Amy Ruttan & Signing with an Agent

(If you're looking for a post about the fabulous Lenny Lee, scroll down to the one below this one (or click here) ... after you've visited with Amy that is!!)

Please welcome Amy Ruttan to the blog today!

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Why an agent was right for me.

First off I want to thank  Jemi Fraser for having me here today!

One of the most frequent questions I’ve been getting lately is why I decided to sign with an agent.

Before Harlequin, I published via eBook publishers. There was no need for an agent and then when I sold to Harlequin, I did that on my own without an agent.

In May 2014 I decided to pursue an agent. One I admired and had been following for some time. He knows Harlequin, he’s professional and I admire several of the authors he represents.

So again, why did I query him? I don’t technically need an agent for Harlequin. I had signed two contracts with Harlequin without an agent, but when I made the decision in May to query my agent it’s because I wanted my career path to go further.

I love Harlequin and I love writing for Medicals, but I have a specific career path in my head that I want to take. I still plan on writing for Medicals as long as they’ll have me, but I wanted more and the path I wanted to take …well I wanted an agent to help me down that path.

Signing with my agent was not a spur of the moment thing. I researched for a long time to see who might be the right fit. I say right fit because honestly you don’t know until you talk to them over the phone or meet them face-to-face.

I queried him and he requested partials from me, which he read and then we talked on the phone. He wanted to make sure that this is what I wanted from my writing career and he wanted to make sure we were on the same page. We were!

Publishing is a constantly moving and changing beast. I wanted someone to advocate for me, someone to help navigate me on the right path for my career and the brand I’ve been building for myself and I wanted an agent who loved my work.

I think an agent who believes in your work and really gets your voice will advocate the best for you.

And that’s basically why I signed with my agent. It really depends on you. Think about why you want to sign with an agent, because an agent can’t guarantee you sales, but they do open doors to some house who only take agented submissions.

Make sure you don’t sign with just any agent. Make sure you and your potential agent work well together and that the agent is reputable meaning that they’re a part of the AAR’s or follow their code of ethics (they don’t charge you for reading fees).

And an agent who is right for author A may not be right for author B. Make the decision and do the research yourself. Don’t let anyone else decide for you.

It all depends on the choices you want to make in your writing career, because each writer has a different road to walk. Not all paths are the same.

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Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Amy fled the big city to settle down with the country boy of her dreams. When she's not furiously typing away at her computer, she's a mom to three children.

Life got in the way, and after the birth of her second child, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a romance author.

Find her here:

Website       Twitter        Facebook

DARE SHE DATE AGAIN?

To love again…? 

Single mom and paramedic Samantha Doxtator has been living with a broken heart after losing her husband years ago. Now she's finally back on track and following her dream to become an air ambulance pilot…after training one last student—George Atavik!

Since nearly losing his life in a plane crash, George will not waste the second chance he's been given, and he won't deny the sparks flying between him and his new mentor. Does Samantha dare risk her own carefully guarded heart for another opportunity at happiness?

Read an Excerpt

Buy Links

Mills & Boon UK      Harlequin US     Dare She Date Again?on Amazon Kindle      Mills & Boon Aust

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 Thanks so much, Amy! I love how you really researched and planned out your writing path. A great example for the rest of us! 

How about you, are you good at planning out your path?