Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Getting an Agent: When Luck Meets Opportunity - a guest blog by Regan Rose


JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I met Regan Rose at the New England Crime Bake this past fall, and I must have been the only attendee who hadn't heard the excited buzz about her debut novel. We clicked over our points of contact - Mainers, ex-lawyers, already knew a lot of the same people, both attorneys and writers. 

It was later I got the 411 on Regan's debut - sold on a preempt in what Publisher's Weekly calls "a major deal," her foreign rights agent mobbed in Frankfort by eager publishing houses from around the world.

But here's the thing: whether you get 500 or 500 thousand for your first book, the process - doubts , fears, rejection, elation - is the same for almost every author. And the equation Regan posits here holds true for most endeavors, not just writing: Success = Luck + Preparation + Opportunity.


There is something so swanky about “having an agent” that it’s one of the most common questions I get from people who know I’m an upcoming debut author. Even friends and family totally disinterested in writing or publishing are dying to know: “How did you get your agent?” 

I was usually too shy to ask this question of other authors, but I spent countless nights and weekends scouring the internet for answers to the question. The bedrock truth is what my dad liked to repeat to his students (who hung on his every word) and his daughters (who tried to see the TV around him): luck happens when preparation meets opportunity. 

Let me take this up to 30,000 feet for a second. Hi! I’m Regan. My first novel, a standalone drama about family, crime, and questions, will be published in summer 2021. I hit the book-deal motherlode thanks to my agent, the coolest of the cool, Helen Heller of Toronto. Here is the “you’re so lucky!” version of how she became my agent:

In December 2017, I read Shari Lapena’s The Couple Next Door in two short days. I was a couple months into writing my own suspense novel, and I saw Shari had dedicated the book to her agent, Helen Heller. In the acknowledgements, she also talked about how great Helen was. A few months later, I started a list of agents I might want to query one day. The first name I wrote down was Helen’s. 
 
 In October 2019, I submitted an unsolicited query to Helen. Twenty-nine minutes later, she requested my full manuscript. I sent it to her that night, and the next afternoon, she called me and asked to represent me. I said yes. I could skip everything in between and make it sound like I must be a literary leprechaun.

But that doesn’t help you if you’re interested in getting an agent of your own. And even if you aren’t, it doesn’t tell you the whole story. So here’s what happened in between those dates.

During the two-plus years before I queried Helen, I worked on my book like I’ve never worked on anything in my life. I got up every morning at 5 sharp, stumbled into the study, and sat down to write for two hours before work. I read every night for at least an hour. I took vacation days to write and said no to weekend invitations. I shared early drafts and took people’s advice. I edited the story over and over.
In summer 2018, about a year into writing the book, I participated in Pitch Wars, hoping to get selected for a serious manuscript overhaul. I wasn’t chosen, but I did learn loads about the querying process and how to write submission materials. I drafted my first query letter and synopsis for that contest. When I wasn’t selected, I kept editing my manuscript, collecting agents’ names, and reading about how to write a good query letter.

In March of 2019, I didn’t know how to make my book any better, so I decided to send out my first round of queries. From my giant list of agent names, I picked eleven to start with. With some exceptions, I chose people who seemed to be relatively new at their agency. I got a few polite rejections, a lot of radio silence, and a single revise and resubmit.

I stopped querying and focused on the R&R. I liked the agent’s advice and didn’t want to send out the sub-par manuscript anymore. Meanwhile, I went to Maine Crime Wave in June and met another agent there. We had great chemistry, and when I pitched her my novel, she requested the full manuscript. She said I could send it when I was done with the edit. (And she was not shy about how jealous she was to know another agent had already caught my eye…a good thing to keep in mind when you’re querying!)
I finished the R&R edit in early September 2019 and sent the manuscript to the two agents awaiting it. Smart or not, I didn’t send it to anyone else. At the end of the month, I got an email from the conference agent passing on the project. I had already looked her up on Query Tracker, and I immediately knew it was a form rejection. I wallowed for a few hours then talked to an author friend, who reminded me rejection is the name of the game. She recommended I send out a new batch of queries, and she asked how much work I was doing to vet the agents in advance. She told me to fork over the $25 a month it costs to subscribe to Publishers Marketplace.

