This Novel Thing Might Actually Happen

Last week, I sent an email to Elaine Markson, of Elaine Markson Literary Agency. I'd called and the lady who answered told me the email, then told me to go ahead and send the ms. or query. Well, Elaine emailed me back and said to email her the ms, and she'd read it right away and give me feedback.
Wow.
So I did that on the 14, and on the 16th I was on the phone with Cadillac, talking about how I was ready to go back to work because I didn't think I could take another summer with our dear, lovely children, who, though they are smart, are lazy and can't do anything for themselves. Getting them to do anything takes an act of fortitude that only Cadillac can muster. Not me, the Absentminded Writer.
Call waiting beeped and I clicked over, only seeing for a second that it said Elaine Markson.
She tells me that she read it and LOVED it and she read it in one sitting, and asked me about myself, and all these other things, and I was trying to answer her and thinking, "Someone actually likes this!" and meanwhile, my Kid 3 is peeing in the Ariel panties she just put on and starting a low whine because Mommy's on the phone. And I'm talking to Elaine as though she's not Alice Hoffman's agent, as though she's not someone who can launch me and finally get me out of this purgatory i've been in for the past three years. She sounds, in fact, a lot like my dear editor (not at a pub. house, the one I pay), the one who referred me to Elaine, in fact.
I tell her about the background of my book, HOW TO BE AN AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE, and she says that she knew I must be half Japanese because there's too much detail.
So I probably sound pretty cool, because Elaine says, "I don't know if you want to wait until you hear from everyone--"
I stop. "I would like you to represent me."
"Really? Wonderful!" Elaine laughs and sounds so happy, and I'm so happy too, because finally someone sounds like I'm helping them rather than the other way around, and because finally someone gets me.

This conversation makes the email I get later in the day not matter:

Thank you for thinking of us to read How to Be an American Housewife. I read the sample pages with great interest and while I like the premise I am sorry to say that the novel is not right for our list. My concern is that Sue is not yet likeable enough to pull the reader into the novel. While we need to understand that she is unhappy and frustrated in order to appreciate her eventual evolution, her likeability must immediately transcend her discontent, so that we feel for her and root for her as she begins to work toward creating a happier life for herself.

We wish you the best of luck with your work.