Sandra Proudman (she/her/ella) is the editor of the YA Latinx SFF anthology, Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories, and a contributor to the YA horror anthology, The House Where Death Lives, both out now. Salvación is her first full-length novel. She is also a literary agent, passionate about bringing underrepresented voices to the forefront. When not busily immersed in all things publishing, you can find her spending time with her amazing husband and adorable toddler, gathering rollie pollies and going on adventures, catching up on all her shows, or trying to get the perfect tortilla puff.

I am often asked about being an agent and an author simultaneously. How does one inform the other? How did I get into doing both? What is my story?

Although I loved books since a young age and eventually minored in creative writing in college, I never had a clear path or the knowledgebase for how to get started in publishing—neither as an author nor as a publishing professional.

With little to get me started, my publishing journey began the same as most folks’—filled with chaos, disappointment, and ample rejection. My first full-length book release, Salvación, a YA fantasy Zorro retelling, came out May 20th from Wednesday Books, yet it is the seventh full manuscript I’ve penned. The first manuscript that I queried received only one full request.

It took years of tenacious learning how to navigate publishing and countless hours at the keyboard to get to where I am today. In those years, I fell in love with not only writing and the dream of becoming an author but also helping other publishing creatives do the same. Mentoring authors of color through Pitch Wars and other mentorship programs became one of my favorite ways to give back to the community.

The fact that I get to follow both my dream of being an author and of being an agent is nothing short of unbelievable luck, and ample hard work.

Is there such a thing as too much?

If I had a hundred dollars for every time someone has asked me how I manage to balance being an author, a literary agent, having a full-time job (at my agency!), and being a parent, I’d have a few thousand dollars— and maybe scheduling time at a spa. My initial response to this question is always to laugh (very awkwardly) because the honest truth is I work an embarrassing amount I don’t often admit.

I assure you, though, I am living my best life.

For a while I was at jobs I dreaded working for people that treated me poorly, and working full-time in publishing seemed an unattainable dream. Now I am eternally grateful that every day I get to live, breathe, and immerse myself in all things books (with a little Spidey and His Amazing Friends on the side, my toddler’s latest obsession).

How does being an author work if you’re an agent?

All of the above is to give you some background information for the questions: Should authors be literary agents? And should literary agents be authors? And how do both inform each other in a way that feels balanced and fair?

As we see more agents becoming authors and more authors becoming agents, this question is one of the hardest things about juggling both roles.

There’s a misconception that it’s easier to get an agent if you’re an agent (though I admit I had an agent already before becoming one myself), as well as a book deal. I can’t tell you the experience of others, but I can answer this: Have I been rejected since becoming an agent? Absolutely. Have I shelved books since becoming an agent? Absolutely.

There are of course times when being an agent does help me navigate publishing. For instance, I know how to read my contracts and what each clause means. I am also a lot more aware of what is being published, what editors are asking for, and what I think is going to be trending. But these aren’t necessarily things that authors who aren’t agents don’t have access to. I continuously tout signing up for Publishers Weekly announcements so you’re always in the know on what is getting acquired. Many editors post their manuscript wishlists publicly on their social media, on MSWL.com, or on their own websites. For contracts, the Author’s Guild website has a sample contract that is available for anyone to download and study.

I am informed more simply because it’s my job to be, not necessarily because of access.

And I make efforts to never talk about myself as an author when I’m representing my clients. I make sure that when I’m agenting, that’s the only hat that I’m wearing, and am respectful of those whom I represent.

My favorite part of being an author-agent is being able to use my own experiences to help my clients navigate publishing, especially those who are launching their first books. For example, since I have a lot of experience editing and revising myself, I’m able to be more aware of how long it might take an author to do the changes that I’m asking of them and can coordinate deadlines and expectations in a way where my authors won’t be overwhelmed. I also have first-hand experience and can build greater empathy with my clients. I’m fairly attuned to what my clients need to learn as they’re debuting because I’ve had to learn all of these things myself. In a way, being an author has allowed me to catch up quickly to agents who have been in the industry longer than I have, and to do better by my clients.

Ultimately, being an author has made it possible for me to be a more effective agent (along with countless hours of mentoring).

Where will I go from here?

I talk a lot about how there are absolutely goals that you can have with publishing, but so much of it is simply getting on a spinning wheel. As an author it’s constantly starting on a new manuscript and eventually releasing that project, over and over again. As a literary agent, it’s developing those projects with your clients and helping take them from submission to publication, over and over again.

I’ll continue to learn, striving to constantly be a better author and a better agent. And I’ll continue to simply enjoy getting to be in an industry that I think has the power to change the world. Despite the faults we’re all constantly trying to manage, I fully believe publishing is magical.

My goals as an author and a literary agent also tend to align. As a Latiné author, my goal is to continue to give space and a voice to Mexican American teens. As an agent, my goal is to give space and a voice to marginalized creatives. And I’m proud and eager to continue to meet this goal in both spaces.

Salvación by Sandra Proudman

By day, she lives as Lola de La Peña, a young Latinx socialite in the town of Coloma, and by night, she is a vigilante, set on protecting the city from the dangerous people who threaten to take away their magic, sal negra (black salt). One night, a woman comes into town warning them of Damien Hernández, a man who ruined her town and is set out to take Coloma next. Lola must race against the clock and take down Hernández before the next full moon to save her home. She teams up with Alejandro, a boy working for Hernández she can’t fully trust but can’t ignore her feelings for, to protect everyone she loves.

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