Monday, October 18, 2010

Welcome to DGLM, Rachel Stout!

by Rachel S.

Reading all the past blog posts, I feel like there's a lot to live up to here as the new Rachel in town. While I've only been here a week, I've grown comfortable, and it's all thanks to the wonderful people here at DGLM.

I'm incredibly excited to be here, finally, as I've been trying to find my spot in the publishing world for quite some time now. With a degree in English, a minor in Irish studies and no practical, handyman type skills to speak of, I pretty much focused on my dream of working in book publishing and left little option for anything else. I interned with another literary agency, LJK Literary Management, in my last year of college and the summer following. Before that, I had no idea that literary agents even existed! It all makes sense to me now, and I fell in love with the reality of what I had tentatively been envisioning for my life. It's nice when things work out as good or better than you'd hoped, isn't it?

Words and books have always been my passions and I'm looking forward to being able to observe and actively participate in the process where one becomes the other. I keep lists of words I like the sound or look of, and one of my most embarrassing moments to date is still the spelling bee in sixth grade when, over confident 12 year old that I was, barely listened to the teacher and spelled "BUNK" as "BUCK" and was promptly told to sit down in the very first round. Humiliating.

Since then, I've grown to take more time and exert a little more care over my work (though the exhilaration of it all still makes itself known) and always listen to the words I'm supposed to be spelling. Or reading. Or writing. It hardly matters to me as all aspects of the literary process are still new enough to fascinate, and as soon as I find my particular niche I know it will always hold a similar allure.

In any case, I'm really looking forward to growing and learning under DGLM's wing as well as taking part in this blog. I’m also over on Dystel and Goderich’s website for a more complete bio. You'll hear from me again soon.

5 comments:

  1. Welcome, Rachel. When my MS is done, I'll submit it to you. =)

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  2. Welcome! Buck, bunk, it's all the same when you're 12. Just look how far you've come. ;)

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  3. Welcome. Are you interested in all YA or just with magical realism? Would you consider YA paranormal? It's not finished but when it is done I would like to send it to you.

    P.S. My profile Pic is the waves at the North Wildwood Beach. Just incase you wanted to see some of home. My favorite place to write, the Jersey Shore.

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  4. Nice to meet you, Rachel! My younger son and I have always enjoyed talking about what words we like the sound of - those that just sound great as you say them. I think our favorite is wisps.

    Why is it that the humiliations of childhood seem to stay more vibrant in our minds than the accomplishments??

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