I Have an Agent! (Crunching Some Numbers too)
I was hopeful that this day would come, but I was also aware that the chances were slim, alas it arrived. I landed an agent! Yes, an agent! Even though I know that this is not a guarantee of sales to publishers, it is nonetheless just as miraculous to obtain an agent, as it is to obtain a book deal these days. (Writers know this, don’t we!?).
When others land agents they usually say “now the real work begins.” For me, the work continues, with added support! How wonderful is that!?
Here are some numbers for those that are still holding out hope for themselves.
My first agent submission was in May of 2006. I submitted to a total of 51 agents with 3 agents getting a different story on a second submission. (So, yes 10 years before landing an agent in March of this year). I was not constantly submitting to agents though, I took off a year here and there when I submitted direct to publishers.
My first submission (magazine) was to Highlights for Children in March of 2005, with an acceptance in 2006, to run in their Highlights High Five magazine in 2007.
My first manuscript (book) submission was Nonnie and I in August of 2005. (As many of you know that story, contract with publisher July 2013, publication at the end of 2014).
I could not be happier landing my agent! COULD NOT! In fact, it was all about luck even getting my agent’s attention. Pure social media luck!! I think that is how many stories about these things go. My story is similar. I went to the library, saw a book, checked it out, read it, loved it, found the author on social media, befriended the author, commented on a post, said agent saw it, commented back…the rest is history. Yes, that is how I landed my agent.

