A Chat with Literary Agent Lizzie Poteet

When I was 18 I was absolutely positive I was going to go to theology school after college. I'd taken an Old Testament course as a freshman, so obviously, I knew what I was doing. The plan was undergrad then post-grad theology school so I could be a college professor. I knew what I was going to do. I had a plan.

 I didn't go to theology school. 

Then when I was a much more mature 21-year-old, I was definitely going to work in publicity. No question. Theology was so in the past. I wanted to work with books. Specifically romance novels. I'd move to NYC and work in publishing as a publicist. I'd be the best book publicist around. I was sure of it. 

I didn't get any job offers in publicity. 

So I switched gears, after all at 22 I was both wiser and more determined, and my new plan was to be a romance editor. I was in NYC for the long run. I scoffed at colleagues who talked about wanting to leave the city to have families or a yard. I had a rat-infested park on my block, same thing as a yard. I was focused, I was confident, and this time my plan was on track. I landed the perfect job at St. Martin's Press in editorial with a fabulous boss and a cool team. I had the job, I had the drive, I was meeting amazing authors and making amazing friends on my romance team, but something was missing. 

The plan was working perfectly. 

As years went by I hit some big milestones in my career: first acquisition, first award nominee, first bestseller. Everyone told me how great I was at my job, and I was focused on being great at my job but... I was unhappy. I was lonely in New York and throwing myself into my career plan wasn't helping. I missed my family in Nashville - and I mean that literally. I was so dedicated to my plan I missed my little sister's college graduation, my grandfather's funeral, my brother's courthouse wedding. Sure, I went home the weekend after my sister graduated. And yes, I flew home the week after my grandfather passed before his funeral and made it to my brother's celebratory wedding reception, but being so far from my support system was wearing on me...as was the creeping doubt that maybe I didn't love my job the way I'd thought I would. I loved my colleagues. I loved my authors. But I didn't love being an editor. 

My life was going according to plan but I started to realize, my plan wasn't working for me anymore. What do you do when your plan fails?

For me, it meant hitting pause. I threw "the plan" out, stopped trying to live my life based on what I thought I needed to do to achieve my definition of success. I made some calls. I made some lists. I took what'd I'd learned and made some changes. What did I want? 

I wanted to move closer to my family. I wanted to leave editorial. I wanted a career that allowed me to still do what I love - working with authors, building careers, developing projects - but in a way that would fit me better. I wanted to have more of a work-life balance. Which is how I ended up an agent with the Seymour Agency working in Nashville. It wasn't my original plan, but so what? For years I felt trapped in NYC because leaving meant failure, leaving meant the fear of the unknown, but now I can't help but think I'm where I'm meant to be right at this moment. Here for my baby sister's engagement. Here for a difficult family diagnosis. Reconnecting with friends, helping out with my grandmothers. I had to accept that there are a whole lot of different paths you can take if you let yourself be open to them.

Now...how does that apply to you? The writer?

 Simple: it's great to have a plan, to know what you want, but sometimes things don't happen like you think they will. Sometimes you have to shift gears. I'm not saying don't write down your goals and strive for them, but I am saying that if something doesn't feel right, if you're frustrated, sit down and reassess. 

Here's some real-life practical advice from me to you. Every author's journey to publication and success looks different, so don't be afraid to follow your own path if needed or even throw out the plan.

Why haven't I been signed by an agent?

1. Maybe your book just isn't ready yet. I often get pitches from authors who aren't technically ready for representation. Meaning their writing still needs work. The voice might be missing, the story arch might be too simplistic, the dialogue might be unrealistic, the syntax might be a bit too amateur. Just because you've finished writing your book doesn't mean you're finished working on it.

 Even published authors are constantly honing their craft, so don't be afraid to hit pause on your timetable and admit to yourself that "hey, it's amazing and inspiring that I've finished a book, but now I'm going to really pay more attention to the technical side of writing." Join a writer's circle, get some beta readers, attend workshops. Step back from pitching and querying and focus on your craft. For every author who sat down and instantly wrote a bestseller, there are five more who had to write and rewrite to get there. 

Photo by Tirza van Dijk on Unsplash

2. Maybe your book just isn't The One. As an agent, I'm looking for authors whose voice I am passionate about, whose writing inspires me, and... who I think I can sell. Sometimes I get queries that are creative and inventive but have no idea what to do with them. Okay, you wrote an Amish time travel YA... sounds cool, but do I know the inspirational YA market? Is there an inspirational YA market? And would they want time travel or Amish? If my answer to any of these is "I don't know" then I'm not going to waste your time by signing you. We always say don't write to trends, but the flip side to that is unless I can see a publication strategy for your book, I'm not going to be the right fit. 

So what can you do? Maybe it means doing more research on the market by gathering strong comp titles in your genre - show me that there's a market for Amish YA! -, maybe that means doing more research on the agents you pitch. In some cases, maybe it means shelving this book while you start on another project. As I mentioned before, authors learn something new with each book they write. There could be something missing from your Amish YA that a little distance and time will help you see.


3. Maybe a traditional path isn't right for you. Some authors find it weird to hear an agent advocating indie publishing, but I realize that the traditional path isn't right for everyone. Are you a type A personality who loves to be hands on? Do you want to publish and write shorter stories? Are you writing something that isn't easily defined? Indie publishing is a great way to find an audience for genres that are harder to sell traditionally. Just look at the thriving paranormal romance genre in digital right now. That said, if you do decide to go indie, commit to it. You're publishing a book when you go indie. It's not a placeholder.

 Often I get queries from authors telling me that the book they've pitch me just came out on Amazon two weeks ago. Ummm...okay? My primary job as an agent is to sell your work to publishing houses, so pitching me a story that's already been published doesn't start us off on the right foot. If you've tried indie and want a more hybrid career (traditional and indie) or just found it wasn't for you, then come up with a new idea and query that - not the book you've already put up for sale.

So if you aren't happy, you aren't seeing the success you want, don't fret. Instead, sit down, look at what you're writing, identify what you really want, and don't be afraid to change paths.

What are your thoughts and questions about the journey?
 What do you do when your plan fails?? 

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Poteet attended Colby College where she majored in English and Religious Studies. While studying at St. Andrews, she realized that though she enjoyed Shakespeare and the Dead Sea Scrolls, she preferred reading stories with a little more heat and heart. Lizzie took her passion for romance and turned it into a position with RT Bookreviews as a romance reviewer. In 2011, she joined the editorial team at St. Martin's Press where she worked with romance, YA, nonfiction, and women’s fiction. Then in 2015, Lizzie became the e-book original coordinator for SMP Swerve, helping launch the digital-only romance imprint.

 Lizzie is always looking for a good love story. She loves classic romance tropes, strong dialogue, sassy heroines, witty banter, and good old fashion romance. She’s actively seeking inspirational romance, cozy mystery, New Adult, YA, romantic suspense, historical and contemporary romances, and loves anything with a happy ending.

Leave a comment today for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card that Seekerville is giving away in honor of Lizzie's visit. 

Winner announced in the next Weekend Edition.