Pub Rants

When Love IS Better The Second Time Around

by Kristin Nelson

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STATUS: Had my first real appts. at HarperCollins this afternoon. Funny enough, the editors and I spent more time talking about my new Kindle than upcoming projects. The associate publisher even popped in to play with it.

What’s playing on the iPod right now? MAMBO No. 5 by Lou Bega

Here’s another spin on the second time around. Last year I took on a new client from whom I had seen a previous novel but I had passed on (but remembered that I liked the writing). She hooked up with a different agent, but the project didn’t sell. The agent wasn’t interested in her next novel so she decided to try me again for her new stuff since it was so different from her previous novel.

Loved it. Took it on. Sent it out and it’s going to auction.

The love was definitely better the second time around.

Happens all the time by the way.

14 Responses

  2. Anonymous said:

    This is both encouraging and discouraging. It’s wonderful to have an example of a writer who succeeded the second time around with an entirely new novel; apparently, the writer is improving in skill and technique.

    It’s also incredibly discouraging, though, knowing that after all her work to find an agent for the first novel, the book not only didn’t sell, but the agent was unwilling to continue working with her for new projects.

    I’m glad she caught your eye this time around.

  3. Anonymous said:

    Which book is going to auction – the one that didn’t sell with the previous agent or the next one that the previous agent wasn’t interested in?

  5. Anonymous said:

    Anon 7:34-

    Kristin wrote:

    “The agent wasn�t interested in her next novel so she decided to try me again for her new stuff since it was so different from her previous novel.

    Loved it. Took it on. Sent it out and it�s going to auction.”

    I think it’s clear that it’s the newer novel that is going to auction; her former agent wasn’t interested, and therefore passed on it, while Kristin picked it up.

    Looks like her first book isn’t going to be published, but at least she now has a great agent for her more recent work.

  10. storydancer said:

    Interesting story. If you ever feel so inclined, I’d be curious to know if you have any stats and/or comments on what percentage of agented works fail to find a home with a publisher.

    Thanks again for this blog.