New Year Agent News

34 Comments / Children's Lit Fabulosity, Write Talk / By /

Wow, so this post is going to be kind of insane and nutty happy–sort of like my week. I can't imagine how this year could have gotten off to a better start, and if I don't post this here immediately, I might die!

Late yesterday/early today, I gleefully accepted an offer of representation from Jennifer Laughran of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

Jenn is a brilliant force of nature and I couldn't be more thrilled, thrilled, thrilled. There were many excellent agents on my list of possibilities, but I just knew Jenn was the right one as soon as we talked.

I'm sure there are probably writers who enjoy the uncertainty and excitement of agent searching, but it made me feel like throwing up–for three days. Christopher and I went out to the grocery store last night after I'd talked to Jenn and I was all whining about how I just wanted to go ahead and say yes, and not wait for anyone else, and that doing otherwise made me feel like my hair would fall out. He told me to go for it. By the time we got home, one of Jenn's clients (one who I'm an insanely huge fan of) had sent a charming, hilarious, glowing recommendation for her. I said, Screw waiting, and called the Melissas over to celebrate. Just before bed, another glowing recommendation came in from a different client, and a follow-up with yet more glow from the first one. I woke up in the middle of the night knowing exactly what changes I wanted to make to the manuscript before it goes out, and e-mailed Jenn (who had already sent me notes! because she is that awesome!).

This morning, I e-mailed the other agents I needed to and let them know I'd made a decision. I should also give a shout out of thanks to one of the best friends (and best writer friends) a girl could ever have, Justine Larbalestier, who has gone above and beyond this week, offering advice and endless support of the moral variety. And the rest of you who kept me from levitating and answered my plaintive e-mails–Kate, Micol, Kelly. Christopher, of course. And I could probably go on. But I won't.

Yes, I realize I don't get to whine about the stress of this too much. Starting an agent search on Tuesday and finishing it in the Best Possible Way by the end of the week OVER A HOLIDAY is a blessing. What can I say? I'm insanely lucky, and beyond insanely happy.

And now I should really go work on revisions For My Agent. Such beautiful words. This is going to be a very fine year.

34 thoughts on “New Year Agent News”

  6. Kate Messner

    Congratulations!! I’m one of Jenn’s clients, too and can tell you that you won the agent lottery. She’s awesome – and I’m so happy for both of you. What a way to start the new year!

  8. Kelly Fineman

    Huzzah! And MASSIVE congratulations! Jenn is made of awesome, and I’m sure the two of you will be a force with which to be reckoned. (Yeah – avoidance of dangling prepositions leads to weird sentences.)

  21. TadMack

    I’m completely late on this, but congratulations, Gwenda — it IS so fabulous to be able to say the words “my agent,” isn’t it??? Happy New Year — starting off with revisions and notes on your novel means it’s going to be super awesome. Cheers to you!

  30. ellen kushner

    Mazel tov!!
    (I realized lately that the guy who hooked me up with Vital Theatre for KlezNut is technically my Theatrical Agent. Today he wanted to see the show, so I waltzed in and told the Box Office I needed “a comp for my agent.” I was so thrilled to hear these words from my lips that I insisted on saying them again.)
    May the thrill never die – and may you be blissfully happy together!

  31. Justine Larbalestier

    I’ll be at the actual cricket in about eight hours. I shall raise a toast to Gwenda, while eating mangosteens, and applauding the derring do of the Australian and South African teams!
    Yay, Gwenda!

  33. John Pearson

    Gwenda,
    Haven’t looked at your blog for a while. It was great to hear the news on the agent!!! And that you have such a great listening post who makes the best soup in the world.
    Good luck with the next step.

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