Obviously I am a masochist, as every writer is, so I started by looking up the agent who had just rejected me. She had big sales, and lots of them. Obviously I am very critical of myself, as every writer is, so I burned with shame. I couldn’t believe I’d thought a hotshot like her (and I mean this in the best way) would ever represent me. But then I remembered agents do not waste their own time, and she had asked me to send my manuscript to her. I went back to my list and saw Helen’s name. Another hotshot, I thought. The next morning, I got up early and queried Helen and a few other agents I’d been too intimidated to try in March.

Helen called me with excitement, a strong vision for the book, and a plan to get it sold. I’d already seen her numbers online. I took a ten-minute breather then called her back and said yes. I could have done things differently, but I had a good feeling and I went with it. Another day I might return with the next leg of the story, but the short version is, she sold my book within a week.
 
 Per usual, I think my dad was right. When you look at my story, I got lucky, absolutely, in so many ways. But a big part of the luck in landing Helen was my preparation, especially in the work I did on my manuscript. (Is this braggy? Yes. [Editor's note: No.] But it’s also true, and I feel the need to say it when I’m not feeling too self-conscious about it.) If you want to get an agent, my advice is always going to be to spend the bulk of your time and energy on your manuscript. Then researching the process and the agents you’re interested in. Don’t rush. You want your materials to land you an agent, but you also want to land the right agent for you. Doing your homework can help you reach out for opportunities you want to say yes to. Your story won’t go exactly like mine did, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get lucky.

What do you think? Do you buy my dad’s equation for luck, or has life taught you different math?

Regan’s debut novel is slated for publication in the summer of 2021. It’s currently called A KINDNESS, but there’s a new title in talks. Set in a fictional town in southern Maine, A KINDNESS is equal parts family drama, crime story, and moral thriller. The story alternates between the past, when Julia Hall’s family was rocked by her brother-in-law’s sexual assault, and the present, when Julia is called to the home of the detective who investigated the crime. You can keep up with Regan and learn more about her book at regan-rose.com, where all of her contact information is available.









58 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Regan . . . I think your dad’s equation for luck is spot on, but I also think your success is due, in large part, to your personal preparation process. And now I’m looking forward to reading your book . . . .

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    1. Thanks so much Joan :) I like the equation because it gives you motivation while still acknowledging the measure of blind luck in it! Thanks for your support!!

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  2. What a great account of your determination and hard work to arrive at a much anticipated book and an enthusiastic agent. I might amend your father's formula of luck happens when preparation meets opportunity just a bit, to luck happens when preparation and determination meets opportunity. Congratulations on your success thus far, Regan, and I'm betting, like your agent, that her faith in you and all your work will pay off in lots of book sales for A Kindness. I know I'm looking forward to its publication and enjoying a great read.

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    1. You're right, Kathy, determination is another ingredient in the mix. You have to be able to ignore everything you read and hear that says, "This doesn't happen," and instead tell yourself, "It's going to happen to me."

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    2. I love this addition, Kathy! It's part of why I have to get over myself and share how much work I put in before the big bang went off--so other people have encouragement to try and keep trying! Thanks so much for your kind words :)

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  3. Congratulations, Regan! It is always interesting for me to learn about a debut's author journey to pitching their ideas, finding an agent and taking the exciting journey to publication. Perseverance, preparation, luck and opportunities came together for you in a wonderful way. Looking forward to reading your book next year.

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    1. Perseverance, absolutely! This is necessary advice for every stage of the journey, including the ones I haven't reached yet. I'm glad it was a fun read. Thanks Grace!

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  4. I am so happy for you, Regan! Thanks for sharing your story and your father's adage.

    I absolutely believe in it. I have a similar story (except without the "excitement at Frankfurt" part, LOL). Nine years ago an agent contacted our SINCNE chapter president looking for authors to work on cozy mystery proposals with. When the prez let our membership know of the agent's interest, I knew it was an opening not to waste. I had a completed ms, I had short stories published, and I'd studied how to write the perfect query letter. A week later I'd signed with the agent, and a month later I had a three-book contract. But only because I was ready for it.

