A full-service literary agency that focuses on books for the Christian market.

A New Year + A New Agent=A Sparkly Beginning to 2012

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Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant

Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Everyone at Books & Such is bubbling over with excitement. We have the joy of beginning 2012 with a major boost to our agent roster. Rachelle Gardner joins our agency, bringing with her a significant client base as well as her reputation among publishers as an able agent.

Our press release, which was sent out today, in part reads,

Gardner has been involved in publishing since 1995, joining WordServe Literary Group in 2007. Before becoming an agent, she was senior editor at NavPress, where she developed and launched the NavPress fiction line that included three Christy Award finalists and an ECPA Award finalist in its first year. She acquired and edited numerous nonfiction books as well.

Prior to that, Gardner worked at General Publishing Group in Santa Monica, California, where she was director of rights and marketing, managing departments of special sales, subsidiary rights, international rights, international sales and domestic marketing. Among other things, she built and managed a team of international sales agents and represented the company in Frankfurt, London, Tokyo, Chicago and New York.

Gardner is recognized as one of the important online publishing voices. Her blog, RachelleGardner.com, has been named a Writer’s Digest 101 Best Sites every year that her site has been in existence. Last year she logged more than half a million visits to the blog. Both writers and industry professionals follow her. She has become known for her encouragement and grace in an all-too-often merciless industry….

Founder and president Janet Kobobel Grant said, “I’ve long thought that Rachelle’s style of agenting is the same sort of collegial approach that I’ve espoused since the beginning days of Books & Such. When she mentioned her interest in joining our agency, I knew immediately that this was going to be a proverbial match made in heaven. To say I’m pleased is an understatement of the first order.”

With that background, I’d now like to introduce our blog readers to Rachelle by posting her entry for today from her blog. Feel free to welcome Rachelle to Books & Such in the comments section below.

Here’s Rachelle’s blog post:

Good morning and happy new year! I hope everyone had a good holiday season and I trust you’re ready for good things in 2012. (Either that, or preparing for the end of the world on December 21st.)

This new year brings a change for me. I’m continuing as a literary agent, and continuing my blog, but I’m switching agencies. Effective today, I’m an agent with Books & Such Literary Agency. Books & Such was founded by Janet Kobobel Grant, who continues as president of the company and represents a full roster of clients. Literary agent Wendy Lawton is vice president, and there are two other agents, Rachel Kent and Mary Keeley, so as I join the company, there are now five agents.

People may wonder why I decided to switch agencies. As you can imagine, the change involved intense thought and prayer, and wasn’t easy. My four years with WordServe Literary have been terrific. Greg Johnson is an amazing and successful agent, and has mentored me well. He’s taught me so much and I’m incredibly grateful. We’ve always had a great working relationship (and we still do). So the choice to move has been bittersweet.

Much of my decision grew out of my long-time friendship with Janet Grant and Wendy Lawton. I’ve been blessed to have these two women as treasured friends during my years working in CBA publishing, and we all knew I’d be a perfect fit for their agency. I’m thrilled for the opportunity to work alongside these friends and colleagues long-term.

Another reason for the change is the fact that I work solo in my home office, but it’s challenging for me—I’m by nature a social and collaborative person. I sensed God leading me to acknowledge that I work best when I have plenty of conversation with colleagues on a regular basis. I began praying about how I could find a situation that would fill my need for daily interaction, helping me serve and honor my authors while also keeping a flexible schedule for my family. Being with Books & Such will connect me with four other agents plus an assistant, and even though we won’t all be in the same office, we’ll regularly be brainstorming, planning and giving feedback on each other’s projects. I’m confident the synergy created by working in a collaborative atmosphere with these five dynamic women will suit my disposition and help me to even more effectively serve my clients and advance their careers.

Some of you may be curious about what happens to my clients in this situation. Whenever there’s a change in an agency, the original Author-Agent Agreement determines what the client’s options are. They may be obligated to stay with the agency for a certain specified term, or they may be free to leave the agency and, if they want, follow their agent. In my case, each of my clients has full ability to choose what they’d like to do.

Transitions are always challenging, but I’m excited for this new year.

What’s NEW for you this year?

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  3. Crystal Miller

    I have a long time respect for the Books & Such gang and also for Rachelle Gardner. I agree that this is a good match. Congrats to all of you!

    What’s new with me? Argh. Ok, moving right along….

    Reply

  6. Wendy Lawton

    Needless to say, this is a red-letter day for us. Rachelle is a brilliant agent– has her finger on the pulse of the industry. But even more she is a treasured friend. As we’ve put our heads together over the past years I’ve benefitted from both her wisdom and her friendship. We’re so excited about her joining the team. It adds depth to our already impressive bench and strengthens the bullpen. 🙂 (How’s that for a sports analogy?)

    Reply

  7. Karen Barnett

    Welcome Rachelle! I’ve read your blog for years and I’m so pleased to see that you’ve joined the Books & Such team. This agency does have a wonderful sense of community and that has been a huge blessing to me. I also have several friends among your clients and am excited to think they might also be joining our “Bookie” community.

    Reply

  10. Richard Mabry

    Janet et al–Congratulations on this valuable addition to Books and Such. I’ve been privileged to have Rachelle as my agent and my friend for several years, and look forward to maintaining both those relationships in the future.

    Reply

  15. Jan Kern

    Welcome, Rachelle! This move does seem so natural, like you were meant to be a Books & Such agent and team member. God’s best as you move forward in this partnership!

    Reply

  16. Lenore Buth

    It’s wonderful news all around and may this be the least happy day you have in 2012.

    God bless you all, not just because you’re so good at what you do, but because your caring hearts come through.

    Reply

  18. Peter DeHaan

    I, too, just posted my congrats on Rachelle’s blog — and repeat it here so that her new associates know that I am excited for all parties involved,

    Again, congratulations!

    Reply

  20. Bill Giovannetti

    Having followed your blog, Rachelle, and having the privilege of being Janet’s client, this seems such a natural fit to me.

    Kudos, Rachelle, for having the guts to shake things up in your life and world. Many blessings.

    And kudos to Janet, Wendy, Rachel, Mary, and Michelle for giving us the Nordstrom’s* of literary agencies.

    I’m excited to see how God uses this team and your authors for Christ and his kingdom!

    Bill

    (*I’m a guy who shops at Walmart, Home Depot, and for fancy, I do Target. Please consider this high praise…)

    Reply

  23. Cynthia Ruchti

    I think I’ve expressed my congratulations on every social and cyber source (Ah, the alliteration!), but don’t want to miss the confetti-throwing party here! To see an agent I highly respect added to an agency I highly respect and feel daily blessed to call my own–what a way to start the new year of yet-to-be-discovered wonders!

    Reply

  27. Janet Grant

    Bill, I love that Nordy’s analogy.
    Hmm, Books & Much has a great ring to it…
    And, Larry,thanks for pointing out that our agency is going in the opposite direction from downsizing; I hadn’t thought about that in the larger context of our society and the troubling news we hear day in and day out. We at the agency–the agents, assistant and clients–have much to celebrate. Thanks for joining us in the celebration.

    Reply

  29. colleen laquay urbaniuk

    congrats to Rachelle and the whole team at Books & Such!!! in reading the excitement from both sides it seems like this will be a great fit for all. i follow Rachelle’s blog and now follow the Books & Such blog PLUS i’m a big Debbie Macomber fan so i look forward to a lot of inspiring posts to make my goal of publishing a book in 2012 a reality. happy New Year to all!!!

    Reply