A Life in the Day

If you had to create a playlist that defines your expectation of the year, what would that be? I have several playlists on my phone for different things: Christmas playlists both Spanish and English, Movie Soundtracks both instrumental and not, a writing playlist and two “mindset” playlists. These are the ones I turn to, to start my day or motivate me one way or another.  In 2018, I created the "Abundant Life" playlist; a mostly gospel music list that reminds me to stay centered and live my best life, abundantly.  For 2019, I've decided to stick with my “You Got This” playlist; a playlist I created on my 39th birthday and have been adding to every year through my 45th. It’s a playlist of empowerment and reflection all at once with lyrics that remind me to kick ass and remember who I am with songs like Undefeated by Jason Derulo, Rise Up by Andra Day, and He Lives In You by Lebo M from the Lion King Soundtrack. It’s a playlist I put on shuffle while dr...

Image by Saritza Hernandez (c) 2015 In publishing, the hurry-up-and-wait method of getting to publication can be frustrating and defeatist to a new author or to a new agent advocating for her clients who have little to no patience. As an author, you’re racing to the finish line of this manuscript decathlon you’ve poured your heart and soul into then rush your beta readers and critique partners to provide you with the feedback needed to make this book even better. You rush to make a list of editors and agents to query then… you wait. You sit on your hands itching to check in with those publishing individuals whose emails you reached out to just the day before wishing and hoping they’ll respond with that coveted offer of publication or representation you’ve been dying to receive since you began your authorial career six months prior. It doesn’t work that way. It can’t work that way. It shouldn’t work that way. Image by Saritza Hernandez (c) 2015 My grandmother used to s...

Image by Saritza Hernandez Have you watched Pitch Perfect 2 ? We ended up seeing it twice this past weekend and while I love the songs and found myself singing along (especially in that scene with Rebel Wilson and Adam DeVine) the scenes that struck a chord with me the most were with Keegan-Michael Key who plays Becca's b oss, an award-winning music producer. The first time we see his character on screen he's calling a staff meeting and asks everyone to give ideas. To just shout out anything that comes to mind and no one says or thinks of anything productive to say. As he walks away, he tells them they have one minute to wow him. "My time is like a toddler in a tiara, people: short and precious." – Keegan Michael Key I thought about how many times I think the same thing when going through pitch appointments or going through the query inbox. Your query needs to grab my attention quickly and hook me. In one of my workshops: "It's All in the Hook...

I know that I have to get better about my time management (evidenced by the fact that I’m writing this blog post instead of continuing to check off items in my daily to-do list) but I think it's important to note that a day in the life of a literary agent is long and sometimes difficult to manage. I've made posts about "my day in the life" before  but it doesn't hurt to reiterate, right? On a typical day, my work hours are 14-16 hours long and consist of so much “brain work” that I often need a nap around 4 PM. (Much like a toddler or a Golden Girl.) So, what do these 14-6 hours consist of, you ask? Email: 3-4 hours are usually spent replying to, composing and forwarding emails emails from clients (sounding a lot like “are we there yet”) emails to clients (royalty summaries, editorial letters, marketing/promo ideas, what are you working on next) emails about clients (buzz-building) emails to editors (proposals, negotiations, general “how-do-you-do” ...

I watched this video the day they uploaded it and was surprised to see that, at the time, it only had a few hits (at my viewing of it, it had less than 1k hits). It was picked up by Upworthy and a few other LGBTQIA websites and it has over 14 million hits today. I love this video for many reasons but the moment that I think resonates with so many is when both twins break down and hide their tears and voice from their father. They're so vulnerable at that moment that you can see them as the children they were and not the young men they are. It's a moment that's very real for all of us when we have to confront the fear of rejection by a parent. The father's reaction is beautiful and honest without being overly emotional. It's a great video and I know I've already shared it on social media but I had to post about it on my blog too. Have you ever had a moment that resonated so much with you that you just had to share it with everyone? Tell me in the comments...

I think authors get hung up on their marketing because they don't devote as much time to learn about the industry and their genre as they do on the craft of writing. For some reason, marketing is relegated to the back burner in such a way that when the book is done, there's a "sitting idle" time. When I speak at conferences, I often remind authors that when they transition from being writers to authors, they transition from artists to business people. A writer, writes. An author sells her writing and a successful author does both well. The book is paramount to the success, so make sure it's edited, polished, set aside for a week, then edited again after several beta readers, and critique partners have made it bleed. But once the book is in submission, your marketing platform needs to be strong in order to help your agent, editor sell the book to the publishers they are courting with your manuscript. The old adage, "It's not what you kno...

It's just a little prick You know it’s coming. You know the diagnosis before you hear the words and you know it’s not going to be easy to hear but you know. How could you not? You’ve seen the signs for years now, you just didn’t want to have those fears acknowledged. You knew it the moment you finally went in for your physical (at the end of the calendar year, as if postponing it to the latter part of the year would make the diagnosis easier to hear). You knew it the moment the blood tests were ordered and you knew it as you watched your sugary blood fill the vials. Sure, it’s easy to say to yourself that it’s not going to be difficult and it’s probably going to be easier to finally shed some of the weight you’ve added on since starting one of the many “lifestyle” food changes you’ve started and stopped in the past 2 years. You’ve watched countless of celebrities, friends and family members shed the weight after their diagnoses so this is a good thing, right? You know the...

