Agent and Editor Sign ups!

I have been waiting for today for weeks now since I signed up to go to the RWA national convention in D.C. in July. Every year at nationals, agents and editors make themselves available for appointments to hear "pitches" from authors wanting to get their books published. In the hierarchy of RWA, (Romance Writers of America), people who are up for awards this year got first dibs, then published authors, then PRO authors (which is basically people who have finished novels just haven't sold them yet but are seeking publication of a work 40,000 words or longer, which mine is only 20,000 so doesn't count), and then general members.

I was so nervous that after all those other people got to sign up, there wouldn't be any other openings left. My two current works in progress are on opposite sides of the spectrum really, with one novel targetted at Silhouette Desire, which is a line at Harlequin, and the other being a young adult novel about the zombie apocalypse. I want to publish them both, though!

So imagine my excitement when I signed on this morning and was able to get an appointment with the senior editor for Silhouette Desire as well as an agent from New York City who specializes in Young Adult novels!! I could scream I'm so excited!!! I only get something like 5 minutes to pitch my ideas, but damnit, I'm going to make the most of those 5 minute appointments!!

I have so much work to do now to get both of my novels completed before I leave in July. Yikes!!! This is definitely going to mean late nights and nonstop writing, but I'm ready for it and excited about the possibility of taking another step towards being a published author!