait?

Krista: Working on my next project, of course! I just finished the first draft!

Kate: Hooray!

Liz: Freaking MG writers.

Kate: *laughs*

Krista: *blows raspberry at Liz*

Liz: *shakes fist*

Krista: I think this is the part where we pull out our white gloves and smack each other in the face...

Susan: Working on sequel!! And I'm at the same word count as Krista, and 56% through the draft. Just want to say.

Liz: Writing a new book. Trying not to go crazy. I'm behind Krista and Susan, so I need to catch up.

Susan: Liz, you're going to have to catch up, since I can't word-war with Krista anymore!

Kate: I have to say, I love seeing you guys write together, or at the same time. Word wars and morning writing and writing sprints--it's awesome.

Susan: It's really fun. Helps to keep momentum up. We also e-mail each other during this phase quite a bit. Or Liz gchats me. :)

Liz: I need to start morning writing with you guys! But you wake up before me.

Krista: I don't write in the mornings. I write during naps and after bedtime. (Sleeping is my kids' superpower, but they do wake up early.)

Susan: I write lunches during the week every day, and morning writing on weekends. Too early for you, Liz!

Liz: Yeah, it is nice to have other people going through the same thing as you, to talk to.

Krista: I totally agree. It's wonderful to have someone to e-mail in a panic:)

Kate: DFO, indeed.

Liz: Haha.

Susan: DFO!

DFO, in case you're wondering, stands for "Don't freak out!" which is what we yell at each other when we're--you guessed it--freaking out:)

For the thrilling conclusion, head over to Susan Adrian's for Part IV of our four-way chat, in which we share some final thoughts and dish on guns and puppies...

How I Got My Agent: Part Two

All right, so I left off at the e-mail. (Here’s the first half of the story, in case you missed it yesterday.) As I mentioned before, the e-mail went something like this:

“I’m leaving for Bologna in a few hours, but I don’t want to do this long distance, and I don’t want to wait.”

The Call There was more, of course, but that was about as much as I got on the first read-through:) I ran into the living room and did a little boogie, with much screaming and fanfare, at which point my two-year-old panicked and dissolved into horrified tears. (I guess I’m not very good at emoting excitement over terror.) Then I e-mailed Kate back and let her know I could talk whenever. (Happily, I’d just fed the baby, but even if I hadn’t, I probably would have said the same thing.) She called me not long afterward, and I did my best to act casual again.

At the end of our conversation, Kate assured me that the offer wasn’t going anywhere and that I could take whatever time I needed to make my decision. (Loved that.) We agreed to talk again the Monday after she got back from Bologna.

The Other Offer After I hung up (and after I fed I-gots and Lady, lest you think I’m a delinquent parent), I e-mailed the other agents who had outstanding manuscripts or queries. I’d gone on a query binge the week before, so there were a few more of these than there would have been. A lot of them e-mailed me back within a couple of hours to wish me well and step aside. But the next morning, another agent, who was also on her way to Bologna, got in touch. She was very interested in the manuscript and wanted to talk when she got back.

Frankly, I was shocked. I’d spent the last few weeks telling myself that Steve wasn’t going to be the One, either, so I had a hard time processing the idea that not one but two amazing agents were interested enough to offer. It definitely fell under the category of Too Good to Be True.

But it wasn’t. I talked to Agent Amazing the following Friday, and we had a lovely chat. To be honest, I hadn’t expected to like Agent Amazing as much as I did. And for about twenty-four hours, I was a basket case. I reviewed my notes from both conversations. I went back over the e-mails Kate’s and Agent Amazing’s clients had sent. (I firmly believe that every writer should get in touch with one or two of an offering agent’s clients. You need to know how the agent operates behind the scenes so you go in with your eyes wide open (or so you don’t go in at all).) Then I talked the whole thing over with Honey Bear. And in the end, I went with my gut.

I signed with Kate.

Things I Love About My Agent

1. She’s familiar with my other projects and likes the kinds of stories I write.

2. She sees this manuscript sitting in the same place on the shelf that I do.

3. She caught the FRANKENSTEIN allusions and connected with Ella Mae as a reader as much as I did as a writer.

4. She wanted Steve enough to forgo packing another pair of shoes and pick up the phone instead:)

If you’d told me a year ago it would take another year for me to finally land an agent, I probably would have screamed and thrown the keyboard across the room. But if you’d told me that agent would be Kate Schafer Testerman, I would have put the keyboard down and slowly backed away. Some things are worth the wait.