So, I was looking through my old blog posts for ideas to repurpose or update on my blog for this month and found my 10 Things I’ve learned about being the ePub Agent in 2012 . It’s interesting but those 10 things are still important now and I will likely include them when I train our junior staff but I’m learning new things every year and I fall in love with my profession more with each new tidbit I learn. If I were to write a letter to my 2014 ePub Agent self here’s what I would add (with gifs of course because it's 2014 and gifs just make everything better): Your instincts are sharper with time and experience. You trust your gut now more than you did in 2012 especially when it comes to market trends and the commerciality of projects. Authors will continue to need support and uplifting pep talks but understand that insecurities may paralyze some of them. It’s more important to help them out of that fear than it is to get another book from them. The book will eventually ...

I make this kick look pretty My father's upcoming 64th birthday will include a surprise reunion for his martial arts students. We're expecting 60-75 people in attendance with 10-15 joining us via Skype from their various military locations. Many of my dad's students went on to join the military in the 90s during Desert Storm and were (some still are) part of the Navy Seals, Green Berets or Special Forces. My dad, as the senior instruction and 10th degree Black Belt, has always been referred to as Shihan  in the dojo. He's also a Shuseki Shihan but I won't go into that now. Anyway, we have put together a Facebook Page for his dojo, American Open Karate and asked his students to post their favorite Shihanisms: the phrases he would use to motivate them in his drill sergeant ways and remembering them has been a great blast. The student becomes the master So here are a few: "Don't look at me! I know I'm good-looking!" - usually said while...

I'm staring at the blinking cursor willing the words the come. Willing the thoughts to stop swirling in my head so I can properly explain what Robin Williams has meant to me. But I just keep staring at the cursor and my eyes continue to water with every second that goes by. I need to put my thoughts down, you see. I don't know why it's such a fervent need but it is. I can't concentrate on work. Can't redirect my focus to the tasks on my to-do list. Can't even look at social media without gravitating to the thousands of memorial posts, pictures, videos of a man who was a part of so many lives, he was family and MADE us family through our shared love for him. For me, his death is a reminder that even the greats suffer but most of all, he's a link my father and I share. He's a year younger than my dad and when he first appeared on the scene, he was one of my father's favorite comedians. I grew up listening to my dad retell the jokes Robin told on stag...

In her Mashable article: 7 Reasons You Should Unplug This Summer , Kyli Singh includes things like improved health, career and sleep among her reasons for giving your brain a tech break. In my house, we have had to implement a daily "no-tech" hour for our son who suffers from seizures. It wasn't until he pointed out how many hours I work in front of a screen that I realized how much I needed a break from the screen as well. This weekend, I vowed to spend less screen time reading and more paper time reading. Reading for pleasure is such a rarity these days for me that when I can do so without guilt, I savor every second of it. This weekend, I did a full unplug and only read on my iPad if I was in a non-wifi area. Yes, I can just turn off the WiFi on my iPad and read without distractions but I like to play Frozen Free Fall and The Sims FreePlay  on my downtime too so I tend to leave the WiFi turned on. But because I also edit manuscripts on my iPad when I really want...

My teenagers are home for the summer so that means my house is a mess, my fridge is empty and the piles of laundry are threatening to consume us. It also means I get to hear things like, "there's nothing to do" and "I'm bored, Mom!" Really? You're bored? Well, if you didn't stay up playing video games until 2 AM then woke at 2 PM to stare at the ceiling (which could use some dusting, just sayin') and actually did your chores on time, picked up a book, went outside (and take out the garbage while you're at it), you wouldn't be bored, son! In the course of one day, I get more done than any of my teenagers (or husband) and I don't know if it's because I'm just a can't-sit-on-my-ass-all-day kind of person or if it's because they are! Either way, I know I've shared my workday with you before but today was all kinds of special in its ability to pack a whole lot of work in a short period of time. Behold, my day...

My dog-eared copy I dog-eared a paperback. Let me explain why this is a big deal (at least for me). I don't buy paperbacks much anymore. Ever since I got my first iPad a few years ago, I haven't really felt the need to spend $8.99 on a paperback when the ebook is available for $2.99 and I can read it or a dozen others on my iPad without having to carry them all. But, for Christmas, my daughter gave me The Perks of Being a Wallflower to read since she knows I loved the movie and wanted to read the book. I don't' have a lot of time to read for pleasure like I used to but today, I decided to pick it up and keep it as bathroom literature. Don't look at me like that! It's a place of honor for me as I spend the most quiet of times on the can these days and the previous book to hold such an esteemed honor was Michio Kaku's The Physics of the Future . I didn't dog-ear that one. I just kept a bookmark in it but I also co-read it on my Kindle app...

