More than 400 entered, 125 sent in their work for review and just three are left in Deidre and Pamela's speed dating contest. We are excited to announced that the following writers are in the running to become America's next top model...er....oops...I mean a Knight Agency client: Bob Martinez, Rhea Ference and Brandy Shockley. We want to offer a BIG congrats to Bob, Rhea and Brandy for making so far in the competition and also send our thanks to the talented writers in the previous round for all of your hard work!
Stay tuned to our blog for the grand prize winner announcement on Monday, March 28th.
Now for a little fun from Deidre and Pamela who indulged TKA's PR Director (aka. me) in a twist on The Newlywed Game -- retitled Sisters Know Best.
Sisters Know Best
Deidre on Pamela:
What is Pamela’s favorite color?
DEIDRE SAYS: Red for her house, navy blue for wardrobe! PAMELA SAYS: Red
If Pamela was standing in the romance section of a bookstore with only $10.00 in her hand, which type of book would she be most likely to reach for – a steamy historical, a light-hearted contemporary, a fast-paced suspense or a dark fantasy? DEIDRE SAYS: I’d say either a fast-paced suspense or a light-hearted contemporary. PAMELA SAYS: Light-hearted contemporary
What was the name of Pamela’s first boyfriend? DEIDRE SAYS: Tom PAMELA SAYS:Tom
What was the first book that Pamela sold? DEIDRE SAYS: Jessica Hatchigan’s HOW TO BE YOUR OWN PUBLICIST PAMELA SAYS: HOW TO BE YOUR OWN PUBLICIST
What is Pamela’s favorite comfort food? DEIDRE SAYS: Homemade mashed potatoes? I don’t really know-but I remember her making ME homemade mashed potatoes and they were very comforting! PAMELA SAYS: Homemade soup
Pamela on Deidre:
If Deidre couldn’t be a literary agent, what would she be? PAMELA SAYS: A full time writer DEIDRE SAYS: Hard, hard. Author, probably. Or maybe go into some kind of sales or marketing in another field.
Who would you say spent the most time in front of the mirror as a teen – you or Deidre? PAMELA SAYS: Me DEIDRE SAYS: Definitely Pamela because she’s always been the truly polished one out of the two of us.
If Deidre was forced to pick one or the other for her personal collection, what would she buy – a physical book or an ebook? PAMELA SAYS: Physical book DEIDRE SAYS: Hmm…depends on if you mean for long-term ownership, travel reading, or what. But I’m going to say physical book, still, because the question doesn’t specify bath reading, beach reading, bed reading…LOL. So I must pick the more durable of the two.
What was the model/make of Deidre’s first car? PAMELA SAYS: Pontiac Firebird DEIDRE SAYS: Pontiac Firebird 1980 with t-tops. It had silver leather interior and when hubs first started dating me, he joking referred to it as my “drug dealer car.” What can I say? I was a sweet, good girl in a wild ride.
What do you estimate is the highest number of books Deidre’s ever read in a week’s time? PAMELA SAYS: 15 DEIDRE SAYS:I have no idea! I haven’t been one of those people who historically keep up with what I read too closely, especially not as an agent where it kind of blends together (reading for clients/reading for pleasure.)
And...it looks like we have a tie. Seems this sisters know each other pretty well. :-)
Deidre and Pamela spent the weekend whittling the names of the speed daters down to 15 contestants. Below are the list of those folks who led the pack and will now be able to send in the first three chapters of their manuscripts for the next round. We've also included more Q&A from Deidre and Pamela.
Don't forget to join us back here on Thursday, March 17th for the announcement of the final three finalists, plus we're going to play a fun game with Deidre and Pamela to see which sister knows the other best! :-)
Bob Martinez Brandy Shockley Cathy Pritchard Christine Gallimore E.M. Lord Jenna Jaxon Kathleen Foucart Leeann Morgan Lin Christie Lisa Wells Liz Phelps Lizzie Friend Michele Shaw Rhea Ference Shari Lambert
Instructions: On Monday, March 14th we will email the 15 entrants* advancing to Round 3 and post their names on the blog by 10am ET. They must email us their first three chapters by 9:00pm ET that same day.
