The Journey Continues

Well, I’m gonna answer your first question first. No, I don’t have an agent (yet!) But there’s still some good news.

I had realistic expectations going in to Pitch Wars, as 1) I had been through it before, and 2) I knew my manuscript was not a hugely commercial one. So, I was truly happy to get a couple agent requests. (Not gonna lie, though, those first hours with zero requests for me while other pitches got literally dozens was rough.) I happily sent off my manuscript to the requesting agents, knowing it might be a while until I heard from them. No biggie.

But then, the offer frenzy for other writers’ manuscripts began and I basically had to stick my fingers in my ears and repeat the artist’s mantra to myself over and over:

Keep your eyes on your own page. Keep your eyes on your own page. 

All that commotion consumed many of the agents and those of us who didn’t have a ton of requests knew we’d have to wait a little longer for our work to get read. That’s okay. Just the way the business works. The challenge of being in Pitch Wars is that you see so much going on for so many people and it’s easy to feel you’re the anomaly even when you aren’t. The best part of being in Pitch Wars is gaining dozens of new writer friends at once, who really get you and who are going to battle just as you are. It’s awesome to cheer each other on and they inspire me daily, both my mentors and fellow mentees. 

My fellow mentees inspired me so much that, against my better judgment, I entered #PitMad. With a hard-to-pitch book. And I got five requests! Three were from editors which I prefer to hold off on until I get an agent, but two were agents. And one of them has already requested the full. I’ve already gotten some rejections from others and that’s okay. It’s part of the game. I’m querying others as well.

Meanwhile, on a whim several months ago, I wrote a poem and submitted it to a literary journal…AND IT WAS ACCEPTED!! I’m excited to share more details very soon. Tee hee.

The lesson for me is to keep following my gut, trusting that things will work out in due time, not in my time. To stay focused on what I can control. To keep creating, keep pitching, keep submitting, and most of all, keep learning. I hope, no matter how rewarding or frustrating your year was last year, you’ll do the same. Happy 2018!