Four years ago in August 2007, I filled out a Teacher’s Professional Growth Plan at work. My goal was to write. So I joined a writers’ group and read books on writing. And I did something even more radical for me: I wrote.
Fast forward two years to October 2009. My friends Trish and Elena convinced me to go to the Surrey International Writers’ Conference (SiWC). After a couple of literary agents told me that I needed to develop an online presence, I pouted and stomped my feet. Two weeks later I started this blog.
Fast forward two more years to October 2011, this past weekend. I’m at SiWC for my third conference. I attend lots of great sessions. I get appointments with three agents who represent non-fiction, and I pitch them my humor/parenting manuscript.
My pitches go well.
But something special happens at one of the pitch appointments.
We laugh . . . a lot. . . and that agent asks for sample pages.
Four hours later, I get an email. The subject is “Representation.”
My heart starts to pound.
I read the email.
*
Yesterday morning, I faxed my contract to the agency. I am thrilled beyond belief to say that I am now represented by Jill Marr of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency in California. Jill is hilarious, enthusiastic, and experienced. She is the type of woman you want in your corner.
I’ve been doing my happy dance since Friday.
The working title of my manuscript is Get That Train Off Your Penis: Things I Never Thought I’d Say As a Parent.
If you’re wondering what the book is about, feel free to do some sort of sophisticated analysis of the image below. I pasted my book proposal into Wordle and this is what it spat out. The larger the word, the more frequently it occurs.
Finally, thanks to all who are reading this. You’ve helped shape me as a writer.
Here’s to more new chapters.
And to dusting off our dreams.
Amazing how your wordle is shaped like a penis made of words! I am so happy for you, my friend. Even if this means you no longer have to come to a conference in my neck of the woods.
Good things come to those who write. And write. And wait. And blog. And go to conferences.
Squee! I’m happy dancing with you! 😉
Let me be the first to say HOLY FUCKING SHIT BALLS YOU DID IT!!!!!!!!
Congratulations, Leanne – I am SOOOOO happy for you! Great agency for a great writer 🙂
THRILLED but NOT the least bit SURPRISED. Mucho ginormous congratulations Leanne!!
I am beyond excited and thrilled and ecstatic and (insert Happy Dance appropriate adjective here) for you. It couldn’t be much of a surprise to your loyal fans though. Book tour including Tennessee? 😉
Also, I’m so proud to see “penis” prominently displayed on your Wordle.
Love!!!
It is prominent, isn’t it? 😉
YOU know what I mean. 😉
Congratulations, Leanne! This is fantastic! I did a happy dance for you!
Woo-hoo, Leanne! How exciting! I’m so happy for you. Well-deserved, girl! 🙂
What Lori said.
Congrats, eh.
Love you, Leanne!
Congratulations!
You’re an amazing writer and you’ve worked so hard for this. Congrats, my friend. You are truly deserving.
Awesome news!! Congrats.
Congratulations! I’ll definitely be in line to pick up the book!
You know I’m dancin!! So happy for you. You also know I’m not surprised, and Jill’s is as fortunate as you. I managed to find a fellow Canadian who wanted to offer his happy dance in celebration of the big moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE0cZ_iMu0s&feature=related
That is plain old awesome. Congrats! Here’s to keeping those dreams dusted off…
Oh my word!! That’s awesome x 1000!
Jill is a lucky agent, it’s so cool that you two hit it off.
I can’t wait to read your book!
And one day I will be able to say I WAS THERE!!!!!!
😉
Woohoo!!! Hooray for dreams coming true!
Awesome news, for sure! So happy for you and it was so wonderful to be there with you this weekend to help you celebrate. Also, it’s amazing how many times the word penis was said in so many different scenarios throughout the weekend. Hmm…
Enjoy, my friend!
Congratulations! This is so well deserved and I’m so happy for you!
Oh my gosh my working title of my manuscript is Get That Train Off Your Vagina…
But not really.
But this IS so so so awesome.
Especially the part about something “special” happening with one of the agents; because it’s not just that she heard your pitched and liked it…
She liked you.
All good things coming your way, Leanne.
ALl.
Warmest congratulations. All the best. May the laughs flow freely forever and ever.
Congratulations Leanne!
HOT DAMN! Doing the happy dance for you! Uh, be glad you can’t see it. CONGRATS!!!
Congrats to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is so cool 🙂
Wooty woot woot!! Grats, Leanne!!
Leanne!!! Congrats!!!! How did you not tell me this yesterday as you let me blather on!!!! So excited for you. Can’t wait to read the book.
(On another note, Clay Morgan is a funny, funny man.)
wowza. and huge congrats. not surprised, but definitely pleased and excited for you. thinkin’ you and julie should do a matched set – bookends of a sort. :>) cover art should be interesting…
Kudos. This is awesome news. I love your wordle. 🙂
Wow, that is fantastic news! Way to make it happen for yourself and congratulations to you. You must have a permagrin affixed right about now, eh?
You get the “Rockstar” Award today! This is awesome news. And you kept it quiet since Friday?! *hugs* I’m so proud of you – great huge new leap in your career. You’re definitely inspiring.
I am definitely buying your book
This is so exciting!!! Congratulations. I’m doing the happy dance with you.