*All 15 entrants will receive a confirmation email that their work has been received. If you do not receive a confirmation, please follow up. At this time, we are still advising people to use our Contests@KnightAgency.net addy. If you had trouble with sending to that addy before, you can alternately send it to jia_gayles(AT)yahoo.com. Both inboxes will be checked.
TKA Q&A with Deidre and Pamela -
What has been one of your proudest moments as an agent? DEIDRE: It is very hard to pinpoint a proudest moment because quite frankly there have been many. Here are a few greatest hits: seeing 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN pass the four year mark on the New York Times bestseller list; Gena Showalter being the first Harlequin Teen author to hit the New York Times; Cara Lockwood’s movie of I DO, BUT I DON’T airing on Lifetime with the hunky Dean Cain in lead role; my recent sale of “pie lady” Beth M. Howard’s memoir, MAKING PIECE in a pre-empt after a great deal of heated interest from publishers; the first time I did a six figure deal (to Doubleday for ACHIEVING YOUR FINANCIAL POTENTIAL by Scott Kays); my very first NYC trip, when I found out what I was truly made of inside—overcoming fear and potential intimidation and instead successfully meeting editors from cold calls.
What is the best part of working with a member of your family? DEIDRE: I love getting to travel with Pamela to all sorts of fun and exciting destinations, particularly all our trips to NYC. We always inspire each other during these trips and challenge each other to go farther in the business.
Sisters by the Seashore in Newport, R.I.
Left: Deidre; Right: Pamela
Left: Deidre; Right, Pamela
What part of your job gives you the biggest thrill? PAMELA: It sounds trite, but being able to tell a first-time author that we have an offer is truly the most rewarding aspect of my job. It's an honor to play a part in the realization of someone else's dream.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned about how to be successful in the publishing world PAMELA: In this business, perseverance is the key to success. I have told many people about a nonfiction project that I once sold after showing it to no less than 35 different publishers. It was a project I deeply believed in, and I just couldn’t let it go. It proves the point that it’s all about getting the material in front of the right people.
Deidre and Pamela were thrilled to see that so many talented writers participated in our second speed date competition, and once again there were some tough choices to be made. In the end, there could only be 25 to move onto the next round. Their names are listed below, as well as some fun Q&A with Deidre and Pamela on how they got started in the agenting biz.
Ann Childs
Annette F. Boone
Bob Martinez
Brandy Shockley
Brenda Heald
Cathy Pritchard
Christine Gallimore
E.M. Lord
Jenna Jaxon
Joseph Wise
Kathleen Foucart
Kelly Bryson
Leeann Morgan
Lin Christie
Lisa Wells
Liz Phelps
Lizzie C. Friend
Mandy Mikulencak
Melanie LeGrand
Meredith Simmons
Michele Shaw
Nancy Kattenfeld
Rhea Ference
Shari Lambert
Tim Renoylds
BIG congrats to those moving onto the next round, and a special thanks to everyone who participated!
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ROUND 2 -- On Thursday, March 10th we will email the 25 entrants advancing to Round 2 and post their names on the blog by 10am ET. They must email us* their first ten pages by 9:00pm ET that same day.
*All 25 entrants will receive a confirmation email that their work has been received. If you do not receive a confirmation, please follow up. At this time, we are still advising people to use our Contests@KnightAgency.net addy. If you had trouble with sending to that addy before, you can alternately send it to jia_gayles(AT)yahoo.com. Both inboxes will be checked.
TKA Q&A with Deidre and Pamela!
