His Dirty Author

r

ld me I was too you

, learning to tie my shoes, fur

o the prom or not-- not, by the way, b

nt my first query letter

doors of that very same agent who agreed to take me on, I know this is when it's okay to

antly tells the story about buying them off some church in South America. Or something like that. If I’m honest, I don’t really listen when he goes on tangents about place

y coming together, put aside for other ideas that seemed better but weren't. That's why they were always rejected. But this? This is the one. Finally, I think that he’ll agr

going to be a worldwide bestseller, but I can see this one doing well. Hopefully. Optimistically.

hear footsteps. The door opens and he

do my best not to fidget. He was happy to take me on as my first agent, but nothing I've given him has stuck. Either I’ve been just behind a trend, didn’t hit the tropes hard enough, or

the best literary agents in New York. Maybe even the best.

ges on his desk. “So,” h

ous,”

hy

e this book is good enough to be the one and

e I’ve seen that smile before and it’s the smile that c

, but I force it back. I need to

idea. I think you need to get out of your own head

going to

Ellis on his

e. Against all odds, he’s carved out a name for himself in a female dominated genre and has managed to

everyone who’s ever read one of his books has ended up with one hand

n everyone.

udin

ed at night, Malik's words guided me to discover more about my inexperien

st be scotch in one go. “W

ossing my arms. "And in the room wi

t his expression is still dark and unmoved. "Christ,

ng marketing and sales team are breathing down my neck for this book. They’ve delayed production

ook at me. “And where di

m one of Michael’

et?” He doesn’t even give me a chance

one the same when you wer

lmost ready to go on submission. But I don’t think anything I say

thinks I’m some scrawny kid who’s trying to steal his stardom. Because

ure that they’re not. “Well,” h

en they say never meet your heroes. Malik Ellis’s books have been comforting for me to read. I’v

tty much r

sm that I have laces the words. “Thankfully, me being pretty has no bearing on whether I can write a book. Maybe be

over at Michael. “You’re going

forgotten in the last couple of minutes, I’m an adu

ik muses. "An

a favor, maybe you could get your head out of your ass and speak mor

up into a smirk that he bare

n Ba

. Our shared agent isn’t going to let him get away from this. “I guess

owl, he shrugs. “You forget that I’ve known you too long, Malik. I’m not going to let you invite the girl out

ft with Michael. “That went well,” I say sarcastically. “When you offered me t

n permission. Something that you should remember when you’re writing for him. If you think that something nee

to the man whose book I’m actually writing. At this point I’m not even completely sure what my job is supposed

ichael takes a s

gawk at him. “Tha

“For that amount of mone

mpion in the hundred-meter dash. Way too fucking fast compared to us mere mortals. But he does

ll work

’ll do m

u’ll have the con

oward the conference room and the man who doesn’t want me t