Meet Christine Goss

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christine Goss. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Christine, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

When I started writing (I’m an author and an agent) I had a hard time understanding what agents were looking for, where to find that information, and how to find out more about publishing. It isn’t necessarily gatekept, I think that it mostly unknown…until you know it.

So my purpose when starting to be an agent was to help authors learn more about publishing and the craft of writing, along with giving them feedback that may help them move forward in their publishing journey with more of an direction than before.

I also have learned so much through books and gained such a great perspective on many different things that my goal when searching for new authors to represent is that there is a story to tell that can continue to help inform readers. If I can rep a banned book someday, I’ll feel close to making it.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

For agenting, I have enjoyed finding stories that enter into your soul and live there, never leaving. The books I represent, I will read over and over and be like “this is just the best book ever”. It really is such a privilege.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The first most impactful skill or quality I have is that I’m extremely stubborn (as my husband), and I won’t give up on something I want. Because if I give up, I won’t get what I want. On the flip side of that, and I think a quality I also possess, is being realistic about the realities of publishing (and of life). Of course, entering into publishing and having a goal comes with a certain about of delusion, but it also has to come with accepting reality, even when it’s hard.

Lastly, I think a great skill I have that has proved beneficial is empathy. There are things I do, things I say, and ways I proceed based on understanding things from different sides. I always try to think of alternate routes before taking one, because sometimes there are bumpier, but necessary paths, or very smooth paths that are the best to take. (I hope that makes sense. It does right now in my head– ha!)

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

I operate at a base level of overwhelm every day. I have two young kids, three jobs, and try to have a life. To maintain it all, I have to manage a lot.

I think focusing on how I operate and what makes me feel calm has helped me indentify how to keep that overwhelm at a minimum, versus crippling ( which does happen).

But I do the following:
1. Walk/run every day. This clears my mind and helps me naturally handle my anxiety.
2. To do list. Every Monday I write my to do list for the week. If I don’t, I feel untethered.
3. I set boundaries. If I give more than I’m able, all those balls I’m juggling fall. So I set boundaries, no matter how uncomfortable they are. Because they’re not supposed to feel good, they’re going to chafe, but eventually we won’t realize they’re there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.christinekellywrites.com/mswl
• Instagram: @cgossagent