It only takes one yes

(The one where you finally escape the query trenches)

After writing two books and sending approximately one million query letters (fact check: 108 queries were sent), I am thrilled to announce that I am represented by Joanna MacKenzie, agent-extraordinaire at the Nelson Literary Agency. Joanna’s enthusiasm for my Ireland rom-com blew me away. I couldn’t have conjured a better advocate. It’s truly the stuff of dreams.

This newsletter will be a place for book and writing news, but I will also share the triumphs and struggles with choosing to lead a creative life. Nothing about the journey to getting an agent has been easy. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a shortcut to making your dreams come true?

At least for me, writing books looks nothing like the movies. There’s no chewing on pens and sipping iced lattes in coffee shops. It’s a blur of early mornings at my laptop, praying that my young children will sleep until six so I can write. It’s stealing time from my family to revise a chapter. It’s missing out on dinner with friends because I am *this close* to completing a draft.

It’s been a sacrifice. So, why do it?

I spent forty years making up stories in my head but never had the nerve to write them until I suffered a huge blow to the path I had laid out for my life. I’ll tell my author origin story in another issue, but suffice it to say that the implosion of one part of my life called a lot of things into question, including my purpose.

I’ve always written to process life events, so it felt natural to do so again…only this time I decided to write a story about another ambitious woman trying to make her way in the world. It was the book I had to write at the time. It was the book that made me an author.

At the 10th Anniversary Women’s Fiction Writers Association Conference, keynote speaker Camille Pagan challenged each of us to know your why. For me, I write because I have something to say. What’s your why?

Speaking of the conference, I signed up to pitch six agents when registration opened in March 2023. I had just started querying my first book and set a goal of having a second book to pitch/query at the conference—giving me only six months to complete the task. Countless hours, one developmental edit, twelve beta-readers, and eight drafts later, I pitched CRIMSON & CLOVER and the positive response was overwhelming. I assumed that I’d hear back in several months, judging by how long some submission responses took for my first book.

I was not prepared to pitch Joanna on a Thursday and receive her offer of representation on Monday morning. When we spoke at the conference, I had a bone-deep sense that she would be an incredible fit for me and my work. It truly feels like kismet that we met and will work together.

Agent Carly Watters once said that you have to follow the enthusiasm. You want an agent obsessed with your work to get the best chance at finding an editor who is obsessed with your work so they can convince the sales team who can convince buyers, etc. It’s an enthusiasm chain.

So, the next time you get a rejection in the query trenches, I want you to remember that you only want the most passionate advocate for your work. By stepping aside, they are making way for someone who will be that person for you.

Keep the faith.

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What I’m reading

I’m going to recommend two books each month: one that has recently come out and one that you should pre-order.

Becca Freeman’s debut holiday friend-mance is cozy and witty, perfect for snuggling until a blanket and sipping PSLs. You can buy it here.

Sophie Cousens’ new book, The Good Part, releases on November 7, 2023 in the United States and Canada and is one of my favorite books of the year. It’s full of Big and 13 Going on 30 vibes. After one disaster after another, Lucy wishes she could skip to the “good part” and wakes up sixteen years in the future, married and with kids. If you don’t experience all the challenges, can you really enjoy the good part? You can pre-order it here.

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What I’m eating

There are several recipes in heavy rotation in our household, but the one that is always sure to make the kids (unknowingly) eat vegetables is Smitten Kitchen’s Zucchini Butter Pasta. Bon appetit!