Mark This Date

Today is a big day for me. BIG. About three minutes ago I e-mailed a signed contract to the literary management company that will be handling my new book. I have an agent. 

The reactions I get from different factions are amusing. Those who aren't writers offer a "Gee,that's great. Congratulations," while my writer friends are more, "OH MY GOD! Let me take you out for champagne! Are you excited? This is huge! Oh my Gawd!!!"

I appreciate both responses. For the non-writers out there (i.e., those of you who remain sane), let me explain the big deal. Agent representation offers validity. So many publishing houses won't look at unagented submissions. An agent has connections, open doors, negotiates deals. There is of course never any guarantee of success, but it's a gigantic leap in the right direction.

And for me, having an agent gives me some much-needed purpose. I'm no longer writing in a void, wondering each day if I'm wasting time. I have a book due by the end of the year. Someone is waiting for it so they can market it. I work much, much, MUCH better with a deadline and accountability. This is a huge motivator for me.

Just FYI, the book I'm being represented for is not Kiss My Kitty Butt. It's a new tongue-in-cheek self-help book for cats. My due date is year end which translates to almost a chapter a week. There is some serious desk time in my future. 

My agent said to hold off for the moment on the idea of self-publishing KMKB and maybe she could wrangle a deal for that as well. Oh yes--we like her.

Actually, I've connected with her from the start. When she called the day after receiving my proposal, I knew I had a yes. I was in my car, on the cell and when she introduced herself, I did a kind of mini-silent cheer and then feigned calmness with a, "Oh yes, hello. How are you?"  Same thing when we hung up. I'm sure the people in the cars next to me thought I was having some sort of epileptic fit, but I didn't care. An agent--and one I very much would like to represent me--liked my work. I don't think I stopped smiling for the next 5 hours.

There's an overwhelming amount of work ahead of me, but again, I'm looking forward to burying myself in this project. Blair and I are laying plans to renovate the front guest bedroom into my writing room, which deserves a separate post because... well, you'll see.

A big day. A great day. I just wish the cats would celebrate with me. Instead, they're licking their bottoms and throwing me the occasional, "So, when do we eat? " look. That's my girls--keeping it real. =)