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    1. I didn't know this was your story, Edith, and it's inspiring! "I knew it was an opening not to waste" -- those are wise words that I have added into my 'make a collage of this smart advice' list.

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    2. Edith, one of my favorite NPR shows is "How I Made This," wherein the founders of amazing and BIG companies - WeWork, Lonely Planet Travel, Vanguard - talk about how they got started and grew their businesses. Every one credits luck. Every one. But it's also obvious that each one was prepared to take advantage of luck when it presented itself because they had already put in the hard work and preparation.

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    3. Oh Edith I didn't know this about you! What an amazing start you had. So similar, and three books no less! I completely agree with Amanda: I'm always going to ask myself, "is this an opening not to waste?" Thanks so much for sharing!

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    4. Thank you Julia, and thank you, Rose. (My 20th novel came out last month...) We must be ready for those openings - and not waste them!

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  5. What a terrific story to start my Wednesday with! Regan - congratulations on your forthcoming book. I've made a note of it for next year's reading.

    Like Edith, I absolutely believe in your father's adage. Occasionally, luck is just dumb, as in 'dumb luck', but more usually luck is the happy veneer on a foundation of preparation bound by opportunity. And it takes clear vision to spot opportunity and then walk through its door. (That may be too many mixed metaphors for so early in the morning...sorry). I'm going to make a collage out of your dad's advice and keep it by my desk as inspiration.

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    1. Amanda, I think you just need to add "the house of success" to your metaphor and it will all gel. :-)

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    2. Amanda, I swear I commented on this but I don't see it! I must have made an error, which is classic with me and tech. I love your mixed metaphor and would gladly live in the house you've described!! Thanks so much for your encouragement, and I'm so glad you find the advice helpful!

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  6. Congratulations, Regan! I absolutely believe in your dad's equation.

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    1. Thanks so much, Liz! The older I get, the more I remember all those things my dad used to say and how true they seem...it's terrible. :)

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  7. What a story Regan! congratulations on your book and I totally believe your Dad was right! I'm interested to hear about your experience of writing the next book...

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    1. Thanks Lucy!! Book two, woof, that is a whole other story isn't it! I'm currently working on edits for book 1, but when I'm done book 2 is going to start haunting my dreams again.

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  8. Good morning, Regan, you rock star you! I applaud your hard work and thoughtful approach to the query process, and congratulate you on your success. The world is holding its breath as it awaits your book (or at least I am!)

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    1. Right? I am dying to read it, Brenda!

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    2. EEEeeee thanks Brenda!! I'm excited for it to be out there too, largely because that means I will finally be done editing it!! (Although I'll probably keep editing it in my head.)

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  9. This is a great story! And that was my experience too, the hard road from finished to good-enough to interest a strong agent. And even then, there was more work to be done. This career is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. Congratulations, Regan - looking forward to seeing your book "in the flesh."

    And I do think luck plays a huge factor. But it's also hard work, a trudge, a thick skin, resilience, and you have to be a glutton for punishment unless you get REALLY lucky... which the rare one among of us do.

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    1. Hallie, I got really lucky, and I still think you have to be a glutton for punishment. As Doug Preston told me, recounting a story where a teenaged clerk in a B&N hadn't even put Preston's bestselling book OUT ON THE SHELVES, "For an author, the humiliation never ends."

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    2. Thanks Hallie! You're completely right. I'm hard at work on edits to the book now. There is almost always room for improvement; I'm not sure I could stand being a writer if I didn't find the pursuit itself enjoyable! And I agree with Julia. I hope I have decades of humiliation ahead :)

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  10. Congratulations! Looking forward to reading your debut.

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  11. Congratulations! I do believe your father’s adage— and thank you for sharing the hard work that goes into being prepared and the willingness to be open to new opportunities.

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    1. Thank you Cindy! (And my dad will be glad to hear it!)

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  12. We absolutely make our own luck, and in your case, Regan, it took a lot of hard work to do so.

