Romance Novelist Celeste Bradley Gives Advice
Getting Published, Finding the Right Literary Agent
Jun 29, 2009
Romance novelist Celeste Bradley answered questions about writing in an interview with Suite101 writer Jennifer Jensen. Here, she shares thoughts on finding and getting a literary agent, and the story of getting her first novel accepted for publication.
About Celeste Bradley
Celeste Bradley is the author of one novella and thirteen romance novels. She specializes in Regency Romances, and her best-selling titles include Desperately Seeking a Duke and The Rogue. Her newest book, Devil in My Bed, will be released in August, 2009, the first book in her new "Runaway Brides" trilogy.
Tell About Your First Published Novel:
My first novel was titled Fallen and was released by Dorchester Publishing in 1991. It's a quirky take on a standard romance novel theme of "finding a man in your bed."
Fallen was the first thing I'd ever written. I had no writing background at all unless you count a lifetime of voracious reading. I wrote the novel to entertain myself and a friend. She wouldn't let me stop until it was done because she had to know what happened in the story.
How Did You Succeed in Getting Your Novel Accepted?
I broke every rule of submission that there is. I simply didn't know them. So I blanketed New York with simultaneous submissions, all in the wrong font and format, of course. I stand by that act still, however, because I don't think a publisher should be able to state rules for you if you don't even write for them yet!
Is a Literary Agent Necessary?
This is difficult to answer because the publishing industry has changed a lot over the nine years that I've been in it. It was once much easier to find an editor than an agent. Now the opposite is true. If I were starting out now, I would try at both equally and I would be very proactive with it. Don't sit back and wait.
What Were You Looking for in a Literary Agent, and How Did You Find Yours?
I sold my first two books without an agent, although I did hire one in mid-negotiation for the second. I took her on without ever meeting her first and our relationship was somewhat rocky due to personality, although she is an excellent agent in general. My second agent contacted me because she liked my work and we hit it off very well.
How Can a New Writer Find the Right Literary Agent?
The whole thing is a little like dating. If you find someone who likes your work, who you think is really behind what you're doing and is not simply someone who wants to make money from you, then that person is going to fight for you at the negotiating table. Trial and error is the only thing that worked for me. I could say that you should get references, etc, but that doesn't really work either, except to rule out the criminal element. My current agent has taken my career to a whole new level, has been a staunch friend and even a shoulder to cry on, but I know that every agent has horror stories circling about them. One author's dream agent is another author's nightmare.
For more writing advice from Celeste Bradley and other romance novelists, read Romance Writers Speak.
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