We're allowed to whoohoo?? Oh good, I want to whoohoo too. Whoohoo! Can't wait to hear the details, Sascha. So excited and pleased for you. Dry, damn ink, dry!

Myrtle

Teehee, thank you! In a quiet sort of way . I'm just tickled. I prematurely came out about it on my blog after the editor offered two weeks ago and then my agent held it up for some extra negotiating agent things (whoops) which have since been settled. Now I guess it's in legal or somewhere and should be official in a few days.

Then I can stop referring to them as NY flightless bird editorial types .

It has been a good week as I just sent my FINAL, final draft of my next one to my guy who has some editors already waiting on it. So please don't uncross those fingers just yet.

Well done Sascha - very exciting!!
Sue

Emma - 8 years of rejections! I've got a way to go yet!
Sue

Well done, Sascha - great news!!

A
xxx

I just kept saying to myself, 'nothing you write is ever wasted'...

It's true, too, both in the skills and experience you acquire, and in what you generate in earlier work that you can cannibalise or adapt for later pieces.

Emma

<Added>

That was aimed at Sue, BTW!

Many congratulations Sascha. It's official now, I take it? This is big, fantastic news. Well done.

Roger.

Well done that woman.

JB

Dan,

if you're still interested in hearing, I went via the slushpile approach, five at a time. First round generated interest in the manuscript from one well-known agent. Whilst waiting to hear I decided to really search for an agent who seemed to a) have track record in the market and b) might have an interest in this type of story.

I emailed a one-page query to a likely agent, who replied within hours that he wanted to see the material. He read that and replied within hours that he wouldn't represent it as it stood. But that I should phone him. We talked by phone about my story and what he felt were the shortcomings. The other agent meanwhile read the mss and (apparently) reluctantly decided she wasn't quite keen enough. I met with the other agent, and he agreed to represent me IF I totally rewrote the original script, addressing the major problems.

You wouldn't think, perhaps, that an agent would take on a writer for a book that they haven't yet written. But in fact this agent looks for a strong concept and the ability to execute it. I wouldn't say that he likes creative input but he does require his clients to make the story as great as it can possibly be.

I really advise you to spend time, lots, on your query letter, concept and first 3 chapters. I'm talking days and days and DAYS of rethinking and rewriting - just on the query letter and concept.

Maria,

Great story and useful advice. I'm pulling out my query letter and my Writers & Artists Yearbook right now!

Sue

Yes, very good advice, Maria. And it highlights the fact that different agents have very different approaches, and weight different aspects of novels differently. Which is one of the many reasons that there's no one (or even two or three) sure-fire answer to getting an agent.

Emma

Okay, so that "damn ink" has finally dried. I put up a message in the chick lit forum (since I feel very obnoxious putting up messages in all my groups) with the details if anyone is interested.

Thanks for all the well-wishing these past few days!

Sascha, congratulations all over again!

Emma