What inspired you to hang up your own shingle and open The Knight Agency? DEIDRE: I’d wanted to start my own business for years prior to opening the agency. Pamela and I grew up working in our family’s business, and apparently entrepreneurialism was in my blood. My only problem was I just wasn’t sure what sort of business I wanted to actually launch! I’d been thinking, working and praying toward that goal for several years when my husband signed on with an agent. She’d just moved to Atlanta from New York, and we had dinner at her house one night. It was one of life’s big “aha!” moments for me. As we left that agent’s house, I turned to Jud and said, “Okay—editing? Reading? Film rights (I had a background in entertainment)? Marketing? This sounds like ME.” I didn’t hang up the proverbial shingle right away; I waited for just the perfect moment—which turned out to be in 1996 when the Net really broke loose. How has your vision of what being an agent means evolved over the years, or is it essentially the same as it was fifteen years ago? DEIDRE: My definition of my role is constantly evolving, just as the publishing landscape is ever-changing. Right now, of course, I’m seeing my purview expanding as the digital landscape grows wider and more exciting. At TKA we have many plans in terms of helping clients take advantage of all the emerging digital publishing opportunities; we’ve also spent the past five and a half years growing our publicity wing, which Jia Gayles oversees. You see that program in operation right here, right now with this contest—and promotion is a huge part of our agenting philosophy, one you see in action via Twitter, our newsletters, blogging, author chats, contests and more. I really believe that an agent’s job is far more than just placing books with publishers: it’s about overall career management, publicity, exposure and maximizing a wide variety of opportunities, many of which are tied to the multimedia landscape.
How did you get your “foot in the door” as a newbie agent trying to meet with major publishers? Do you think the methods you used then would work for someone trying to make a name for themself in the current industry? DEIDRE: I am very fortunate that I had an extensive marketing and sales background prior to agenting, so “cold calling” came naturally to me. Phone fear wasn’t a problem. Within two months of launching my agency, I was already visiting NYC and setting meetings with editors, even though I didn’t have a big client list or a list of accomplishments. I’d done my research, and did what I’d always done in sales: built relationships. To this day, I think that relationships are the absolute cornerstone of publishing, whether you’re an author, agent, or editor. As a note: my very first publishing meeting was with an editor at Dell Publishing. Later, when I was shopping Diana Peterfreund’s SECRET SOCIETY GIRL, I phoned that same editor—and very long story-her assistant took the submission, and beat out four other editors and landed the project at auction. So quite literally, my first publishing meeting led to an auction day win for Diana Peterfreund and me!
Left: Deidre, an agent prodigy wheeling and dealing in her pre-Blackberry days; Right: Pamela, a prima ballerina who developed an early appreciation for the Arts
What sort of career did you have before agenting, and what made you want to leave that industry to join Deidre at TKA? PAMELA: I was in computer sales working with banks, and I loved my job. When my family and I left the metro Atlanta area, I continued working from our new home on the lake, but it just got harder and harder. Deidre and I were as close as ever when she began the agency, and we often talked often about me coming on board when I was ready. I waited until the fall of 2000 when my son was turning one and jumped in with both feet.
Share the story of your most memorable sale. PAMELA: All of my sales are memorable. Truly, every one is very important to me. But there is one sale that I am particularly proud of and remember well because it was early in my career and less conventional than some of my other ones. I'd read an interesting article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and it really piqued my interest. I approached the author and asked if he had ever thought of writing a book. We eventually signed him, and I sold the project. The book was amazing and did very well. This was a great a confidence builder for me early in my career, and it fueled my passion for agenting.
What’s the best part of working with a member of your family? What’s the toughest part? PAMELA: I get so much emotional support from Deidre on a personal level. We have always been incredibly close, which isn’t the case with all sisters. Maybe because we are 8 years apart we never fought over the usual sister things like boys or clothes. This emotional bond completely carries over to the business, and it makes my career in publishing so much richer.
Needless to say this is a tough business and not for the faint of heart. For every rejection we send one client, just multiply it by 30 (my typical client list) and then you have what we are dealing with daily. Deidre and I do a lot to keep each other afloat during these tough days. And to balance this out, we get to share closely in the success which is even more sweet when you see someone you love dearly achieve it. The flipside to that is the same thing when we have a tough day. It’s hard to watch my best friend when things don’t go as planned.
