Nanc and I fly to the Big Apple!
Three literary agents had responded to our query letters about our new book, WE INTERRUPT THIS FUNERAL TO BRING YOU BACK! Exciting stuff. But how to choose which agency was right for us? At long last we made up our minds that there was only one way to make this important decision: We had to fly to New York and talk to each of the agents in person!
Nancy and I were excited by the idea; our husbands a bit less enthusiastic. First, there was the money to consider. Flying to the East Coast, staying in a hotel, paying for ground transportation, not to mention feeding ourselves (all at New York prices!), had to taken into consideration, bearing in mind that our two families were operating on a tight budget. On the other hand, even the guys had to admit that it seemed like a great opportunity, especially when Nanc arranged for us to stay at a friend's apartment. No hotel bills! Maybe we could make this thing happen after all.
After a lot of thought, planning, juggling car pools and hiring baby-sitters, we finally made our flight reservations, and set up appointments to visit all three literary agencies. We wouldn't be going first class, but we would be going!
I'll never forget our excitement as we stepped off the plane in New York. We felt like two kids playing hooky from school. It was a great adventure, and we were determined to make the most out of the trip.
Our spirits were only slightly dampened when we stepped out of the airport to be greeted by 90 degree, extremely humid temperatures. I swear it was like walking into a very hot, very damp sauna! As we drove into town, our taxi driver explained in a thick Bronx accent, that the piles of garbage littering the gutters were the result of a two-week long strike by the city's department of sanitation. New York was very, very odoriferous to say the least. Welcome to the Big Apple!
Even more surprises greeted us when we reached Bridget's tiny -- and I mean TINY -- apartment, only to discover that it was on the eighth floor and the building's elevators were all on the fritz. Weary from our long flight, roasting from the unaccustomed heat and humidity, we each hauled our two suitcases up the stairs to Bridget's UN air-conditioned, one bedroom flat. While Bridget was genuinely happy to see us, when she showed us to the two sleeping bags she'd spread out on her minuscule living room floor, I couldn't help but wonder if the trip was such a good idea after all.
(Next: Nancy and I go agent shopping!)
Nancy and I were excited by the idea; our husbands a bit less enthusiastic. First, there was the money to consider. Flying to the East Coast, staying in a hotel, paying for ground transportation, not to mention feeding ourselves (all at New York prices!), had to taken into consideration, bearing in mind that our two families were operating on a tight budget. On the other hand, even the guys had to admit that it seemed like a great opportunity, especially when Nanc arranged for us to stay at a friend's apartment. No hotel bills! Maybe we could make this thing happen after all.
After a lot of thought, planning, juggling car pools and hiring baby-sitters, we finally made our flight reservations, and set up appointments to visit all three literary agencies. We wouldn't be going first class, but we would be going!
I'll never forget our excitement as we stepped off the plane in New York. We felt like two kids playing hooky from school. It was a great adventure, and we were determined to make the most out of the trip.
Our spirits were only slightly dampened when we stepped out of the airport to be greeted by 90 degree, extremely humid temperatures. I swear it was like walking into a very hot, very damp sauna! As we drove into town, our taxi driver explained in a thick Bronx accent, that the piles of garbage littering the gutters were the result of a two-week long strike by the city's department of sanitation. New York was very, very odoriferous to say the least. Welcome to the Big Apple!
Even more surprises greeted us when we reached Bridget's tiny -- and I mean TINY -- apartment, only to discover that it was on the eighth floor and the building's elevators were all on the fritz. Weary from our long flight, roasting from the unaccustomed heat and humidity, we each hauled our two suitcases up the stairs to Bridget's UN air-conditioned, one bedroom flat. While Bridget was genuinely happy to see us, when she showed us to the two sleeping bags she'd spread out on her minuscule living room floor, I couldn't help but wonder if the trip was such a good idea after all.
(Next: Nancy and I go agent shopping!)
posted by Shirley Tallman at
5:09 PM
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