    No one in history has ever tripped over an author's contract by sitting in their own home, wishing and hoping for one. You put yourself out there, in some scary ways, and it paid off handsomely.

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    1. Karen, I LOVE your phrase, and I'm going to steal it the next time I teach a creative writing seminar!

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    2. You are welcome to it, Julia.

      I first used it when a friend lamented that she couldn't meet any nice men. But she never left her apartment, pre-Internet days. Duh.

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    3. HA! Well said, Karen! It can be scary to leave the house (virtually or not), but it must be done!

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  13. Regan, welcome to Jungle Reds. Your name sounds very Irish - Regan Rose. Is it a family name? Thank you for the glimpse into the world of query letters. I often think that if I ever decide to publish a novel, I would look for a literary agent. I was surprised when a book friend told me that she decided not to use a literary agent at all. I remember the story about JK Rowling looking for a literary agent. I agree that it is both luck and hard work / preparedness and being open to opportunities.

    And I look forward to learning more about your book. And Congratulations!

    Diana

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    1. Diana, a lot of pre-professional writers look at an agent's cut and say, "Why would I hand over fifteen percent of my earnings for someone to hand my book to an editor?" Writers who have been in the marketplace of publishing know an agent does much, much more than that. Really, 15% is a bargain if you have a good agent.

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    2. Thanks Diana! Regan Rose is a combination of family names (and much of my family is Irish), but it is a pen name. There is so much to say about querying agents that I skipped the first part--do you want an agent at all? I just decided quickly that I did, and I have been thrilled with my agent (and sub agents), but I know it's a personal choice and there are reasons not to work with an agent. Thanks so much for your encouragement!!

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    3. Julia, thanks. Unfortunately, when I read the independently published novel, there were a lot of editing errors! And if the author had been willing to get an excellent agent, meaning more time in search, I think the book would have looked better. That is just my opinion. I think the author did not want an agent because of either independence? self-reliance? not wanting to "waste" time looking for an agent?

      Regan, that's cool about family names! I could see myself using family names as pen names for my novel. Yes, I definitely would want an agent. I would hope that I get an agent who is the right fit for me and a good attorney too.

      Diana

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    4. p.s. Julia, I meant that I think the agent could have found a good publisher with in house editors?

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  14. Regan, I like your dad's equation, but I think I'd put preparation before luck. Everything that comes after is built on that foundation, as your story proves. And look at what you've achieved!! Congratulations for the result of all the hard work, patience, and perseverance you've shown!!

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    1. Flora, you added an element we all need and which I hadn't thought about until now - perseverance. If you give up the first time, or the first ten times you fail/get turned down/lose you'll never make it to the point where you succeed/get accepted/win.

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    2. Flora, YES, perseverance! And it can be hard to persevere in writing--it is a lonely pursuit and easy to compare yourself to others without seeing behind the scenes. It's why I wanted to share some of mine--I want people to know there are always others working hard with them and trying to accomplish something new! Thanks so much for your congrats :)

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  15. Hi! And it was such fun to get to know you at CrimeBake (How did we lose touch??) And I believe the right things happen at the right time--but you have to be ready ready ready. And to not only recognize when a door is opening--but that there's a door at all! CANNOT WAIT to read this--as I told you from the moment I heard about it! (You had some fabulous log line that had me swooning--what was it again?). Hurray!

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    1. Hank, you're so right about the door, which is why I added an editor's note when Regan said she was braggy. There's always an element of luck, but you have to have done the work and the preparation to recognize your lucky break is happening and to take advantage of it!

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    2. Hi Hank!! It was so much fun to meet you, too! Especially because I was in the early throes of working on a second novel. Such a painful process. And you calmed me down so much! (That's actually the log line you're thinking of. I told you the baseline idea for book 2 and you made me feel soooo much better about it!) And you're so right that sometimes opportunities don't even look like that, so it's important to be thinking about them!

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  16. Congratulations, Regan, and welcome to Jungle Reds. I hope you'll come back next year to tell us more about your book when it comes out. Your "how I got my agent story" is a page turner!

