Summer Series: Interviews. Rachelle Gardner

Today we have Rachelle Gardner, literary agent, answering some of my good & goofy questions.

You can meet Rachelle here and here and twitter her at twitter.com/RachelleGardner.


1. What one piece of advice would you give to an aspiring writer who is actively pursuing an agent?

Make sure that your work is absolutely as good as it can be prior to seeking representation. It's best to get another set of eyes on it, preferably someone objective who will give you helpful input. If you're writing fiction, make sure you have a completed novel, edited and ready for prime time. If you're writing non-fiction, don't query until you have a completed, professional book proposal and 2 to 3 sample chapters available.

2. What’s been the most surprising thing for you as you’ve agented?

I hate to say it, but I'm surprised by the number of people who query with work that is not close to publishable level. Writing is an art and a craft, and it takes years of practice to do it well. But somehow, many people don't know this, and it shows in the queries I receive. I realize it's very difficult to get good feedback, and writers often simply don't know whether their work is publishable because they don't have anyone to tell them. But I still find it surprising how many people send work that isn't anywhere near ready.

3. Describe your ideal client.

That's a tough one because I truly enjoy working with all kinds of people. Some writers need more frequent interaction and input, and some don't; I'm okay with both styles. Some want to discuss and strategize their long-term career plans, and I love doing that; but some don't need that. Ideally, a client communicates well with me and is not afraid to ask as many questions as they want, because I don't read minds and I don't always know what's on each of my clients' minds! Perhaps the most valuable trait of the ideal client (besides writing great books) is having realistic expectations of the publishing process, and the patience and persistence to see it through.

4. Tell us about your own journey of publication.

I'd been working in publishing for a few years when I had my first child and left my in-house job to freelance as an editor and consultant. That's when I got my first job as a collaborative writer (ghostwriter). I worked with a prominent yoga-therapist and a physician from UCLA, and wrote a book called Yoga Rx which teaches about using yoga to heal all kinds of injuries and illnesses. It was a long and difficult process, but the book has been in print seven years now and has done very well. I went on to ghostwrite seven more books, including The Secrets Women Keep by Dr. Jill Hubbard (a psychologist you can hear on the New Life Live radio program with Stephen Arterburn), and Holy Yoga (a Christian yoga book) by Brooke Boon. I'm currently working on book proposals for a couple of books that hopefully will the first published under my own name.

5. Create a soundtrack that typifies your life as an agent (5 songs). :-) Why those songs?

Okay, I'll give you some favorites from my iPod.

(1) "How Great is Our God" by Chris Tomlin. My life and my work are all because of God -- his love, his grace, his mercy. I do everything in his strength! I dedicated my career as an agent to him from the first day, and pray for his guidance and blessing constantly. Our God is awesome and I praise him!

(2) "Time of My Life" by David Cook. I'm a huge D.C. fan! This song says, "I'll taste every moment, live it out loud, I know this is the time..." I'm having the time of my life being an agent, and I know this is what God had planned for me. We don't have any time except NOW, so I'm trying to live it to the fullest.

(3) "Fighter" by Christina Aguilera. Starting as an agent during the most challenging time in the history of publishing, I really need a fighting spirit to keep going! This isn't an easy job, and it can be tempting to give up. But the challenge, like the song says, "...makes me that much stronger, makes me work a little bit harder, makes me that much wiser..." I thank God for making me a fighter.

(4) "Snowed Under" by Keane. (This could also be "Avalanche" by David Cook.) Pretty self-explanatory, I guess! I've had a lot of jobs in my life, but I find this one to be the most all-consuming. I usually feel pretty snowed under, and rather than hoping it will someday be different, I'm learning to live with it.

(5) "My Life Would Suck Without You" by Kelly Clarkson. I apologize to those who don't like the wording of this title. But to all the writers out there... YOU are why I chose to be an agent. You're the reason I love books and publishing! I'm a lifelong lover of the written word, and I can't imagine my life without it. So... write on!

Here are three of the books Rachelle has written:

Yoga Rx:

Secrets Women Keep:

Holy Yoga: