Today I climbed out of the shower, dried and dressed myself and was just applying my antiperspirant/deoderant when my cell phone trilled at me from downstairs. Thinking it was another mundane call on a mundane day I sauntered downstairs, picked up the phone and saw the New York city area code. My antiperspirant/deoderant was rendered obsolete in that moment.
Heart thundering, sweat dribbling down my ribs I flipped open the phone and, trying to convey both professionalism and insousiance in one word, said 'hello'. The caller asked for me and then identified herself as the agent who has had my full manuscript for the past couple of months. Not her assistant, not her intern, but the lady herself. I had to sit down.
She spent about an hour on the phone with me giving me constructive criticism and some ideas for how to make my book stronger. Sweat pouring from everywhere, I feverishly scribbled notes and waited for her to close the conversation by thanking me for my interest in her agency and telling me that the manuscript wasn't right for her. She didn't. She asked me if I would be interested in revising with her critique in mind and resubmitting. I had to keep myself from squeeing into her ear. I managed a polite and only slightly high pitched, 'Yes, I would.'
Folks, I'm in a strange place right now. My emotions are in such a stew I'm not sure what precisely I'm feeling. Gratitude mostly that she took the time to a) phone me b) spend so much time on the critique c) not write me off completely. Mostly I think I sort of haven't gotten over feeling that it's all a bit surreal (although reality interjected itself quite forcibly during the conversation in the form of little blond person shrieking 'Mommy, I peed. I really really peed! I need a treat now'). I think I'm excited, probably almost as excited as llittle blond person was with her successful production of number one in her potty chair. This isn't half bad for my first foray into the publishing community or my first contact with a legitimate literary agent. Right? Maybe that's the problem. I'm not quite sure if this is mostly good or mostly bad. I'm leaning toward mostly good.
I'd love to hear your opinions and thoughts on the whole thing. Also anyone out there whose gone the revise, resubmit route could you share your thoughts/experiences on it? Is it pretty standard practice for agents to do this? Did you feel it was worth the time and effort that the revisions took?
I hate to blog and dash, but I've got a brief window of opportunity for a badly needed nap and I still have my WIP to complete and I've got some revisions to get to. Not sure when I'll be dropping by to blog again, but thanks all for your comments on my last post and for taking the time to read this one. Hope there's some good news waiting just around the corner to interject itself into your day!
When Distraction is the Answer
2 months ago
