How To Reply? Offer of Representation? What?

This is an excellent note from the agent. Don't send your response yet!!! I think it could be stronger, but I"ll leave it to the smarter folks to help you on it! I'm really excited for you, dear!!!!!!

This is so exciting. I'm hyperventilating too! I'm also want to let someone more experienced advise you. Good luck!

HURRAH!

I wouldn't be TOO worried about the response, really. I think your questions are valid. It strikes me as odd that the assistant contacted you. I imagine if you say 'yes, I'd be interested' you'd get a phone call from the agent directly. This is way too cool!

You are 15. You need to get your parents involved in this. Usually at this point there is a telephone conversation for details. Is this a reputable agency? If it is I will venture to guess they will want your parents involved in the process. FYI I would tone down the letter a bit to make it more business like.

Provrb1810meggy said:

At first I took it to mean that she just wanted to work on a revision with me, but maybe it means she wants to offer representation. I'm not sure. Also, it's from the agent's assistant, so who would be representing me, the agent or her assistant? So yes...I have a lot of questions and am on the verge of hyperventilating and wondering how to reply without seeming like an idiot. This is what I've come up with. What do you think? Oh, and what do you think the email means?

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Not that I have personal experience here, but from what I've read... A lot of times an agent will want to see how you do with the revising process before they offer you representation. (How willing are you to change things, how easy are you to work with, how strong are your editing skills, and so on.) I also think that the assistant probably doesn't have "clients" of her own, just that she might handle some aspects of the process.

Like the others, I'm not completely sure. But congrats on the email! This is only good news.

Meggy,
You're 15--your response is exactly how a 15 year old is supposed to sound when she gets a great and interested response from an agent. Let it rip and congratulations!
XO
Lauri

Meg--

I have no idea what to tell you, but this is so unbelievably fantastic! Congratulations!

It's really not that bad just take out some of the "reallys" & "so's" IMHO.
I sincerely hope you keep your parents in the loop. Yes agents work with authors on revisions before offering- Revisions, rewrites and edits are a HUGE part- Your age may be an issue- it would not be unusual for a 15 year old to lose interest in a project if it gets too tedious (I speak from the experience of teaching high school) - publishing is a business- This is TERRIFIC you have this interest- don't get me wrong - but now it's time to show how professional and serious you can be about this...
PM me with the agency name...

Nomad said:

Meggy,
You're 15--your response is exactly how a 15 year old is supposed to sound when she gets a great and interested response from an agent. Let it rip and congratulations!
XO
Lauri

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Indeed! Send it and let us know what happens

Congrats again and again.

did you all ready send it?

Sounds like you sent it, so I just wanted to say that your response sounded fine to me. My guess is the same as Saritams'--that the assistant wants to work with you on revisions a bit before the agent herself offers representation.

Congrats and good luck!!

Looks like the horse has left the barn, but I'll just add that I had no negative reaction to your proposed response at all. It read perfectly to me.

Congratulations!

(When I was fifteen, I was eagerly awaiting my sixteenth birthday, so I could apply to McDonald's. I did. Twenty years later, I still smell like fries.)

Just wanted to chime in and say congratulations and good luck!

Provrb1810meggy said:

You were eager to apply to McDonald's?!

That's a first. I knew people who work there. They all despise it. ...

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Desperate, greasy times call for desperate, greasy measures. I needed a job in order to get a car; Mickey-D's was within walking distance.

(And in reality, it wasn't a bad gig. I picked my own hours, worked with some ... interesting ... individuals, got to invent breaktime meals like the old McNugget-lettuce-mayo sandwich.)

Nevertheless, the gig you are pursuing is much, much better.

Congrats and definitely let us know what happens! BTW, did you name the other agents who had your ms in your actual letter?

Provrb1810meggy said:

You were eager to apply to McDonald's?!

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Oh yeah, lots of people eagerly apply at MCD's. A week later they probably wonder why they were so eager, but yeah....ignorance is bliss.

Provrb1810meggy said:

No, I just said So and So. He he.

And they offered representation. More news will come later.

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Congrats!