Team Hartline! Rah, rah…by Linda S. Glaz

Team Hartline! Rah, rah…by Linda S. Glaz

Four years ago I tentatively sent my resume to Joyce Hart without a clue what to expect if she said “Yes!” She did. Now what?

I was an agent, or on my way to becoming one. What did I have to offer Hartline? I’d been a reviewer for romance sites for years. I was a final proofreader, first for Wild Rose Press, and then for White Rose Press, now Pelican Book Group. I’d been an assistant to my own agent Terry Burns for a couple years, and I belonged to numerous critique groups. Why crit groups? Because I am also a writer.

Still, how would the rest of them accept me? Many had been editors at large publishing houses, editors in their own rights, booksellers for decades. What could I offer this awesome team of agents?

I’m a firm believer that those who’ve made the mistakes: alcoholism, drug addiction, and the like, and who have come out of the lifestyle are the best to minister to those struggling. Could I offer authors anything? I’d certainly made all of the mistakes. Wrote everything wrong for eighteen years, sent things out all wrong for years, and though I’d attended dozens of conferences through the years, I didn’t think there was anything I could really learn.

There! I said it. I didn’t think there was anything more to learn. So I was stagnant, foolish, and going no place really fast. Like the proverbial snowball downhill, I was gaining momentum and freezing like a Popsicle in Alaska.

After mulling that over for a couple days, I realized I had plenty to offer after all. I had done it ALL WRONG! And who better to teach and work with folks anxious to do it all right.

How had I finally managed to get an agent, get my first novella published? My first book? My second book? My multi-book deal? Could I help steer other fledgling authors in the right direction?

Well, team Hartline was awesome. They held my hand, walked me through many things, and supported me at every turn on the path. They contacted me to see if I’d like help even before my asking. They were and are true brothers and sisters, not only in Christ, but in the industry.

They sent me clients! YES, as I got started, they sent me clients. And I learned they weren’t pity submissions, the agents at Hartline do this often for each other.

“Here, know you love a great romance, and I think this one would be better served by a female agent.”

“Linda, I’ve worked with this client before, but I’m having trouble getting her to understand the pure romance idea. Would you like to take a stab at it?”

“Linda, I’m overwhelmed with subs this week, would you like to take a look at a few?”

And to think I’d be worried whether or not I’d fit in.

A couple years later, I was able to do the same for my teammates.

HARTLINE IS A TEAM. These are amazing agents there to do a primo job at placing their clients. They are also there to support one another, lift each other up in prayer when needed, and to forge forward with the newest ideas and possibilities. They aren’t afraid of controversial works that have “brilliant” stamped all over them.

Yessir. We are a team. And I’m proud to be part of the team that has represented some of the best award-winning authors in the business today.