To
start on a personal note, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am a wife, mother, writer, real
estate broker, amateur cook, exercise freak, and avid reader. When I’m not
selling houses, I’m writing books and blogging at www.HeatherChristieBooks.com.
I have a BA in Literary Studies from the University of Texas, Dallas and I
recently received my MFA from Pine Manor College, Boston, MA where I completed
my first novel WHAT
THE VALLEY KNOWS. My work has appeared on Scary Mommy, Elephant Journal, Mamapedia, The Good Men Project, Grown & Flown, Parent.co, Bon Bon Break, Her View From Home, the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop, Sammichs and Psych Meds, and The Lighter Side of Real Estate.
What
is your “how I got my agent” story?
I did a first round of forty
queries. I had nine request for either partials or fulls. All passed, except
for one who said that if I did “certain things” to the manuscript, she would
reread it. I worked with a developmental editor for a year, revised the novel,
and sent it back to that agent. I
didn’t hear a peep! In the meantime, I attended the New York Pitch Conference
and received two requests from editors to see the manuscript. I emailed the
agent again, saying that I had interest from two editors. She got back to me
immediately and we set up a phone call for the next morning.
What
novel landed you your agent?
My first novel is titled WHAT THE
VALLEY KNOWS. (YA-Women’s Fiction crossover)
Tell
us about the much anticipated and nerve-wracking “Call” with your now agent.
At first I thought her interest was
stirred because I said I had two editors wanting to see the book, but during
the call, it became obvious that she’d read the manuscript very carefully as
she had several suggested edits before she wanted to go on submission. We
agreed to a timeframe in which to complete the edits and set up a time to meet
the following week.
Have
you written/queried other books before?
No, this is my first attempt.
What
is the hardest part about being on submission?
The waiting is by far the hardest
part. I’ve been on submission for sixteen months. We’ve had several “almosts.”
My novel is told from three points-of-view: two kids and one adult. The YA
editors have asked for revisions, removing the adult voice. My agent and I have
decided I need to revise, but that it would be best to have a second novel
ready and lead with it before going out on submission again.. Ugh! So, I’m back
to my writing desk.
What
is the best part about having an agent?
The access to the top houses.
How
do you cope with waiting to hear back from publishers?
The waiting is brutal. To stay sane,
I started a blog
in an attempt to begin growing my author platform on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. My hope
is that a publisher will recognize that I have a bit of a built-in audience and
be willing to roll the dice on me. Plus, the positive feedback from readers is
the shot in the arm I need to keep plugging away. I’ve also had a bunch of my
pieces re-syndicated on larger sites and they’ve gotten great feedback (and
I’ve even been paid for a few essays)!
Do
you have any tips for writers who are querying?
Make it perfect out of the gate. You
only get one chance to make a first impression. Study great query examples,
take a webinar, find a trusted reader to tear it up, and then rewrite it again!
Finally,
how will you celebrate when you eventually get your book deal?
I will break down and cry! The
process has been so long and taxing. Sometimes, it feels like it is never going
to happen. When the deal finally comes to be, I plan the relish in the moment,
savor it with every particle of my being, AND shout the good news from my
rooftop! And then I’ll frame the book cover and hang it on my wall!
Framing the book cover sounds like an awesome idea! Who knows, ten years down the road you may need to get a new wall to hang all your shiny book covers.
Want to keep in touch with Heather? Make sure you check out her:
Until next Tuesday!
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