I retired from a career in chamber of commerce management after more
than 25 years service.
I retired from working with a community service organization after more
than ten years service.
I’ve been with Hartline for over ten years, seven as an agent. After
much prayer and discussion my wife and I have decided it is time to retire yet
again.
It’s not been an easy decision to make. I have a great group of clients
that are together in an online group where we talk daily. They are more than
clients, they are good friends. Doing this agent gig has been something of a
mission effort for me. I have had a heart for trying to help debut Christian
writers get started, whatever it took. Seeing them get their work out has been
very satisfying. Of course focusing on debut writers has not been very
rewarding financially, but that was a decision I made.
I’ve seen a number of clients move on to other things after I helped
them get started.
But it has required a huge investment of time and effort as well as a
lot of stress. To tell the truth even though I will miss it, making the
decision brought an immediate feeling of relief. I told Joyce it would be
effective November first which will give me a couple of months to wrap things
up and to try and help my clients get placed elsewhere. A number of them will
be picked up by other Hartline agents.
I owe Joyce a debt of gratitude for helping me get started as a writer,
serving as my agent. Further she allowed me the opportunity to be an agent
myself. I’m very grateful for her help and for her believing in me.
I am going ahead and making the announcement this far ahead to keep
people from continuing to submit to me when I am no longer taking submissions.
For much of the time I have been working in this role I have attended a couple
of conferences a month and received thousands of submissions allowing me to
meet quite a large number of writers in person or on paper. It is an amazing thing having friends spread
all over this country. It has been a real blessing.
My daughter and a couple of my clients are hosting a “virtual
retirement party” over on my facebook page. Leave a comment here or drop by
there and sign the “virtual guest book.”
God bless you all . . .
Terry
52 comments:
I'm going to miss you a lot! You have been a true mentor and fine agent. God bless you in everything you choose to do with your retirement. And I love Saundra too!
Thank you Bonnie, you are more than a client but a dear friend
Well, I submitted to you three times, and third was the charm! (You were charming all along, BTW) Such a gentleman, good friend, awesome mentor, and I'll miss you like crazy. Grateful we'll still be friends. You managed to help me get two novellas, six short novels, and my romantic suspense out there, and I'm ever so grateful. Blessings in all that you do, Terry!
I am so proud of what little I was able to contribute too your success as a writer and as a terrific agent. We will indeed stay in touch
You'll be missed, Terry. Praying for you as God leads you to a new stage of life.
Thank you, Jodie
Terry, it has been an honor being on a team with you. I appreciate all of the times you helped me when I had questions, and mentored me through your example and blogs. I will miss you as a colleague, but I will definitely stay in touch. :-) God bless you and Sandra in this next step of your journey.
Terry, a big thank you to you for being a mentor to Linda Glaz as I am blessed to
be her client. May the Lord bless you richly as you transition to a new phase of
your life.
Terry, you've always been a terrific addition to any conference's lineup of agents. May the Lord continue to bless as you live and labor for His glory!
You were the first agent I ever sent a proposal to. I did it all wrong but you were so kind to tell me why. Thank you! Enjoy your retirement!
Thank you Rick and Terri
Kathleen, you are in good hands with Linda
Terry, job well done. On behalf of Dianne Price's family, thank you!
It was my pleasure and thank you for stepping up on that so she could know her books were being published before she passed on
All the best to you, Terry as you retire once again. You have always been a pleasure, and you will be missed. God bless.
Thank you Nicola, I've enjoyed working with you. And by the way, the comment removed above was done because it posted twice on me, not because it was anything bad.
Terry, You are a gentleman, and the writing/publishing industry can use more of them. Unfortunately, they'll have one less. It's a pleasure to know you, and I hope we can get together over a chicken fried steak sometime to swap stories. Best wishes.
Isn't that the truth!
Enjoy your retirement.
Terry, you were the agent who took me on and believed in my story, Thyme for Love.. The story was published and now has circled back to me and is out again after my publishing it myself as an indie. That in itself is a testament to how much the publishing landscape has changed since I signed on as your client. And then there was Love Finds You in Lake Geneva WI. which is still out and available.
