How I Got My Literary Agent (for a Fantasy Book!)

Video Description

🔗 Watch my Goal Setting Class: https://nebula.tv/videos/mariana-2023-goalsetting-webinar-recording When I first dipped my toes into the querying waters, I posted my query on Reddit (PubTips) and workshopped it through two or three versions. The advice I received was invaluable—it even made me rethink an entire subplot because the stakes just “weren’t there.” After revising that, I couldn’t stop tweaking my query, swapping out words and refining my comps along the way. Interestingly, all my full requests came from different versions of that ever-evolving query. In my first big batch of queries, I sent one to an agent who had made a lot of deals in my genre. Three days later, I got a rejection. Then, #QuestPit happened on Twitter. I had almost no followers and was new to the writing community, so no bites from agents that day. But a few days later, the agent who had rejected me liked my pitch. I DM’d them, submitted my query again, and a few days later, it turned into a full request. Meanwhile, after a few rejections, I revised my opening pages and sent the updated version to several agents. I kept querying with the revised chapters and a more engaging query. A few more full requests started rolling in, as well as a short, form rejection on a full, but otherwise, crickets! Then, just a few hours before my birthday, I got my first full request after a month of silence (guess who it was from? Yep, my current agent. Best birthday gift *ever.*) After that, the full requests poured in. At one point, I was juggling around 15 outstanding submissions. I kept updating that UK agent, and she was so responsive and lovely that I couldn’t help but feel this was *it*. By mid-June, I’m sure my writing friends were rolling their eyes at how much I raved about her and her assistant’s professionalism in every interaction. On June 18, one of the agents who had my full manuscript sent a form rejection. By then, I’d gotten 2 or 3 full rejections, so while it stung, I was getting used to it. In a way, I always believed in TBC. Even if it wasn’t the book that would land me an agent, I was determined to revise it properly and make it stronger down the line. I knew it had potential, and I was eager to see it grow, no matter how long it took. Most rejections praised my writing but cited a lack of editorial vision to improve the manuscript—nothing specific I could work on. So, I started working on my second project, both to take my mind off querying and to prepare for the worst—no offer for the first book and a new manuscript ready to query by September. Then, three weeks later, I got a DM from *that same* agent saying rejecting my manuscript had been a mistake, and they wanted to set up a call. Cue the *whiplash*. A few days later, we had the call, and it was an offer of representation! Since this had initially been a rejection, the agent had a long list of edits they wanted before submission. But I was thrilled to have someone who loved my work and started nudging other agents. Overnight, things went wild. I got five more full requests, bringing the total to 22 positive replies. Two business days later, I received a kind pass from one agent, saying my fantasy was too romantic for their list (fair enough!), and on the same day, I got an email from the agent who’d requested on my birthday, asking for another call. On that call, I felt an immediate connection with both Megan and Annie. They just *got* the book—the characters, the world, the emotions, and the message I wanted to convey. Some of the edits we discussed were things I was already working on behind the scenes. I had this strong gut feeling that I couldn’t be in better hands. ✨Writing Handles: Twitter: @marviecoelho Blue Sky: @marianavcoelho.bsky.social Instagram: marianavcoelho_author ↳ Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 02:36 - Beta Readers 03:08 - Querying the Book 09:57 - How I Got My Literary Agent 04:39 - Full Process Timeline ↳ Links and Resources ✽ Book Your Productivity Consultation Here: https://calendly.com/productivityforhumans ✽ My Free Resource Library: https://shorturl.at/ikuL0 ✽ Project Planning Framework: https://productivityforhumans.notion.site/Project-Planning-Framework-2295cb02eea0475eabc1f7862f2ebeea?pvs=4 ✽ Start Using Notion (this is an affiliate link): https://affiliate.notion.so/y2903zib47ba ✽ Exclusive Videos, Tutorials and Templates: https://go.nebula.tv/mariana ✽ Subscribe Our Weekly Newsletter: https://productivity-for-humans.ck.page/ca598b2b3c ↳ Credits ✽ Editing: @MaryAmongStories ✽ Stock imagery and footage provided by Ground News ✽ Music provided by Epidemic Sound ↳ Connect With Me ✽ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marianasscorner ✽ My website: https://productivityforhumans.com ✽ For sponsorship inquiries, please contact my team at [email protected] ✽ For any other inquiries, please reach out at [email protected] ☰ FTC Disclaimer This video is sponsored by Nebula