From the Kitchen Counter…

The last day of my New York sojourn was filled with complete sensory immersion; I took in all the wonder, sightseeing, eating, shopping, and chocolate one could consume and still remain this side of self-loathing.  The meeting with my new literary agent the previous day had gone splendidly, I had chosen the editor for my new book, and had one more day of celebration and self-indulgence before I had to go home. (What it cost in calories and cash wouldn’t hit me until much later – and because it was SO much fun, I will share it with you here in two parts, one now, and one in my next blog, so you don’t become blurry eyed for all the details!) Read the rest of this entry »

Now I know what it must feel like to be Eli Manning waking up on game day for the Super Bowl. I immediately rushed to the hotel window to check the New York weather…drizzling, but not raining hard.  The meeting with my new literary agent was scheduled for 10:30, since it was just past 6:00 a.m., I had plenty of time to grab some breakfast downstairs and come back to the room afterwards to get ready.  I picked up the New York Times that was sitting outside the door when I headed to the elevator, and tried to read it while eating my oatmeal.  For what I comprehended, it may as well have been printed in Latin.

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Landing at La Guardia airport at 6:00 in the evening, I made my way to the Super Shuttle for the trip to my hotel.  I have to admit, I was a bit nervous.  Not only about meeting my new agent and the two prospective professional editors I’d come to see, but about the logistics of travelling in such a large city… alone.  Sure, I’d been to New York several times – with my husband and with the entire family on holidays.  This however was quite different. I was dependent on only my GPS and limited instincts, both of which I was trusting entirely for the first time. The fear that one or the other could be wrong paralyzed me on more than one occasion.

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The time between Tuesday and Thursday drug on for an eternity.  I decided to talk one more time with Ms. [So-and-So] from [La-Dee-Dah Media Group], thank her for her advice, and promptly e-mail my manuscript to the other agents who had requested it.  Though my trigger finger was itching and anxious to click ‘SEND’, as a courtesy I resolved to wait until after I’d spoken with her.  Needless to say I woke very early Thursday morning just wanting to get the whole damn thing over with. My husband asked me what time I thought she’d call.  He was surprised when I told him I wasn’t waiting – I was going to call her…immediately.  After all, New York is 3 hours ahead, I could reach her in the middle of her morning coffee and bagel.  Read the rest of this entry »

Displaying my newby writer’s ignorance in fine fashion, I didn’t recognize the New York agent’s name on the other end of the line and asked her to repeat it again. She patiently complied and got straight down to business, “I received your query letter, I’m calling about your manuscript – how many people have you sent it to?”

“None,” I replied quickly, my intuitive reactions responding to her air of authority.

“I’d like to read it.  I want a 3 week exclusive…” Read the rest of this entry »

Since my road to publishing took a U-turn before I could even reach the on-ramp, I decided some research was necessary before venturing further.  I reasoned that if I was to gain entry into the literary world, I’d better get my bearings and learn the language of the natives.  To familiarize myself, I sought out the internet and discovered a whole new vocabulary: “Query letters”, “Synopsis”, “Submission Guidelines”, “Structure”, “Pacing”, something called “POV” and more. Read the rest of this entry »

So, I’m standing in the elevator of a towering high-rise In New York City, ready to push the button that could change my life – I’m meeting my agent for the first time! I’m nervous as hell and asking myself “how did a small town California-turned-Nevada girl like you wind up on Madison Avenue?”  As the elevator starts passing floors by the 10’s, I realize the building is taller than some of the mountain peaks back home, and it gives me a few minutes to reflect. Though the past few weeks have been a whirlwind, the path here wasn’t entirely without its hiccups… Read the rest of this entry »