Weekend Plans? Getting a Literary Agent
We’ve had rain all week long, literally. After a dry and record-setting hot summer the rain has been a welcome relief-tedious, but necessary. I’m working in a friend’s retail shop this week. It’s fun and a diversion from the solitary computer work, but this week I really needed to be at home, in silence with my thinking cap on!
Next Friday and Saturday I’m attending my first writer’s conference. And, I have my first ever meeting with a literary agent, Katherine Sands. A five minute meeting which seems like nothing, but feels like an eternity. I’ve got five minutes to captivate, entice and intrigue this woman with my half-written memoir! I’ve done much reading on how to pitch and what I need to bring to the table. Tomorrow I’ll be researching other books of a similar nature and judging what mine would look like in comparison. I think it will necessitate a trip to the bookstore and a little self-control.
I also have to write a bio, one of my least favorite chores. She’ll want to see sample chapters, which means more editing. I will pull together a list of chapter titles, a synopsis of my story and a compelling pitch about how I can sell my own book.
I never realized I’d be required to promote and sell myself in such fashion. In reading about one’s platform, I felt that surge of inadequacy. The article suggested you let your prospective agent know if you’ve written for the New York Times and how many articles have been published or any television appearances. Nope, nope, and nope. I will have to confess to being a raw beginner. Not much to my name and not a very large platform. My story will have to be enough to stand on it’s own. My biggest draw will be sex and baby boomer sex at that. I know that sex certainly draws a lot of attention in search engines, but will it translate to getting my story taken by an agent?
I’m being realistic. A friend asked what I’d do if the agent wanted to represent me. Well, of course I’d say yes. But I had to explain to her just how competitive this market really is and how completely unrealistic it would be of me to think I had a significant chance of this happening with my first foray. Of course if I don’t try I won’t know… right?
The weekend will be sunny and pleasant, but I’ll be inside, head down, working on my self-promotion, my dream. My motto for the moment- Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Wow! Good luck with this–it’s incredibly interesting and a bit intimating, but I’m sure you’ll do fine. There are certainly a lot of baby boomers who could use this information
. Let us know how it goes!
Intimidating yes! But it’ll be fine. As I was thinking about my spiel this morning I realize that when I write about my experiences there is always someone or two who connect on a very personal level.
Intimidating, even!
Yes, I caught that.
Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
I’ll be sure to share the whole experience and maybe we can analyze what might have worked better-assuming that we’ll need to go there.
You are brave! I hate pitching. I don’t imagine the agent would want anything that day but may (no, change that to will) ask you to send it.
Thelma Z, fellow memoirist…but mine has very little sex ):
I’m going prepared with a chapter or two, but mostly just a catchy pitch. My book is not finished and that may be a big no-no but I need the practice and will certainly learn, regardless of the outcome.
My story is about dating in my late 40′s and there was and is sex in there! I’ve got to get over my reluctance to talk about that and worries about what family might think.
I’m so excited for you and can’t wait to hear how it goes. Bravo on moving forward on this. It can happen!
I’m amazingly not as nervous/excited as I anticipated.. but I’m sure it’ll come. Tomorrow I’ll be trying to commit my spiel to memory and find my sexiest single old lady outfit! Should be fun, regardless.
Thanks for the well-wishes, I’ll report back!