Many of you know that I have a day job in addition to the agency duties which means I tend to work 75-80 hours per week, Monday-Friday. When I started agenting, I would spend my weekends doing agency work that would leave me exhausted and groggy since I lived on coffee and sandwiches for the most part. Hubby would take the kids out on the weekends to get them out of my hair but that just meant more work for me since the housework didn't get done without them home to do it. I realized rather quickly that I needed to establish a better work-life balance or I would work myself into an early grave. Two cancer scares later, and a fortieth birthday milestone achieved, I decided to take back my weekends. I still "work" a little on the weekends, but it's only reading and revising manuscripts. I spend time with my family, clean the house on Saturdays and, as I did this morning, spend a little time pinning things on Pinterest, playing Candy Crush (OMG, it's so addicting) a...

If you've submitted a query in the past month or so, you know I'm out of the office on medical leave. Had a hysterectomy in March and have been laid up (forced bed rest) since. The entire experience has wreaked havoc in my life as I'm not one to sit idle and just... rest. My idea of resting (pre-surgery) was going through manuscripts on a Saturday while finishing several loads of laundry, cleaning the kitchen and talking clients down off the ledge. I realized, while being on bed rest the last three weeks, that I've forgotten how to rest. I mean, even while I was on my cruise last year, I was working so this forced bed rest has been very difficult for me. I'm eager to return to the office in a few weeks and get back to work. In the meantime, I'm reading books I haven't had a chance to read and playing games on my iPad. In other words, I'm bored out of my ever-loving mind. What do you do when you're on forced bed rest?

Spent a good portion of the past two days watching documentaries I've had sitting in my Netflix Instant Queue for months (ok, some close to a year... don't judge me) while working on a million things at once. If you've followed this blog at all you know I can't just sit still and often have several things going on at once . Such was the case with the documentary watching. Most of it was watched on my iPad while I helped kids with their homework and housework. (Love being able to lay the iPad down beside me while folding laundry!) The problem with watching so many documentaries back-to-back is that you start to feel like you're starring in your own documentary and find yourself providing commentary for every day tasks. "While brushing her teeth, Saritza checks her to-do list on her iPad prioritizing items before consuming her first cup of coffee." I even had background music playing from my iTunes library on my iPad. The funny thing is I used to do ...

I often head straight for the fiction and literature section in my local Barnes & Noble and scan the shelves. I may pick up a book here and there with intent to purchase but 9 times out of 10 I spend my time looking for author names I know or recognize and seeing what they may have new that I haven't read yet. I may pick up a "new to me" author and browse through the first few pages then head over to to the romance section and do it all over again.  The first thing I look at when I open the book is the acknowledgments page. Who did the author thank? Did they mention their editor and agent? I must admit that when I find a book without that acknowledgement, I put it back and feel a little sad that the author didn't thank them. I don't think it's because I'm an agent because it's a habit I've had all of my life and it doesn't prevent me from buying the book. It's just something I thought about today.  I don't do this when b...

As we get ready to say good-bye to 2011 and welcome the new year, I'm grateful for the many new experiences and life lessons learned this year. Most of all, I'm grateful to welcome 2012 with these three gorgeous people in my life. Hubby and I could not be more proud of the young men and woman they are growing up to be. They are the reason we smile (and pull our hair out every day) and the motivating factor to be better people every day. We wish you all a avery happy and prosperous new year!

Hernandez Family at Mr. Sisters outdoor patio Being a Mom has not been easy but it has certainly been the most rewarding experience of my life. I have three kids who remind me every day the importance of tolerance, patience and acceptance. Yesterday was both relaxing yet event-filled. We started the day out at my favorite restaurant/nightclub Mr. Sisters for their Mother's Day Brunch and enjoyed a great meal and fantastic atmosphere with our teens. They laughed with us, requested songs from the piano man to play and had a fantastic time with their parents... in a public medium! I know! Be still my heart! :) Later that afternoon, we went to see Thor with my parents and completely geeked out talking about the upcoming Captain America and The Avengers movies. I love having geeky kids! When we got home, they played Mortal Kombat with their dad while I got to play with my Sims 3 game. I've missed lazy Sundays like these so it was great to just be laid back and carefree...

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez Have you ever saved a book for your children to read at the right age? I've done that with books like the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson series thinking they would enjoy these books as much as I did. When my daughter fell in love with the Twilight books, I feared for my sanity. I'm not a fan of the books but I thank the author for helping my daughter discover her love of reading. Soon after reading those, she went on a reading binge and thankfully chose better books. While she didn't get into the Harry Potter series like I'd hoped, she fell in love with the Elizabeth Chandler books instead. She would spend hours talking to me about the characters and even wrote several book reports on them. Seeing her excited about a book was fantastic! She even started writing stories featuring angels, vampires and demons with her friends. After reading Alex Sanchez 's Rainbow Boys in 2009, I knew I would be saving this trilogy for my youngest son. ...