KDH asked Marie Phillips:

Gods Behaving Badly is one of my favorite books, top 3 to be exact. How long did you query before being picked up by an agent?

Marie Phillips Thank you, that's amazing to hear! OK, so the process with GBB was unusual. I already had representation for a book that was never published - I'd been recommended an agent through a friend, and he'd passed me on to her (they were within the same agency), so that was pretty straightforward. But she really didn't like GBB, and she gave it to a reader who felt the same way. So I was left with a choice, persist with the agent or persist with GBB. I chose the book, but it was a very tough decision. Anyway I was working in a bookshop at the time, and one of the sales reps who came in regularly (a lovely man, Peter Fry, now retired) knew that I had written this book and advised me to send it to his boss, Dan Franklin, who at the time was the head of Jonathan Cape, a publishing division within Random House (he is also now retired). He was a hugely important guy, but I thought, what do I have to lose? So I sent him the opening chapters, with a short note explaining that I would appreciate his advice on getting representation or how to go about getting it published. I was incredibly lucky: Dan loved it, asked to read the rest, and made me an offer within a week. Then with his help I chose an agent: one look at the complexity of the contract they'd offered me made me realise that I did not want to do this alone. (I have never regretted this decision.) Having worked with Dan on a couple of books, and read other books that he recommended to me, I realised just how lucky I was - Dan and I happen to have the exact same sense of humour. The same book landing on someone else's desk might have had a very different response. Anyway, it's hard to generalise from my very unusual story, but I suppose what I learned from it is to believe in my work, not to give up if I get a negative response, and that when an opportunity comes your way, take it without thinking twice. Thanks again for your question, KDH - I'm guessing that you might be a writer too, in which case very best of luck with it!

flag