I loved getting to know you and Sondra over the years and have always admired your integrity and faithfulness to your clients.
I wish you all God's best as you step down and kick back. You'll start to ask when did I ever have time to work????
Many blessings!
Thank you Richard, we'll do that
Will you come to ACFW just for hugs? I love some of the things you've said, especially that writing can be an offering or a calling. Do not leave Facebook. Repeat: Do not leave Facebook. :)
Will you come to ACFW just for hugs? I love some of the things you've said, especially that writing can be an offering or a calling. Do not leave Facebook. Repeat: Do not leave Facebook. :)
Will you come to ACFW just for hugs? I love some of the things you've said, especially that writing can be an offering or a calling. Do not leave Facebook. Repeat: Do not leave Facebook. :)
Wish I could but I can't make it
Can't tell you how much you have changed my life. I am so very thankful for your belief in my stories and your hard work to find them a home. You will be missed.
Love your writing, Raquel, you're going to love working with Linda
I'm sure you will be missed. I hope you keep writing your books for boys. They need them.
Thank you Terri
Love you, Terry. You were a blessing as an agent, as a mentor, and as a friend. Thank you for being in my life and for always being an example of a true gentleman.
May the Lord continue to bless all that your hands find to do because I know you'll do whatever that may be with all your might. Huge hugs to you.
Thank you Normandie, you were a joy to work with
Terry, you've spread so much encouragement to us over the years you ought to be neck deep in gratitude and thanks you. Have a blessed retirement. Hope you'll drop in on a writers' conference every once in a while so we can buy you a cup of coffee with no spiels attached.
Terry, congrats on retiring. I hope you get lots of time to enjoy life and family and fun. I met with you at CCWC years ago, then at ACFW/Denver. The one memory that always stands out is that wonderful hat of yours, and how you always tipped it as you passed by a woman. I appreciate you as such a gentleman. Bless you for all the word you've done over the years and the encouragement to so many.
Have fun!
Yup, have always tipped my hat. What's fun is doing it on a college campus or such to young ladies who have never had a gentleman tip his hat to them. Charming results. And I've had elderly ladies come back and thank me saying it has been too long since they have been favored with the gesture. I regret that so many have abandoned the practice. Surprisingly, even a lot of young cowboys will still do it here in West Texas, farm and ranch country.
Congratulations on your up coming retirement; I am sure you will enjoy it.
Thank you
Blessings for the journey, Terry!
Don't know how this got posted three times. It won't delete, either. Guess it's a really good question!
Well, you will surely be missed.
Well, you will surely be missed.
Even though I don't comment much, I'll miss you. I hope you enjoy your retirement!
Thank you Jackie
Sorry to see you go, Terri. I just finished reading one of your craft books and was touched by your heart for authors. God speed in your newest adventures.
Thank you, hope the book was useful
Yes, sir. I'm definitely finding it useful. :) Thanks.
I will miss your western wear and southern charm at writers' conferences. You were always such a class act! Enjoy your latest retirement!
"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well" (3 John 2).
Jim
Thank you, Jim, it's been a pleasure to work with you
Terry, I was blessed to meet you at several conferences, and to have you as my group coach at Ghost Ranch. I loved the way you shared and taught about writing. I hope you will have opportunity to continue to do that sometime, or to tape it for others who don't know what they missed. You were always warm, welcoming and encouraging. I loved the 'accidenta;' chats across the dusty landscape at that very special CCWC conference. I can tell from your nature that you may stop being an agent, but from what I expereinced, I doubt you will ever stop being the caring person who listened - at that conference, at Write to PUblish in Wheaton and other locatons. You have been a busy man and influenced a lot of lives.
I am grateful to have been one of your students.
Delores Liesner
Thank you Delores, I have enjoyed getting to know you
Terry - I've always enjoyed your posts and will miss them and the virtual you. God Speed.
Joseph Max Lewis
Thank you Joseph
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