When I was in the query trenches, I loved reading posts like this. They were the helpful reminder that there is no one right way to find an agent. There’s the way that works for the project that connects, which in my case wasn’t the first book I queried. I’ve been writing novels for years but it took a nonfiction book proposal for me to get an agent. Here’s my agent journey, plus a sneak peek at my book, which was recently acquired!
Link to stats and timeline for the curious.
I’d seen my agent’s profile in MSWL before and vibed with her wishlist, but since she was only looking for nonfiction, I never queried. When I got my book proposal ready to go, I added Trinity to my list. In fact, she was in the first batch of agents I queried.
I sent another batch of queries later that month and was continuing to research agents to query using Publishers Marketplace.
Then, while I was at the airport waiting to board a flight, I checked my email. Trinity had emailed me wanting to chat.
I replied that afternoon, setting up a call for the following week when I returned from my trip.
How I Got My Agent: Preparing for The Call
This wasn’t the first agent call I’d taken about my nonfiction book.
The previous year, another agent reached out after reading one of my essays, which mentioned the work in progress.
Preparing to have a call with that agent, and unsure whether it would be THE CALL or just a friendly chat, I built myself a template for the call using these resources from Alexa Donne and Jim McCarthy.
I sorted the list by which questions were most important to me. Then, I wrote answers. Writing answers down before I had an agent call helped me think about what I wanted in an agent – so I would know if there was alignment.
This is important. Let me break down why.
As writers, we hear that no agent is better than a bad agent…but when someone is on the phone expressing enthusiasm for our work, it’s hard to remember that. It’s so tempting to just say yes.
Thinking about the questions before you really need to helps you clarify what’s important to you, so you can assess whether that agent who loves your work is right for you in the long run.
My call with the first agent didn’t end with an offer of rep the way I hoped. But it did give me confidence in the idea and helped me to finish my book proposal, which ultimately helped me get my agent.
The Call
Not gonna lie, I was super nervous for the call. I had my questions nearby and worked through the list, taking notes.
Trinity was full of enthusiasm for my book. As we kept talking, she got even more excited about my vision for the book and other projects I wanted to write after.
It was such a validating experience because as querying authors we’re always told that an agent needs to “fall in love” with a project, but that’s so subjective, it can feel like an excuse when it comes via form query rejection as the reason for a pass.
By the end of the call, I felt like Trinity really understood and supported this book. And that based on my priorities and needs, we could work well together.
I didn’t mention my fiction on the call. But when I received the offer, I wanted to clarify. Would she represent everything I wrote, or only nonfiction?
Happily, the answer was everything.
My Querying Timeline + Stats
February 12, 2023: I queried my now-agent.
March 5: She requested to set up a call.
March 12: We had the call. Offer to follow via email.
April 8: I signed.
Total queries sent: 18
Books queried before this: 3 (2 YA, 1 adult contemporary)
I was not expecting to find an agent so quickly! I’m tempted to say that nonfiction moves faster than fiction, because they’re reading a proposal (mine was 90 pages) and not a full book, and because the editor of anthology I am contributing to got represented in a very short time period, too, but I don’t know.
I’ve been querying since 2017, and I sent 3 other projects out before this one. So did it take me 6 weeks or 7 years to find an agent?
Meet My Book
Until now, everything I’ve queried was fiction.
But I knew I wanted to write this nonfiction book, it just took a long time for it to coalesce into a specific set of stories – things I wanted to share that would be useful and fill a gap on the shelf.
My book is all about queer travel, how it’s different, and what that matters.
Here’s a teaser:
Queer people like me are twice as likely as the general population to hold a passport, according to Community Marketing & Insights. And while my partner and I joke about our ability to flee the country if the laws that protect us are overturned, the truth is: queer people adore travel. In fact, we spend around $100 billion a year on trips, according to Skift.
Despite our lavish spending, queer travelers are underserved. We’re either overlooked or encouraged to stick to a handful of “safe” destinations. This conventional wisdom doesn’t build our confidence or validate our identities. Nor does it teach us how to advocate for ourselves as travelers, or plan off-the-beaten-path adventures to new places.
This book will open with a deep dive on the decisions LGBTQ+ travelers need to make when planning trips: things we need to consider that aren’t listed in guidebooks. The second section highlights the risk-taking and subversive possibilities of travel in an era when crossing state lines means losing rights and privilege. The final section examines travel’s potential for positive change with a focus on queer joy.
My how I got my agent story went out to my email list last year, and I’m just now getting it up on the blog. I’m happy to report that my book found a publisher!
While I’ll post a preorder link when you can buy my book, the best way to stay updated is to join the mailing list, where you’ll receive a monthly update and occasional book news. You can join the mailing list here.
