I'll always remember my first....

No matter how good or how bad something, you always remember the first time you do something.

For my writing career it's my first writers conference at RWA in SoCal. My first pitch to an agent in person. My first rejection from the first pitch in person. My first novel I wrote. My first novel I finished the edits on. My first query letter I mailed.

And to this week I get to add to my firsts. My first request for pages from an agent from that second query letter I sent on a whim to an agent I respect, but hadn't really planned on sending it in quite yet.

When I got that email I had to read it twice to make sure my imagination wasn't playing tricks on me. It wasn't. The agency wants to read 30 pages of my work. AAAHHHHHH. I was at my day job and gave my boss a high five cause I was so excited.

Now what?

I did a quick read through out loud to catch any last little errors and saved those pages in a separate file. Following their directions to a T I sent in what they asked as tears of joy and excitement and utter horror that this is actually happening.

After I hit the send button I made a little hysterical giggle and let out a sigh. I did it. There is no turning back and I feel like I can call my self a writer.

No this doesn't mean that I'm going to be represented by this particular agency. But it means that I have gotten that one step closer to making it happen. Would I love to be represented by this agency? Hell yes. But right now it's about waiting to hear back if they want to read more pages after this. And after that if they want to read the whole thing. If they like my and they sent me an offer of representation then the real work begins.

That's when we really see if what I want and what they want match up. If it does then EPIC win. If not then I'm off to find someone who is just as passsionate of my work as I am and can help me make myself a better writer and help my career grow in an industry that I'm still learning about.

But for right now I'm celebrating the fact that I made it this far. I got my manuscript done. WIN. I sent out a query letter. WIN. I was asked to have pages sent to someone in the industry that can quite possibly be a business partner. WIN.

I will take those 3 wins, pat myself on the back and see where it will go from there.

Good luck to everyone else in their firsts and always remember to embrace those wins and not let those rejections bring you down. You made it this far don't stop now. I'm not. And I'm loving every second of the journey.

Edit two weeks later: I get to ad to another of my firsts. My first emailed rejection letter. Yes, I'm bummed, but hey I got a request of pages from my query and that's the farthest I've ever gotten so far. So, I'm taking this experience as a win, and moving on to find another agent that I would want to represent me and my work. And then the process starts over again. And again. And again if it has to. Until I find that right agent that see my potential and loves my work and my ideas. Then the real work begins. Trying to sell my work to publishers. Till then I'm going to keep writing and keep sending my work out. This business is about rejections till you get that one yes. And I'm going to celebrate every little win I can to get me through the rejections. I love writing and I'm not going to stop. Ever.