What’s Cheryl Johnson’s formula for success in getting an agent contract? 18 stories x six years = 231 queries. Or math “formula” aside, PERSISTENCE! And she says, “I would not be where I am today without the help of 12 x 12.” Her journey is motivating, so read on.

Congrats, Cheryl! We hope it’s a long and successful relationship. 

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

I’ve wanted to write picture books since my kids were babies, but life was busy, and I never did until my oldest became a Marine in 2016. That pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I finally started writing. I began querying agents in 2019 after I won the SCBWI Marvelous Midwest contest. After all, I just won a contest so shouldn’t it be easy to get an agent? What took a while to learn was that a story about the love between a boy and his brother in boot camp would be a hard sell, though not impossible. Even longer to learn? My other stories weren’t as great as I thought they were. I began querying again when I had a body of polished stories that I had worked on with my two critique groups.

What kind of research did you do before submitting?

I’ve used Heather Ayris Burnell’s Monster List of Picture Book Agents. Over the years I’ve checked out every agency listed and added the agents who rep PBs. I then rated them on an ABC scale as to whether they’d be a good fit for me. When I queried agents I added the info to the sheet so I had a record all in one spot. I also used QueryTracker since I could quickly see to whom I sent various stories.

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

I’ve sent 18 stories over six years for a total of 231 queries. During that time, I’ve had two well-known agents interested—one was at the beginning of my agent search and when asked for more work I immediately sent two other stories that I thought were ready to share, but really weren’t. Needless to say, a rejection came days later. The other was a Twitter/X pitch opportunity which ended in a rejection because once again I was querying a story way too soon. So, as you can see, there has been a boatload of rejections. The incredible news? The story that got Mara’s attention is the one the well-known agent eventually turned down and 47 others also rejected.

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

Yes, it’s been a challenge for sure. Many agents who are good with an author’s focus on picture books accept queries at certain times of the year, only one week a month, or based on a conference submission opportunity. Similar to my son leaving for boot camp, this pushed me out of my comfort zone once again, and I have expanded my writing to board books and easy readers, though I haven’t tackled a MG beyond just notes so far.

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

Mara Cobb at Martin Literary Management — yay! I took part in a #PBPitch party on Twitter/X in February of 2024, and Mara liked my informational fiction pitch. I sent the story off to her and was so happy to see her email requesting a Zoom call. To be honest, I opened that email with quite a bit of trepidation and was prepared for a rejection, so I had to read it several times that she loved my story and wanted to set up what I’ve been waiting years for — ‘the call.’ In the email, Mara asked for more work, and this time I was totally prepared with a collection of polished stories to pick from.

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

Mara loved my story as much as I did, had a plan for it which included two of the additional stories I sent her that shared a similar theme, confidently answered my questions, and was easy to chat with. In the following days, I sent her a handful of additional questions, corresponded with a few of her clients, and, with a glass of champagne in one hand and the other on the keyboard, I happily accepted her offer of representation.

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 🙂 )

I would not be where I am today without the help of 12 x 12. One of the best tips that I see repeatedly on the Facebook page or during a webinar or book talk is to read. Read regularly, deeply, widely. I started doing this six years ago, keep track on Goodreads, and am now over 2,000 picture books! Interacting, supporting, and learning from each other within the FB group is another key way that 12 x 12 has helped me as a writer. I also love the book groups and webinars and participate as much as I can.

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

I still do things the same. Write crappy first drafts, revise until a story can be seen by my two critique groups, revise until polished, then send to Mara. One thing, though, is different — I now have her agent’s eye critiquing as well.

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

Keep plugging away. Brian Gehrlein’s The Almost Book post (PBSpotlight.com, August 2024) sums it up so well that I printed it out to read on tough days.

          And so we just keep sending. And changing. Hoping and waiting…

               hoping and waiting…

               hoping and…

                                     persisting.

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

Yes to social media. As I mentioned, Mara found my story during #PBPitch. If I didn’t have a Twitter/X account that I checked regularly, I wouldn’t have learned about pitch events years ago, nor have practiced whittling down a pitch to a limited number of characters.

My first book contract was also through #PBPitch. In 2021, I shared 12 stories, and a fellow author suggested a small, specialized publisher for one, feeling it would be a perfect fit for them. I did my research and queried them. Three months later I had an offer!

By the way, I’ve taken part in many pitch parties, and more often than I care to remember, I’ve received zero likes.

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 travel to Australia and Alaska. Since moving to a lake house in Michigan, you can always find me with a camera in hand and enjoying the nature right outside my door. If I ever make it to these bucket list places, that camera is coming with me.

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

I’m working on new stories and revising old ones, all while crossing my fingers and saying a prayer.