UPDATE: Please find the 125 entrants for Speed Date 2 below, alphabetized for your reading pleasure. We are grateful to EVERYONE who entered. If you didn't get selected today, we strongly encourage you to submit to our agency via the traditional channel of querying our submissions coordinator.
As for the 125 lucky ducks, you have until 12:00pm ET tomorrow (3/8/2011) to email your first three pages to Contests@KnightAgency.net. Consult the rules for details on how to format your email. If you have any questions about the below or the contest in general -- you can use "Contests" email addy given above. And without further ado...
Alison Hendrie
Amanda Jensen
Amanda Lee
Andrea Aten
Angel Leigh McCoy
Ann Childs
Annette F. Boone
Arlene Hlttle
Ashley Gafford
Ashley Graham
Audrey Lockwood
Barbara Weitz
Belinda Christ
Bethany Morrow
Bill Breedlove
Bob Martinez
Brandy Shockley
Brenda Heald
Bryce Daniels
C.C. Wiley
Caitlyn Nicholas
Candice Green
Carla Kempert
Carol R. Wood
Cary Barbor
Cathy Pritchard
Chad Corrie
Cheryl O' Donovan
Christine Gallimore
Christine Kuczmynda
Connie M. Keller
Dan Wickline
Debora Dale
Deborah Grahl
Debra Rodensky
Dex Raven
Donald Cummings
Dorothy Dreyer
E.M. Lord
EK Ellis
Felithia Holiday
Gina Mosley Lamm
Jackie Felger
Jacquelyn Sylvan
Jani Grey
Jared Garrett
Jen Duffey
Jen Ward
Jenn Nixon
Jennifer Froelich
Jennifer Myers
Jennifer Santiago
Jess Huckins
Jessica Williams Jo Delong
Jodie L. Boduch
JohnO Joseph Wise Julia Hoye
Julie Gupton
Karyn Bristol
Kate Martin
Kathleen Foucart
Katie Kelly
Kay LaLone
Kelly Bryson
Kerri M.
Kimberly Nee
Kristin Lynn Thetford
KT Grant
L. G. Vernon
Landon Rogers
Landra Graf
Laura Kaye
Leah Marie Brown
Leeann (commented @ 12:17pm)
Lisa Troy
Lisa Wells
Liz Phelps
Lizzie Friend
Lori Hahnel
Lucy River
Lynette Schneider
Mandy Mikulencak
Matt Manzella
Melanie LeGrand
Meredith Simmons
Michele Shaw
Mila Ramos
Mimi Cross
Morgan Baden
Nancy Kattenfeld
Nancy Smith Gibson
Naomi Rawlings
Nicholas Denmon
Nick Burnette
Pat Jeanne Davis
PaulaRose
Peggy Bird
Rena Rossney
Rhea (commented @ 12:06 pm)
Robert Ryan
Robin Boisseau
Rona Altrows
Rubianna Masa
Ruth Donnelly
SA Brown
Sandra Gale
Scot Douglas Celley
Shari Lambert
Sheri Downing
Sherrie Snow
Stephen Hayes
Susan Bohnet
Tara Kennedy
Theresa Sanchez Bazelli
Tiana Bragg
Timothy Reynolds
Tina Lynn Sandoval
Tom Honea
Toni Morrow Wyatt
TracyA (commented @12:02 pm)
Viviane Brentanos
Wendy Bunker
Xandra James _______________________________________
Today is the big day, and you are in the right spot. Deidre and Pamela are both BEYOND excited to see some fresh, new talent, and can’t wait to start reading your work!
Leave a comment in THIS post between 12:00pm and 1:00pm Eastern Time to win a Speed Date with Deidre and Pamela. When 1:00pm rolls around, we will pull all of the names entered during the specified entry period and randomly draw 125 participants. THIS post will be updated with the selected names by the end of the business day today, and the lucky 125 must send in their first three pages by 12pm ET tomorrow, March 8th. If you already read the rules, this is all old news. But just in case, here’s a link to review the rules if you need to.
