What God Has Planted

I think I’m trying to absorb the publishing industry.

I started out a writer. One of those dreadfully earnest kinds that showed up at conferences clutching one-sheets as if they were the Golden Ticket and everybody with the label of “editor” or “agent” were Willy Wonka.

That lasted until about two years ago when someone nudged me, whispered in my ear that I was looking at things from the wrong angle entirely. That I should be an agent.

Now I’m not given to listening to random nudgings from strangers…oh wait a moment. That was God. Only, at that time He and I weren’t on the best terms, so I tended to fight anything He had to say. So I doggedly pushed forward on what I thought I should be doing. But oddly enough from that point onwards when I attended conferences my feet led me anywhere but to what would get me published. In fact, back last September they led me straight to Terry Burns.

Now Terry Burns is the epitome of the gentleman cowboy. He’s also one of my favorite authors (You have GOT to read Mysterious Ways). And he happens to be a literary agent with Hartline Literary Agency. Interestingly enough He does listen to God nudges so when I bumped into him he offered me an opportunity I couldn’t ignore. I would be his assistant while he trained me to be an agent.

So, not one to stall when God is hitting me upside the head with a 2x4 I accepted. And so have been immersing myself in the industry since then.

Think the story is over? Think again?

So a few months go by. My life has a few little bumps along the way, someone reminiscent of the twister that launched Dorothy into OZ. I found myself in Colorado Springs with the rest of my families. (Hey, guess what, mountains get bigger the closer you get to them….)

Well I had only been here a few weeks when my paths crossed with Jeff Gerke of Marcher Lord Press. Now I’ve gotten a bit better at listening to God nudges so this time when I had this meeting I only spent about an hour of our conversation with an internal dialogue that ran something like this…

‘Ok, go on. Tell him you want to work for him.’

‘What do you mean work for him? I already work for Terry.’

‘But you could learn so much from him. Do you have any idea who this guy is?’

‘Yes I know EXACTLY who he is, thank you very much. But he’ll think I’m crazy. What kind of person goes up and says, Hey teach me everything you know about the publishing industry, please.’

‘That’s why you offer to work for him.’

‘But I already am learning about the industry…’

‘From the agent side. Now learn the editor side…’

By this time I’m getting curious looks from those around the table so I suspect my internal dialogue was noisier than I suspected. Either that or maybe they feel God nudges too…

So, long story short I work for Jeff now. And Terry. And am learning everything I can from both. I’m beyond amazed and have no idea where any of this is leading. But I certainly can’t wait to see what God has planned for me along the way.

What has God been nudging you to do lately?