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    1. Judy, we definitely want to lure Regan back when her book comes out!

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    2. Thanks so much Judy!! I will come back in a heartbeat. It's not unfun to relive exciting moments as you write them out, and it also feels like I'm paying something back because I devoured blog posts like this when I was querying. (As I do at every stage of the game!)

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  17. Luck is sometimes recognizing an opportunity and walking through it.

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    1. I completely agree Mark! Sometimes they can be missed altogether, just like you say.

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  18. Good for you, Regan! Stick-to-it-ness is absolutely required to be successful at anything, along with all the other qualities already mentioned. Your book sounds great and I can't wait for you to come back when it's published and tell us all about it!

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    1. Thanks so much Pat! I LOVE "stick-to-it-ness." A necessary ingredient for any kind of success!

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  19. Congratulations, Regan! How truly wonderful that all of the blood, sweat, and tears paid off! I love these sorts of stories because I truly believe success can happen to anyone who is willing to do the hard work. I can't wait to read your book and I love that you shared your process so unflinchingly. Writers are masochists, for sure. LOL. Looking forward to your release - please come back and visit us so we can celebrate here at Jungle Red Writers!

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    1. Thank you so much, Jenn! I'm so glad it's a good read. I'll gladly come back!!

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  20. Guess my comment didn't make it past the censors! Loved hearing how you did it, Regan! My question was about how to write a good successful query letter. obviously, it can be done! Any secrets you'd like to share?

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    1. Thanks so much Judi! In terms of the basics, my number one tip is to sign up for Susan Dennard's newsletter. (https://susandennard.com/for-writers/) When you do, you get a query guide. It taught me so much about writing a catchy query in a single place. (And I love her other resources, too.) Other things I did that I think were helpful were to read Query Shark (https://queryshark.blogspot.com/), where queries are critiqued, and I did Pitch Wars (https://pitchwars.org/), which has tons of query-writing resources. I also read my query to my writing group at my local library, which helped me make more tweaks.

      Maybe the biggest problem I had was figuring out how much information to reveal, and the biggest thing that helped me with that was doing a verbal pitch to an agent. Talking about it in person with an experienced agent helped me drill down on what my real elevator pitch was and to feel more confident about how far into the story/stakes to get.

      I wish you ALL the luck and you're more than welcome to shoot me an email to talk more!

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  21. There's this to know about agents-- there are no boards, no bar exam, no licenses for being an agent. Anyone can hold himself/herself out as an being an agent. So getting an agent, and getting a QUALIFIED agent, are two different things.

    An agent has two main jobs-- placing the work (so an agent needs to have, and work at maintaining, connections in the industry) AND negotiating the contract. Some experienced editors who decide to become agents have been negotiating contracts for years and understand them. Some people who have perhaps been on the sales end of publishing do not have a clue. So ask questions-- what does this clause mean for me, ultimately. Can we get it changed or modified? If you aren't satisfied with the answer, there is nothing (but the cost) to keep you from bringing in a experienced publishing attorney (not your brother-in-law the divorce lawyer) just as you can bring in an attorney even if you have a real estate agent when you buy or sell a home.

    Re that cost, agents work on commissions, attorneys do not (it can actually be unethical under the Bar Code of Ethics to take a percentage). But agents get their percentage forever, and on every derivative (foreign, movie, merchandising) sale. With an attorney, it's one-and-done. If an agent is asking you for money up front, look elsewhere. Know what you're getting into with either one.

    That said, having either an agent or an attorney can preserve your relationship with your editor and publisher. Let the agent or the attorney fight with the publisher. You and the editor can rise serenely above all that.

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    1. These are SUCH good points, Ellen! I ended up finding Publisher's Marketplace to be my favorite resource in terms of vetting agents before I queried them. Do you have other suggestions, or for vetting entertainment lawyers?

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  22. Regan! I am horribly delinquent in my emails, but I was so excited to get your newsletter and read some of your great links and previous blogs (bringing me here!). It's all super inspiring and also really useful. Also, I'm a big fan of the new title! I've been thinking about you and how you're getting on in lockdown. Will write more soon but many congratulations again!

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