We are so pleased to welcome Anna Lazowski to the How I Got My Agent series. Anna’s story has the perfect blend of quality research, attention to detail, and the determination to not give up. We hope you find her post as inspirational as we do! Anna’s first book is out now. Congrats, Anna!

How long had you been writing before seeking an agent, and what made you decide it was time to look for one?
Where I live (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) we have very long, very cold winters. So in January of 2019, I decided my winter challenge would be to start writing picture books to see how hard it would be to get one published. (I had zero expectations going in, but thought it would be fun.)

So my immediate focus was to write some ideas that had been brewing, and learn everything I could about the publishing industry. I work in radio, so I write all the time, but it’s tailored to storytelling in the form of scripting, documentaries, etc. I knew nothing about publishing, but quickly learned how complicated it is, and how hard it can be to break into. So I approached it like a part time job, and devoted a lot of time to learning as much as I could as quickly as possible.

What kind of research did you do before submitting?
My background is in journalism so I research everything. I wasn’t using my Twitter account much so I curated it to reflect the broad writing community – agents, editors, writers across genres. I started listening to podcasts, reading agency pages and bios, I signed up for QueryTracker and learned about query letters, timelines, and how quickly you can get rejected as a picture book author. I started reading the Manuscript Wish List site, learned about pitch parties and mentorship programs and just immersed myself in it all.

The dreaded questions: How many queries?  How many rejections?
Over five months I sent out queries for seven manuscripts and probably got more than 100 rejections. It wasn’t advisable, but I started querying before learning all the unofficial rules of querying. So before I had a critique group, and before I had multiple manuscripts. After finding 12 x 12, it opened up a whole other world of access to other writers, critiques and support that I didn’t know was out there.

Was it difficult to find an agent who wanted to represent an author focusing on picture books?
It wasn’t difficult, if you do your research and figure out who reps picture books, it’s easy to target the right agents.

Who is your new agent? Tell us about getting the news.
My agent is Moe Ferrarra at BookEnds Literary. I had queried Moe with a manuscript she passed on, and followed up with another one I thought she might like better and it paid off. When I got an offer from Frances Gilbert at Doubleday during #PBPitch in June of 2019 to acquire T. REXES CAN’T TIE THEIR SHOES, I followed up with Moe and a few other agents who were sitting on full requests and things went from there.

How did you know your agent was “the one”?
I think we just had a good connection, she was clearly looking at my work in terms of a career and that was hugely important to me. Now that we’ve been working together for awhile, it’s obvious we are on the same page about my work.

If 12 x 12 helped you in any way during your agent search/development of craft, can you tell us how? (P.S. It is TOTALLY okay if the answer is no. I am not trying to “lead” you 🙂 )

12 x 12 was incredibly helpful, it was the first place I could upload manuscripts and get immediate feedback. I learned from other writers who had signed with agents, offered critiques in the forum, and developed a network I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

12 x 12 also played a major role in my most recent acquisition. I was watching the Mac Barnett webinar and when he said something along the lines of not shying away from darker subject matter, something clicked. I paused the webinar, wrote a first draft of a new manuscript in about 30 minutes, then went back and watched the rest of the webinar. After a few tweaks, and some excellent feedback from my critique partners, that book was submitted exclusively to an editor my agent had connected me with and she acquired it. DARK CLOUD will be out with Kids Can Press in Spring 2023.

Has your writing process changed at all since signing with an agent?
I’ve had to slow it down a bit. Since picture book authors can write A LOT of books, I’m trying to be more selective in the new work I focus on. It’s a challenge but might prompt me to branch out into some other genres that take a bit longer.

What advice would you give to picture book writers looking for agents today?
You will hear a lot of advice and you will get a lot of feedback, but you don’t have to accept it all. Early on I revised stories till I lost what I originally liked about them. Do what feels right for you and trust your own work. T. REXES CAN’T TIE THEIR SHOES was the first picture book I ever wrote, and I almost stopped querying it because of early rejections and resounding advice that your first book won’t be good enough. If you like a story, don’t give up on it!

Do you think your platform (blog, social media) helped you find your agent?
I would have found Moe at BookEnds without social media, but following her on Twitter allowed me to personalize my query letter and send her a story I was pretty sure she’d be interested in. Social media is 100% the reason my first book sold when it did, so although it can seem like dropping a needle into a haystack during pitch events, successes do come from them!

What’s up next/what are you working on now?
I have a couple of books out on submission that I’m hopeful will find a home, and like all other PB writers, have folders full of ideas and partly written drafts to revisit as time and inspiration permit.