This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on April 7th, 2023. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.
I recently marked a professional milestone: it has been ten years since I was offered representation by my literary agent!
It was spring of 2013. I'd finished polishing up the manuscript that would become The Distance Between Lost and Found. I was feeling really, really good about that book. But...I'd tried to secure representation before, with a previous manuscript. I'd queried dozens and dozens of agents and had gotten nowhere. Yes, I had a new book—a better book—but that didn't mean I wasn't nervous about putting myself and my work out there again.
I decided to dip a toe into the waters by entering an online pitch contest. It was St. Patrick's Day–themed: Luck o' the Irish. Writers could send in a two-paragraph pitch for their projects, and assorted literary agents would offer feedback and choose their favorites. I was lured by the promise of professional critique. I thought I'd take the agent's comments, revise my pitch, and then send out a barrage of agent queries.
Here is what I submitted:
All Hallelujah Calhoun wants is to be left alone. She’s haunted by the moment when she made a mistake and didn’t stand up for herself, when she let a lie spread about her that changed everything. She’s angry—at the boy who lied, at the people who believed him, at herself, and at God. So the last place she wants to be is on a youth group hiking trip, surrounded by everyone who makes her life miserable.
Just when it seems like her week can’t get any worse, Hallelujah gets lost in the mountains with Jonah, a former friend who hasn’t spoken to her since the night the lies started, and Rachel, a girl from another church whose outgoing charm hides pain of her own. As they try to find their way back to the trail, they face injuries, violent storms, dwindling supplies, and the growing fear that each mistake could be their last. With hope of rescue slipping away, Hallelujah has to do the two things that scare her most: forgive herself, and let someone else in. If they don’t trust each other, none of them will make it home alive.
At the end of the contest, I got incredible news: my pitch won my bracket! The judge, literary agent Alyssa Eisner Henkin, wanted to read my full manuscript. I sent the book to her, my heart in my throat.
A week later, I received this email:
Kathryn,
I’m writing to tell you that I ADORED your manuscript. I was up finishing it in the early morning, reading those final scenes of the rescue as the sun was peeking through my shutters. This book is amazing and it would be both an honor and privilege to have the chance to represent it. If you’d be so inclined, I’d love to set up a call so that we can get to know one another and I can hear more about what you might be looking for in terms of publishing goals.
Many thanks for sharing Hallelujah’s world with me. My world is exceedingly better for it.
Warmly,
Alyssa
Fast-forward through some happy squealing, a long phone conversation, and some emails to Alyssa's current clients to ask about their working relationship with her, and I happily accepted her offer. She's been on my publishing team ever since.
Finding an agent is an incredibly important part of a traditionally published author's career. You don't want just any agent; you want the right agent. And not who's right for someone else—who's right for you. It's a match not only of creative taste, but also of work and communication styles. One reason I've stuck with Alyssa for all of this time is that she both supports me and pushes me. She encourages me to follow my instincts but also offers guidance when she thinks I'm making a choice that might not have a market. There have been times we've disagreed! But I always know that she genuinely loves my writing and wants to see me succeed.
Since accepting Alyssa's offer of representation, I've signed contracts for eight books. Eight! 2013 Kathryn would be astonished and impressed.
And yes, there have been some painful low points in the past ten years. Yes, books I loved and still dream about didn't sell. In those moments, Alyssa didn't drop me as a client. She strategized with me. She helped me pivot—for instance, from YA novels to chapter books. When she started her own agency, Birch Path Literary, she brought me along.
Nothing is guaranteed in publishing, including sticking with the same agent your whole career. It's not uncommon for writers to change agents—sometimes more than once. Agents leave the business. Or the partnership is no longer a good fit. Or the writer wants to branch out in a direction the agent doesn't feel compelled or suited to follow.
I can't see the future. But, as I look back at that 2013 email from Alyssa, I feel nothing but gratitude—and excitement for what's next.
~Kathryn
What I'm:
Reading: I finished listening to Lessons in Chemistry. In the end, I liked it a lot—though it definitely wasn't what I thought I was signing on for. The cover, the title, the marketing...all of that screamed "rom-com." While there is a love story in the book, and while parts of it are amusing, it's also serious, and frustrating, and sad. If you decide to read it based on my recommendation, know what you're getting into!
Watching: "Shadow & Bone." "Ted Lasso." "Schmigadoon." There's a lot of good stuff on right now!
Loving: My daughter had off of school for Passover and Good Friday. Of course, we got busy in the kitchen. We made matzo toffee for Passover and braided "Rapunzel" buns for Easter. Yum!
