On Wednesday night, I headed down to Chinatown (<— hey, that rhymes!) to meet with two of Jim's other clients. We all happen to live in the DC area and we thought it'd be really fun to have dinner together.
The night was a blast! There was copious amounts of oven-fired pizza, and there was ample time for great discussion. Jessica, Robin, and I talked about our books, our jobs, our critique process, and Mockingjay (of course!). We also spent a few minutes—okay, more than a few minutes—praising the wonders of our agent, Jim McCarthy. All of us feel incredibly lucky to have him on our side: he's laidback, he's encouraging, he's funny, and he wants to sell our books!
We are a fortunate, fortunate bunch.
I consider myself even luckier to have signed with Jim when I read through the Blueboards each morning. It seems like, every other day, I find a new thread with a title that reads, "Should I leave my agent?" or "Help! Agent never responds to my emails!" Yipes! I've seen so many writers wring their hands over an unenthusiastic agent or an unresponsive agent who takes weeks or months to respond.
And so, I really do feel like I dodged a bullet when it came to finding representation. Mr. Jim has always been super patient with me, even when I ask silly questions about the publishing world. Plus, the man replies to my emails with Superman speed! Oftentimes I get a reply from him within the hour. Sometimes within 30 minutes or less.
So...a big hug to you Jim! One day, I hope to make you a lot of money. :o)
PS Let's have dinner again soon, Jessica and Robin!
The Jim McCarthy Fan Club