That is absolutely fantastic news! Good for you. Will you remember all of us little people when you become a super uber famous author? 🙂
Kudos!!
Oh that is wonderful news. Congratulations and with a title like that I am so buying it 🙂
That is totally AWWEEESSOOMEE! Congrats, Leanne, can’t read you 🙂
Congratulations, Leanne!!!!! Can’t wait to read your book. I want a signed copy. 🙂 *does happy dance for Leanne* You go, girl!
Put me down for a signed copy.
Congratulations. Awesome news. Keep working hard.
awesome, Leanne!!! keep killing it!
Congratulations! Fantastic! Good for you for doing what it takes!
This is the happiest news EVER! So, so excited for you, Leanne! You are talented and wise and funny as hell and I am DELIGHTED for you!!
Love, love, love
Liz
Leanne, Congrats!! I am so happy for you. Fly high, sister — you absolutely deserve it. xox
Congrats! That’s so great!
BWAHAHAHAHAH!!!! PENIS!!!!!
Oh, and congratulations — that is so incredibly awesome! Way to go!
YES!!!!! Oh, that’s so awesome!! Huge congrats, Leanne. YAY!!!!!!!
YAYYYYY!!! So happy and excited for you! Will be first in line to read your book, hopefully nobody in this house needs to get a train off their penis in the mean time!
Yay!!! So happy for you, Leanne! You deserve it! Congratulations!!! And with “Penis” in the title how could it not be funny?
Congratulations!
woo hoo!!!!!!!!
Congratulations!!!! That is most definitely Happy Dance kind of news!!! Woohoo!!! :> Here’s to ‘dusting off our dreams’!! Clink!
THAT is so fricken awesome news!!! Congrats to you, the fun begins!!!
Congratulations on following your passion. It was only a matter of time before you became published! Great things lay ahead.
Just imagine being able to live off the proceeds of your writing pursuits, it will happen.
Great, inspiring news!
Way to go Leanne, Congratulations, can’t wait to read it. I know you have worked hard to get this and you deserve it. Can’t wait to meet you one day too.
What exciting news! Congratulations, Leanne! I’m thrilled for you!
Fantastic. Amazing. Deserved. xoxo
Way to go, Leanne!
Gotta offer my own happy dance as well…
http://youtu.be/0W3ZXQqJWH8
That is so amazingly awesome! Congrats on your agent and pretty soon we’ll be saying congrats on your book being published!
Okay, your agency is super close to me, so if you ever get to fly out here, we’ve got to meet up for lunch!
That book is hilarious, I can just tell by the title. Can’t wait to read it!
can’t wait to read it and I’m happy for you!
Leanne. You’re inspirational. We can’t wait for the book launch.
two words YOU ROCK!!!!
Not only did you get a book deal but you also got over 50 people telling you congrats! You completely deserve this!
It was so great talking to you at the conference. Thanks for sitting with me at the back of the non-fic proposal workshop. We came thiiiiis close to being chucked out of class. Okay, I came close but only because I almost lost it perusing your chapter titles. So, technically it was your fault.
You do realize that EVERYONE attending the conference is going to remember the title of your book, right? Brilliant.
Pam, doing the happy dance for you here in Montreal
I’m so excited for you, Leanne!! You’re an inspiration. Can’t wait to hear what happens next. And the working title made me laugh out loud.
Thank you so much for the kind words, everyone! I sent Jill (my agent!) a link to this post and she emailed back that – after reading the comments – it’s clear I have great followers. I couldn’t agree more.
Thank you for the dances, whether they’re virtual, in elevators, or animated.
xoxo
And did I mention you guys are funny? 🙂
*throws head back and lets out a super happy yell*
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Christi Corbett
I am not at all surprised. Congratulations!
Congratulations, Leanne. You worked hard for this. It’s really exciting to see that agents are interested in humor writing. While I don’t really have a happy dance per se, when I read this post I did kind of bounce up and down in my chair in a way that I hope my co-workers didn’t see. You can count on me to buy the book, and I’m going to recommend it to every parent I know who is in need of comic relief, which is like all of them.
Never doubted for a minute that one day you would be announcing that you have an agent. The pouting and feet stomping was worth it in the end. So now you have a husband, twins, and an agent. Excellent. I’ll be expecting a personalized copy of course. So I can brag about you.
Found you through Thoughts Appear. Congrats on getting an agent. Sandra Dkystra has represented some very successful authors!
So very happy for you, and as a long time lurker of your site, I can say: anything you write I will read.
Because you have it all here: and I come to read the real world of parenting…scraped knees and scrapped egos and getting up and doing it all over again the next day.
You are a stellar talent.
CONGRATS!
Congratulations!!! You have plenty of material for a hilarious book. SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!
Sidenote: I’ve said MORE THAN ONCE: Get your penis OFF THE TABLE!.
You landed an agent and a book deal?
I’m truly happy for you, you deserve all the success in the world… But my own self-publishing career has flamed right out! I’ve just started, but NO ONE beyond the Niagara region seems to give a damn about me or my work.
By the way, The Bellman Chronicles will be free to download Sept. 10 – 11, if you want to check it out.