As we mentioned, Deidre and Pamela are going to be strolling down memory lane as we update the rounds here on the blog. In Thursday’s blog post, we’ll post some Q&A from the sisters about The Knight Agency’s history along with the names of those advancing to the next round. In the meantime, we know you just want to get to “it.” So get going!!! Good luck!
Hey Folks, we know you are anxious for Speed Date 2 with Deidre Knight and Pamela Harty to get started. We've got a little more than an hour to go before the contest opens up, and we just wanted to say thanks to all of you for continuing to check the blog and taking time out of your day to enter our contest. Deidre and Pamela can't wait to dive into your work.
If you have any last minute issues, I'm answering questions down in the original rules post. Please remember that the original rules post will be disabled for comments during the contest entry period beginning at 12pm ET. Also, I'm disabling this post for comments just so there's no confusion about where to post entries. Look for the "Official Speed Date 2 Post" at the appropriate time. I will probably put it up a few minutes before 12, so make sure your time stamp doesn't report that you posted before the contest officially opens.
Countdown to Turkey Day with The Knight Agency: Pamela Harty
UPDATE: The winner of 10+ books by Knight Agency authors is donnas. Congrats! Please email your physical addy to Contests(AT)KnightAgency.net.
It's the final day of our Thanksgiving countdown, and Knight Agency vice president of sales, Pamela Harty, has written our final send off for the holiday.
We hope you enjoyed hearing from our authors during the last several days, and we encourage you to come back after you've stuffed yourselves to the gills with sweet potato casserole, turkey, dressing, ham, rolls and macaroni and cheese to check out some fab contests and blogs we have planned for the end of the year. (Oh boy, I think I just gained 5 pounds from writing the previous sentence. LOL.)
Final Giveaway! Leave a comment to win 10+ books from Knight Agency clients for your holiday reading enjoyment. The winner will be announced on Monday, November 29th.
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Gratitude is an Action Word
I am always a bit intimated to post on our TKA blog. Working every day with such amazing writers, I know just how much my own writing pales in comparison. That being said, it may sound funny that my blog post title is Gratitude is an action word knowing full well gratitude is a noun.
But for me, as this holiday season kicks off I plan to make a conscience effort to make my gratitude apparent to everyone by both my actions and my attitude.
On a professional level, I have so much to be grateful for beginning with my most basic ability to see and read the written word. So first off, I am thankful for my eyesight and my 2.0 reading glasses.
I am thankful for the Internet, high speed connections, my laptop and blackberry – all of which make my work accessible, portable, and allow me to do my job from any spot in the world any time of the day.
I am grateful for my Kindle and the inroads that have been made in the digital publishing world this year. I am thankful that with the click of a few buttons I have thousands of books available to me.
I am thankful for our submissions box and knowing that any day the most amazing manuscript might come in and possibly be our next best seller. I am thankful to Melissa who does an extraordinary job staying on top of the mounds of incoming material. Thank you, Melissa!
I am thankful for my other wonderful co-workers and the skills that they each bring to the table making The Knight Agency such a special place to work.
Thank you Elaine for running such a tight ship and your willingness to talk over lunch. And Jamie for all those questions you answer and checks you send out. Thank you, Jia for always having a smile and helping me with every random computer issue I have. Thank you Nephele for west coast updates and Lucienne for your diligence and hard work on all things Dorchester. You are all amazing ladies. Thank you for all you do!!!
I am so thankful for Deidre and Jud and all that they have done to grow TKA. Deidre is a giver of time and talent every day. I am grateful that I can make a living doing something so much fun with people I love.
And finally, I am thankful for my awe inspiring clients whose talents and imaginations are amazing. In an industry where rejection is as common as the winter cold, I say thank you to my strong, smart, funny, creative, quirky and lovable clients. You keep me on my toes. In this competitive marketplace you understand the power of both a good rewrite as well as a strong sense of humor. You people are such professionals. You know who you are. Thank you, thank you.
Yes, for me I hope to make gratitude an action word this season! Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
Sisters Know Best
