Monday, October 20, 2014

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!

***

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.


***

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

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Buy Links

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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?

35 comments:

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Thank you for sharing your experience, Amy. I'm really taking it to heart.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Thanks for sharing your story, Amy. You've given me something to think about as I consider the direction of my career path.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

This is great advice! Thanks to both Amy and Jemi for hosting.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Good tips for approaching agenting in a careful way. Best wishes for the release.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

If you're making it a long-term career, an agent is a good idea.

Jemi Fraser said...

Sheri - me too :)

Susan - there are certainly lots of options :)

Teresa - :)

Elizabeth - I agree!

Diane - agreed :)

A said...

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

I so agree.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats on your agent, Amy. And I agree that agents can open doors for us and give our writing new publishing avenues we couldn't reach ourselves.

Amy Ruttan said...

Thanks again for having me, Jemi!

Glad my story was so helpful. :)

You have to do what's best for you as a writer and your career. Reiterating that your career is your own, your path is your own and what's right for someone else may not be right for you!

Best wishes everyone and thanks for visiting! :)

New Release Books said...

Thanks for sharing this informative post Amy! Congrats on the release!

Jemi Fraser said...

Agnes - yes! Me too :)

Natalie - agents do an amazing job!

Amy - glad to have you here!

NRB - agreed, it's a great post!

cleemckenzie said...

Advocates and people who know the ropes are always good to have in your corner. Great way that you handled this process of becoming agented.

Theresa Milstein said...

Amy, I think you're right. Researching agents is so important.

Carol Kilgore said...

I agree. Writers need to know when they're ready, if ever, for an agent depending on where they want their writing to go. And by all means research. Even the most sought-out agent out there could be the wrong one for you. Good to meet you.

Hi, Jemi :)

Kelly Steel said...

Thanks for sharing your experience Amy and congrats on the release.

JeffO said...

Good advice, Amy. I hope your partnership with your agent works out great for the two of you.

Jemi Fraser said...

Lee - I agree!

Theresa - research is the key to so many things!

Carol - great point!

Kelly - agreed!

Jeff - me too!

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Jemi for hosting Amy. I love--Publishing is a constantly moving and changing beast. Having an agent sounds like a good idea when you find a publisher.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Making sure you don’t sign with just any agent is so important. Not all agents are a right fit.

Michael Di Gesu said...

HI, Jemi,' Hi Amy,

Thanks Amy for your story. You are right we all have our journey and an agent is there to bring a writer's career to a newer level.

That is why I am querying my latest novel.

All the best with you new partnership with your agent~

Jemi Fraser said...

Denise - agreed!

Lynda - and finding that fit is vital!

Michael - good luck with your queries!!

Yvonne Osborne said...

I think we all need an advocate. In today's publishing environment, I can't imagine going alone. I can barely handle the phone, internet, TV bundling!

Dawn Simon said...

Congrats, Amy, on signing with your agent, and thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. I agree--an agent is so important, and not just any agent!

Thanks to you too, Jemi, for posting this!

Jemi Fraser said...

Yvonne - I know exactly what you mean!!!

Dawn - so true!

LD Masterson said...

Congratulations on signing with the agent you wanted. I'm trying to find the right agent for me. I think I'd do a lot better that way than trying to navigate the publishing waters alone.

Crystal Collier said...

Awesome. I totally agree. In this day and age it isn't mandatory to have an agent, and I've known so many people who were super stoked they got an agent, but then couldn't get a book deal. I think that would be the worst. Kudos for furthering your career and I truly hope it all plays out exactly how you're planning.

Unleashing the Dreamworld

Anonymous said...

Hi, Amy. Thanks for sharing your experience of signing with an agent. Best wishes with your writing career!

Jemi Fraser said...

Linda - Agents really are amazing!

Crystal - me too!

Susanne - agreed :)

Unknown said...

Much food for thought. Interesting post.

I wish you well, Amy.

Hi, Jemi :)

Nas said...

Thank you for sharing your experience, Amy.

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Wendy & Eds! :)

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the release and getting an agent. I hope to one day have the right agent who's a good match for me and my career goals.

DMS said...

What a great post, Amy!

It is important for each author to think about what is right for them and if they want an agent it is important to determine what they want in an agent. When I first started out I thought any agent was good- but then I realized I needed to find an agent who was the right fit for me and luckily I found her and she was willing to represent me (and my co-author). :)

Glad you found an agent who is the right fit for you.
~Jess

Nas said...

Thanks for hosting Amy, Jemi!

Hi Amy, thanks for sharing your experience. Congratulations on the latest release!

Jemi Fraser said...

Medeia - it really is about finding someone who matches you well :)

Jess - exactly - that fit is important! :)

Nas - thanks for dropping by :)