…or one story about finding an agent at the grocery store.

The search for an agent is daunting. There are websites, articles, and books that tell authors how to find just the right person to represent his/work. I was ready. I did my research, wrote queries and rewrote them, sent out letters, and then sent out more. I used site like www.agentquery.com and hunted down agent interviews. I checked my email obsessively. It was so much easier, in the first round, to query agents who accept e-mail queries. E-mail friendly agents, we authors love you.

And  I had my list ready. You know that list of questions you keep just in case an agent makes the call and is interested in your work. I kept mine right by phone on my writing desk–just in case. And there were agents who requested partials and fulls, but nothing definite until I went to the grocery store. Okay, I’m sure it doesn’t happen this way for everyone, but here’s how it happened for me.

My most promising lead had evaporated. I was down. I sat at my computer and moped. My nice little list of agent questions was all printed out and set by the phone. I turned it over so I wouldn’t have to look at it.

In Safeway, around 4 pm, somewhere between the coffee and deli aisle my cell phone rings. I fumble it out of my purse and can hardly hear the voice over the piped in music and intercom announcements about specials on roast beef.
“This is Sandra Bishop.”
I drop my bread.
“Do you have time to talk?”
“Ah, I’m in the middle of the grocery store, can I call you back?”
“I only have twenty minutes and then I have another appt. I’m leaving the country tomorrow.”
I realize that it would take to much time to get home. I desperately look for a quiet spot, hunker down between the teas and wine. Not much action in the booze section.  Musak keeps blaring. Luckily, she didn’t hang up!

I was able to hear just enough of that conversation to realize that an agent really was interested and wanting me to consider her. It wasn’t the way I pictured it would be, sitting at my desk with my neat list of questions. It was a good reminder that life surprises us, sometimes in the most unlikely places.