I wrote a book. Now what?

The email contained a link to a website for writers. I’m not sure what prompted my coworker to send that message, but it spurred me to action.

I signed up for an online course that guided me through outlining my first book.

But completing a manuscript is only half the journey. How could I catch the attention of an editor at a big publishing house?

What I needed was a literary agent. These industry professionals present a book to potential publishers, negotiate contracts, and more.

I sent proposals to several agents. A few replied and declined to represent me.

In 2016, I traveled to my first major writers’ conference, attended by hundreds of authors and industry professionals. I met with a couple of well-known agents, but they weren’t crazy about my book.

For years I attended conferences and met more agents, but nothing clicked.

I worked to improve my writing, finished two more books, and tried not to grow discouraged.

Other writers who’d started about the same time as me posted photos on social media of themselves signing contracts with agents. Of course, I was happy about their success, but I wondered when my time would come.

Until last year.

Buckled into my seat on a jet traveling to the 2022 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in North Carolina, I closed my eyes and prayed. If God wanted me to continue writing, I needed reassurance.

While I was at the conference, my third book Sky Witness Rescue won a Foundations Award. Tears rolled down my cheeks when I accepted the award that gave me the encouragement to keep trudging onward.

During that conference, I also met the owner of the Steve Laube Agency. Steve and agents within his group represent some of the best U.S. authors. We spoke for only ten minutes, but he liked my book and told me to contact Tamela Hancock Murray, who works at his agency.

Tamela represents a dozen writers I know, and I felt good about partnering with her. Over almost a year, we exchanged emails, and she requested the full manuscript, liked it, and offered to represent me. Steve Laube himself emailed a contract to me. I printed the document, wrote my name, and sent it right back.

A few days later, I headed back to North Carolina for the 2023 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. I took a copy of my contract , and Steve Laube was a good sport to re-enact signing the document while another writer took the photo.

For years, I’d cheered friends who got book deals or signed with agents. I was happy for them, but also more than ready to experience some success in my own career. Soon I hope to share that Tamela got a contract with a publisher for me.