Lucky #14
15February 4, 2013 by Kat Richter
I was in the car with TWD when I got the call. It wasn’t a call actually—it was an email—but “call” sounds way more dramatic, don’t you think?
At any rate, I lost it. TWD was telling me a story about one of his co-workers and I completely zoned out. “I need to call my mom,” I stammered. “I have an agent.”
An agent, for those of you who don’t spend your every waking moment writing, thinking about writing or wishing you were writing, is the first step in the very long road towards publication. An agent is how your manuscript (or book proposal, in my case) makes the journey from its sad and lonely existence on the hard drive of your computer into the hands of an editor who might actually want to publish it. An agent is how you become a best-selling author with the eventual capacity to buy frivolous shoes (maroon high-heeled boots; I already have them picked out), a yellow Mini Cooper and, of course, a room of one’s own in which to write.
Granted, I might be getting ahead of myself on that last one but like I said: it’s a first step. An important first step.
And it works out well for you too because it means I cannot stop blogging, much as I would like to. Because publishers are all about “platform” these days and platform is all about social capital.
Being the delightful man that he is, TWD kissed me and hugged me and told me how proud he was of me. He then drove me to the liquor store where he bought me an entire box of sangria to celebrate.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “A whole box?” (I was crying at this point. Again.)
“Nena…” he sighed, “this is your day. We’ll get whatever you like.”
So we got the box-o-sangria, a bag of Smartfood Popcorn and—because it’s not every day that one receives an offer of representation from a bone fide literary agent—an entire bar of Lindt caramel and sea salt dark chocolate.
(An agent, mind you, is still a long way from a book deal.)
After a trip to Barnes and Nobles (during which I started crying again), we drove back to his place, tried to make dinner, got a bit distracted and finally ended up enjoying our homemade peanut satay chicken a little later while watching back-to-back episodes of Millionaire Matchmaker.
This choice in entertainment, by the way, wasn’t even my idea. There are times—usually when I’m pissed off at TWD for one reason or another or waiting alone at his house while he’s off at work—that I think back to the pricey cocktails and fancy restaurants of my manthropological adventures and I wonder, “What the hell am I doing sitting here in the suburbs drinking sangria from a box?” But then there are times, when I’m dancing with TWD in his kitchen or falling asleep in his arms that I think, “You know what? I actually really like sangria from a box. And I especially like drinking sangria from a box with a man who doesn’t think any less of me for doing so.”
My name is Kat Richter and I'm a writer, dancer and reformed serial dater. I write about relationships, travel, bargain basement fashion and the funny things I see and hear around Philadelphia. Enjoy, and remember: its not dating, its fieldwork!
Congratulations Kat! Looking forward to hearing more about your literary pursuits! Glad TWD was there to celebrate with you.
Thank you
Keeping every part possible “crossed” in anticipation of eventual publication of your wonderful book. It will happen! And equally glad to hear about the blog getting worked on again. I know it is difficult to find subject matter, since you need to keep so much private these days, but I know you will find a way.
*claps* This is very exciting…I actually let someone see my unfinished manuscript and got very positive feedback which means that my writing isn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was!! Maybe I should get my act together and write a book proposal…
Yes you should!
Congrats, Kat!!! (I’m going to focus on the agent part and ignore the fact that you were drinking sangria from a box. Because I DO care. I care very deeply. But maybe when you’re published and famous that can be remedied.)
Haha, I dunno… they make engraved box-o-wine covers. I might just have to invest in one to try to class it up a little bit!
That is absolutely wonderful news! Congrats!
Please give me a little hint as to what your book is about. In exchange I will say nice things about you in Europe, which could well be a market you wish to break.
Haha, indeed
It’s based on my manthropological experiment (but contains some of the details that weren’t fit to publish on the internet as they were happening…)
Congrats so much and getting an agent, that is awesome! Also, I’m glad that this recent predicament means that you will be writing moe in your blog because I’ve missed it, you, and your updates on the wedding date and everyone else. And, I will also chose to ignore sangria in a box part too.
Haha, thank you
But you should that sangria in a box is actually pretty damn good, LOL!
This is great news, and it bodes well for getting published, because if one industry professional wants to invest resources in you, others will too. Felicitations!
Thank you, thank you– that’s what I’m hoping!
Congratulations! I am curious what the celebration for a book deal will look like.
Oh Jill, celebrations for a book deal will be like no other, I can promise you that…it will top every other celebration we have had up until this point, including the massive water fight parties they had as teenagers, and more exciting and glamorous than our Oscar Parties