How I Got My Agent: Part One

I’ve written this post a hundred times over the last few years, but unfortunately for you, I never wrote anything down any of those other ninety-nine times, so if my inner content editor calls it quits and I ramble a lot, you’ll have to forgive me. (Holy run-on sentence, Batman!) I’ll do my best to stick to the most important details, but I make no promises.

As many of you know, I started querying Steve in mid-November, and my first query went to Kate. She’d been at the top of my to-query list for a long time--literally, in the top spot--since she’d requested so many of my previous manuscripts and I’d enjoyed working with her on blog stuff.

The Partial Request A week later, she requested the first five chapters. I sent them off and promptly forgot about it. I knew she generally took around two months to respond, so I wasn’t holding my breath.

I sent more queries, got more requests. Inevitably, those requests turned into rejections. (Once you’ve queried as many manuscripts as I have, you kind of expect it.) But the rejections were different this time. The feedback was all over the place. Some agents loved the character but not the concept. Some loved the concept but not the character. But they all said something like, “Your writing is spectacular” (that’s actually a direct quote from one of Steve's rejections), and with the exception of one or two of them, they all wanted to see my next project.

The Full Request Fast-forward to the end of January. It had now been a little more than two months since Kate had requested a partial, and since I knew that’s usually her self-imposed deadline for responding to requested manuscripts, I decided to check in. I didn’t hear from her for a few days, but then I did. She said she was loving Steve so far--well, she didn’t call him Steve, but I’m sure she would have if she’d known his nickname--and asked to read the rest.

This was epic. This was enormous. Kate had requested two partials from me in the past (well, three, if you count Bob’s original and his revision as separate partials), but they’d never turned into fulls. I sent it off and tried to forget about it. This time, it didn’t work so well.

The Follow Fast-forward to mid-March. I logged on to Twitter late one morning and noticed I had a new follower. It was Daphne Unfeasible. I almost fell out of my chair. Then I noticed she’d tweeted me about the manuscript. She’d just picked up on the FRANKENSTEIN allusions and thought they were pretty cool. I tweeted her back and tried to act casual, but on the inside, I was freaking out.

I was a bundle of nerves for the rest of the week. I knew she was getting ready for the book fair in Bologna, but during another Twitter exchange, she mentioned she’d have something to me before she left on Friday. I assumed she meant a kind rejection or maybe a revise-and-resubmit. That’s what I told myself over and over: “Kate’s not going to offer. She’s just going to tell you your writing’s good. Kate’s not going to offer. She’s just going to tell you your writing’s good.”

The E-mail First thing Friday morning, I checked my e-mail. Nothing. I decided to leave my inbox open so I could glance at it every time I wandered past (read: stalked by) the computer. Still nothing. Then, a little before noon, I noticed I had a new e-mail. It was from Kate.

I sat down in front of the computer. I repeated my mantra a few more times: “Kate’s not going to offer. She’s just going to tell you your writing’s good.” Then I opened the e-mail. It went something like this:

“I’m leaving for Bologna in a few hours, but I don’t want to do this long distance, and I don’t want to wait.”

But I guess I’m going to make you wait, because this post is already way too long:) Look for part two tomorrow! (And if you haven’t already entered my celebratory contest, don’t forget to check that out!)

I'm Back! With an Agent! And a Contest!

Well, it’s April, and I’m back! (You really didn’t expect me to stay away for long, did you?) And I come bearing news! A few weeks ago, I received an offer of representation, and now I’m thrilled to announce I’m represented by Kate Schafer Testerman of kt literary!

More on that later this week, but for now, a contest! To celebrate my news (and my overuse of exclamation points), I’m giving away a query critique from my new agent via the “Ask Daphne! About My Query” series on her blog as well as two query-and-first-ten-page critiques from me.

To enter, all you have to do is SHARE MY GOOD NEWS somehow, either by blog, Twitter, or Facebook, then hop back over here and TELL ME WHAT YOU DID* in the comments of this post. I’ll leave the contest open until noon EDT (or 9:00 a.m. PDT) on Monday, April 9, at which point I’ll pick three random winners and announce them on the blog.

Good luck!

*To be clear, your blog post, tweet, or status update must include a link back to this post, and your comment on this post must include a link back to your blog post, tweet, or status update. But I’m sure you already knew that… :)