18 months + 45 queries + 5 requests for full = 1 agent!

If you're wondering, I wrote that post title months ago, when my query count was still in the twenties. I nearly gave up after query 37 and the third full proposal rejection a month or so ago, so this is especially sweet:

"Catherine:
"I'm attaching the proposal with just a few comments. You did a great job here. I think you have a future as a nonfiction proposal writer--and I'm not kidding! I WOULD like to work with you. The way you're pouring your heart & soul into this is very inspiring, and I think that will come across to editors. You also come across as very smart & practical. Plus you've got rhythm--something I always value in good writing. AND your idea to re-cast your web-group pals as fellow marketeers is brilliant.


"75,000 words is a perfect length.

"So will you go into a brief I-am-building-my-website mode? Also, I should take a closer look at the sample chapters--I want to make sure the introductory parts are as strong as they can be. (I thought the stories were excellent.)

"Whee!

"--B****
"P.S. We should say hello on the phone, too."

I'm especially excited about the proposal compliment, since I've almost completely rewritten it twice at this agent's request and we've been talking for almost a month now. I actually cried when I got this, which isn't like me. But GEEZ, I've been working for this for a year and a half! I've given birth, moved, and raised a walking, babbling human in that time period.

Please don't tell me until tomorrow how having an agent doesn't mean I'll sell a book (I know) or that my agent may not be legit (she is; I checked). I'll think tomorrow, when hopefully my heart rate will have returned to normal and I can stop giggling and bursting into tears at odd moments.

Thanks again for all your encouragement back at rejection 37, guys!

Aw, thanks, guys!

What's the book about?

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Each chapter discusses a childbirth method or location, followed by several first-person birth stories to show how they play out in real life. More at http://www.catherinebusinelle.com/cat_choice.html if you're really bored and would like to peek, lol.

I'll have run out of agents in my genre long before I reached that number.

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I was getting creative there in the last few weeks. I was querying agents for true story books, medical how-to, and agents from my alma mater (okay, there was only one of those; it was a small school). The agent who took me was one I queried on a day when I forced myself to query even though I didn't feel like it, and I was sure she wouldn't be interested just because she'd agented a book about twins. Good luck!