Welcome to the next episode of Peek Behind the Publishing Curtain, the series I’ve written to give people an idea of the steps an author takes to bring a new book to readers.
Check out the previous posts if you need to get caught up:
In the first episode, I share how I came up with the idea for a potential new book.
In the second, I share how I investigate whether my idea is marketable.
The third episode covers researching the topic and, pending the success of that effort, pitching the project idea to my agent, Kelly Sonnack. I provide the actual pitch in the post.
So let’s jump into episode four.
It’s August 2020. I’ve sent Kelly my pitch for The Womb Where It Happens: How Animal Babies Prepare for Life Outside (working title).
Waiting for her response to my pitches is always tough. She’s quick to reply, which I appreciate, but I still find myself checking my email too often. Her answer helps determine what I’ll be immersed in for the next months if not years. Kelly is respectful of my ideas and offers feedback in a positive way. If an idea doesn’t resonate with her or if there are obstacles to its success from her perspective, we discuss it. Sometimes I decide it’s not worth pursuing. The bottom line is that agents need to be excited about projects because each one requires a significant amount of time, strategy, and decision-making.
Kelly responded positively and asked me to send her a draft when I had it ready. Wheee! Now I’m off and running.
I started the process of further research, organizing the material, finding my voice, and drafting. I asked for feedback from my critique partners and sent a first draft to Kelly in late fall 2020. We went back and forth three times, and in December 2021 (about 13 months later), I sent her what would become the final draft used in our editorial submissions. Meanwhile, she tackled the cover letter including her pitch and the submission list.
Sidenote: pre-agented writers wonder whether they will be responsible for preparing the pitch, cover letter to editors, and submission list. Some agents want more involvement from clients, some less. Ultimately, it is the agent’s job to pitch to and follow up with editors. A good agent shares the pitch, cover letter, and submission list with clients for feedback before sending them out and keeps clients informed, in the loop as the submissions play out.
On January 13, 2022, we were officially on submission. Responses started coming in… sometimes quickly, but also with long periods of waiting and nudging. I tried to work on other things with mixed success. In April 2023—15 months after the initial submission—we received the response we were looking for, but not quite in the way we expected…
You knew this was coming, right? Stay tuned for the next episode. 😉
