Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Getting the Call from Kate Testerman

I know it's fun to hear other writer's stories of gaining representation, so I decided we'll check in with a few authors to see how their experiences compare. Look for more "Getting the Call" posts in the next few weeks! Today we're starting with Liz Briggs, Intern to super-agent Jill Corcoran, and repped by... Well, I'll let her tell you:



VITAL STATS

Name: Elizabeth Briggs
Genre you write: YA sci-fi
Agent Name: Kate Testerman of KT Literary
Length of time you've been represented: Since March 2012

How did your Agent first get your material? (i.e. query, conference, referral personal network, etc): Slush pile query

Timeframe between them receiving your full manuscript and offering representation: 
Query Sent - September 2011
Partial request - October 2011 - Right after I sent it I got an R&R from another agent.
Revised partial sent - December 2011
Full request - January 2012
Offer - March 2012

How did your agent approach you for that first talk? Was it anything
like you imagined?

She emailed me and asked if the book was still available and if we could chat about the book and my writing career. I was very excited!

During The Call, were there any questions you were asked that scared
you? Or questions you wished you'd asked at the time?

No, nothing she asked me scared me. I didn't ask too many questions, but I did a lot of research before the call about her sales, her clients, etc.

What were your initial impressions of your agent? And were they correct?

I got the impression that she loved my book and that we had a lot of similar interests and would get along well. And we do! She also came across as very professional, but also friendly and approachable. This has definitely proven to be true.

Do you have any advice for writers who might receive The Call in the future?

Try not to worry so much! Don't be upset if you don't get to ask every question on one of those "preparing for the call" lists. (And do your research on the agent first so you don't have to ask a million questions). Just relax and have a conversation and try to get a sense if you'll like working with this person. You can always ask more questions later.

Thanks for stopping by again, Liz! Can't wait to hear your publication story!

Your Turn: Any questions about getting the call? 

4 comments:

  1. Thank you! Love hearing about it actually happening for people! If future posts would love tips on how to begin to research an agent-clients and sales other than their website??

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    1. This is a great website for researching agents: http://www.literaryrambles.com/

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  2. Thank you for this helpful post. It's good to learn how an agent and author connect. The thing that sent terror into my heart was the question about writing career. While I know agents want an author who is going to write more than one book, and I hope to, it is still a terrifying question.

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  3. Really enjoyed this interview, particularly the advice for those currently seeking an agent (even though that's not me at the moment). Looking forward to the rest of the series. :-)

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