How I Got My Agent(s): Jackie Lee Miles

"How I Got My Agent" is a recurring feature on the GLA blog. I find it fascinating to see the exact road people took that landed them with a rep. Seeing the things people did right vs. what they did wrong (highs and the lows) can help other scribes who are on the same journey. Some tales are of long roads and many setbacks, while others are of good luck and quick signings.

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PUBLISHED AUTHOR SEEKING AGENT

I tend do to things backwards. First I got my book sold, then, I got an agent. I was at this conference and met the president of Cumberland House Publishing, who sent word that they wanted to publish my debut novel. Soon after, I received in the mail a document requesting my notarized signature. Cool! Then I realized I knew nothing about the ins and outs of a publisher’s contract and immediately got out my copy of Guide to Literary Agents.

I stumbled across an agency that listed James Patterson as one of their clients. I was clueless to the fact that they no longer represented him. In truth, it was his earlier books that they’d sold. Even so, had I known I would have been duly impressed. They also listed the words "no solicitation." Now why would they include themselves in Guide to Literary Agents if they didn’t want to have inquiries? My thoughts exactly.

I promptly called them up. A very pleasant voice greeted me on the phone. I explained that I was a newbody-nobody, but had sold my book and needed representation. Did they have an agent there that might be interested in me? She told me to hold on and eventually connected with me one of their agents who said she would not represent me, even though I had sold my novel, unless she truly liked it. That sounded reasonable. I asked her if I could send it to her. I went on to explain that I needed her answer yesterday. She laughed and said to overnight it and she’d take a look. I did. She called me the next evening and told me that it had probably happened to her before, but she couldn’t remember when, that she’d sat down to read a manuscript and didn’t get up until she’d finished it. I said, “Does this mean you’ll represent me?” She laughed again (I liked her immensely already), and assured me she would.

SHORT-LIVED HAPPINESS

Her name was Sarah Piel and she was with Arthur Pine Associates, now known as Inkwell Management. Sarah did a good job for me negotiating my contract and I got busy with my second novel. By the time that I’d finished it, Sarah was no long with Arthur Pine. She’d left the industry to birth children and didn’t bother to tell me. Worse, Arthur Pine no longer existed. By now, they’d merged with the two other agencies to form Inkwell Management and no one at Arthur Pine, not even Sarah, had made mention of me to any of the agents there. I would have to start querying.

I got busy and composed what I felt was a strong query letter and started sending it off. Eventually I sent it to 25 agents in NYC and managed to hear back from 23 of them to either send the first chapters or in many cases the entire manuscript. I was tap-dancing on the clouds. I figured I only had to get an acceptance from one of them and it had to be a numbers game. Surely one of the twenty-three would want me. After all, I was already published and now touring with the Dixie Darlin’s, four nationally published authors with a passion for promotion that had managed to make 100 appearances. Piece of cake!

But I quickly learned: Never slice your cake until someone’s ready to eat it. One by one, all 23 agencies wrote back, with several saying some pretty nice things. Regardless, they also added the word "but" at the end of their last sentence. But it didn’t fit into their list; but they couldn’t determine where to place it; but they had just purchased something similar. You name it - there was a but at the end of each letter. So much for it being a numbers game.

I was too discouraged to send out another host of queries. The first batch had cost me a small fortune, considering they had all asked for hard copies and I’d sent each of them a fresh one. I was more miserable than ever.

THIRD BOOK'S THE CHARM

Soon after, I happened to be in Nashville touring with the Dixie Darlin’s and decided to drop the twenty-three-times-rejected manuscript off for my publisher to read. I hadn’t previously approached him because I was so sure I could secure representation. Huh! Well, he loved it and called me to tell me he was bringing it out in hardcover that September. I was overjoyed and promptly threw out all the letters that had the word but in them. What did they know?

On to my next novel. When I finished, I queried Rachelle Gardner with WordServe Literary. (She has a great blog! Check it out.) She called to tell me she loved the novel and would very much like to represent me, if I was willing to do some work on an edit. Was I? I’d climb Mount Everest to do so if it meant representation with her. We sealed the deal. She would be my agent. And to think I hadn’t even had to send it off to any of those places that sent back letters with the word but in them. Cool!

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