On Being an Agent for Eighteen Years

A List

Hi friends,

Eighteen years ago this week, I joined the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. Back in 2006, I was a wide-eyed and eager young agent ready to tackle the world. Now, I am a wide-eyed and still eager older agent who’s tackled some parts of the world and still ready to take on others. Today I’m going to share with you some of the things I’ve learned over the years, in brief. (For the long version, you’ll have to pre-order my book. I’ll let you know the link when I have it!)

1. So goes the proposal goes the book.

   If it feels like pulling teeth to write the proposal, the book is not going to get any better. If you’re having a hard time supporting your argument in a proposal, it’ll be even worse over the course of the book.

2. You can’t make anyone take you to the prom.

   You can’t make an editor buy your book or an agent rep your work. The only thing you can do is write your own book the best you can.

3. As soon as you think you know what’s going to happen, it won’t.

   Nothing’s a given in publishing, and no two books work the same way.

4. That thing you don’t want to say or do? That’s the thing that needs the most saying or doing.

   You have to do, say, write, edit the hard things. There’s no getting around it.

5. Publishing is a small, small world.