Ten Years!

I was reminded this morning that today is the 10-year anniversary of the day my agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette, made her first sale, and my first sale.

I signed with Joan on May 9, 2009, shortly after she put on her agent badge. At the time, I remember feeling the weight of what signing that contract meant, and surely she did too. Neither of us had been tested in in the market – I’d never sold a book, nor had she. Suddenly, our careers had banded together. Perhaps she sensed something marketable in my writing. I certainly understood this was a woman of incredible savvy and intelligence.

And Joan hit the ground running. Today, June 3, marks the day ELLIOT AND THE GOBLIN WAR sold to Sourcebooks as a trilogy. In early 2010, she sold THE FALSE PRINCE to Scholastic, also as a trilogy but this time on a pre-empt.

Over the past ten years, I’ve released a total of fifteen novels plus contributions to two compilation novels. My next book will release in October, and there are now six more books under contract!

Not only that, Joan is regularly listed as a top ten selling agent in all three youth categories: Picture Book, Middle Grade, and YA. Her clients include many award winning and New York Times Bestselling authors, and other authors whose careers are rapidly skyrocketing.

Joan is also an author herself, with novels ranging from pre-school age to Young Adult in a variety of genres. Definitely check out her books!

Also, I might note that she is genuinely a kind person. The type of person who I have been honored to call my agent and friend for ten amazing years.

I cannot wait to see where we go from here…