Research, research, research is the name of the game when you’re looking for the perfect agent. Becca McMurdie threw herself into tracking projects by agents and reading posts like this to find agents who could be a good fit. By actively participating in the picture book community, she landed a chance to speak to one her top picks and the rest, as they say, is history! Congrats, Becca!

How long had you been writing before seeking an agent, and what made you decide it was time to look for one?

I started seriously writing and working to improve my craft during the early lockdown days of the pandemic. I started querying in the spring of 2021, a year later. I knew it was time to start querying when it seemed like my manuscripts were just as good as, or sometimes better than, the new picture book releases coming out.

What kind of research did you do before submitting?

I joined SCBWI, dozens of virtual webinars with acquiring agents, and read every “How I Got My Agent” blog post I could find. I revived my Twitter account and followed every literary agent who represented children’s books that I learned about. I went to their websites, read their wish lists, and followed the authors they represented. As new books came out that I liked, I’d look up who the author’s agent was (you can usually find this out from their website). As I did all this, I made an excel sheet of all the agents who represented the type of stories I wrote.

The dreaded questions: How many queries?  How many rejections?

Over 12 months, I sent 85 queries. I received 37 rejections, 45 no responses, and 3 requests for more work. This was not all with the same manuscript. After receiving 15 – 20 rejections (or no response after 12 weeks) on a manuscript, I usually tabled it and started querying my next best one.

Was it difficult to find an agent who wanted to represent an author focusing on picture books?

Yes, it was difficult, but I enjoyed the process. It is an exercise in persistence.

Who is your new agent? Tell us about getting the news.

My agent is Joyce Sweeney from the Seymour Agency. I won a one-on-one Q & A Zoom call with them as part of an online auction I participated in to raise money for Black Creators Headquarters. On the call, I showed them my latest manuscript and asked for feedback. Joyce loved the story and gave me lots of line level feedback to improve it further. At the time, I was preparing that story for submission to Mindy Alyse Weiss’s PBParty showcase (go check that out on Mindy’s blog if you don’t already know about it!) so I was excited to get Joyce’s feedback. I was also hoping Joyce might request it right then and there on the Q&A call, but they didn’t. I was a little disappointed about that. But then about a week later, the PBParty Showcase began, I was a finalist, and Joyce was the first of nine agents and editors to request the story! (Joyce later told me that they knew they wanted to take a closer look at it during our initial call, so go figure!) I of course sent it right away, and they promptly asked for more manuscripts. A few days later, they reached out to schedule a Zoom call. This call turned about to be “The Call.” Within the first minute of our conversation, Joyce offered representation, and yes, it was a dream come true.

How did you know your agent was “the one”?

A few reasons. First, Joyce is editorial, which is something I wanted in an agent. I saw that first hand when they gave me feedback on my manuscript when I won the Q&A call with her. Second, and most importantly, they genuinely love my stories just as much as I do. I write both fiction and nonfiction picture books, primarily about rainforests and urban wildlife. I want to write books that inspire kids to appreciate the natural world and care for the planet. Joyce loved that mission. In fact, after I signed with them, they said they were specifically looking for someone with that focus for her list. So it just seemed like the perfect fit.

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 🙂 )

Joyce noted that they were glad to see I was a 12 x 12 member on our first call, after seeing it noted in my query letter. They mentioned that those types of memberships are pluses for them when selecting clients to sign. They know that 12×12 members show a certain level of commitment to continually improving and evolving their craft. So, yes, quite directly, the 12 x 12 membership helped in that sense.

Also, I have found some great new critique partners through the 12 x 12 community. I learn a lot from the webinars and connections I make with other 12×12 authors. All of this sustained me during the brutal months in the query trenches.

Has your writing process changed at all since signing with an agent?

Once I signed with Joyce, I had opportunities to connect with other agented authors through various new channels. Many have become new critique partners. This allows me to give and receive feedback from talented folks who are often far along in their writing careers, which further sharpens my craft. Also, because Joyce is very collaborative and editorial, I can show them early drafts, or even talk through ideas with them, and they’ll let me know if it’s something worth pursuing and if so, provide further direction. This allows me to let go of projects or ideas that are less likely to be successful, and focus my efforts in a more targeted way.

What advice would you give to picture book writers looking for agents today?

Don’t let the energy you put into the agent search and query process take away from what’s most important: continuing to improve as a writer. Keep writing stories. Stay actively involved in critique groups. If you are querying something, make sure you are writing or revising something else in the meantime. Don’t coast. Don’t give up.

Also, whenever a critique partner e-mails you asking if you can review something on a quick turnaround (because they just got a request from an agent for more work, or need a final set of eyes on something before a competition deadline, or some such) always say YES! Even if you are tired. Even if you have lots of work to do for your day job at that time. Trust me on this. One day, your time will come. And when you need to ask this same favor on a day you least expect it, the karma will pay off.

Do you think your platform (blog, social media) helped you find your agent?

I didn’t have any sort of author platform before I signed. So no, that didn’t help me land an agent. But Joyce said that before my debut book releases, I need a website. I worked on that this summer, and by the time this blog releases, my website should be live: www.beccamcmurdie.com.

Tell us something that is on your “bucket list.” Something you’ve dreamed of doing all your life but have yet to accomplish (besides publishing a book, which is inevitable at this point 🙂 )

I would love to spend time shadowing ecologists doing conservation work in the Amazon rainforest.

What’s up next/what are you working on now?

My debut picture book BUILDING A BEAK: HOW A TOUCAN’S RESCUE INSPIRED THE WORLD, releases with Page Street Kids in 2024! It’s a narrative non-fiction story about Grecia, an injured toucan in Costa Rica whose rescue and 3-D printed beak inspired big steps for the protection of rainforest wildlife.

I have a few other projects in different stages. A few are polished and on-deck for submission, a few being critiqued, there is one I am researching, and a few in the early brainstorm stages. I jump around. It keeps life exciting.

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