Hooray for Danna Zieger! When the world took an unexpected turn, Danna explored new possibilities and is now on her way to becoming a published author. We’re so glad to have you as part of 12 x 12, Danna, and we can’t wait to see your success! Congratulations!

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

I have been writing my whole life. In middle school, I wrote poems, interestingly not in English! (I speak a few languages.) I used to write to express my teenage angst, and I held all of my various writing pieces in a tin can that would explode open with hundreds of papers!

In my former life, I was a molecular biologist and professor. I’ve been writing science papers and technical writing for decades! However, I always wrote creatively for my soul, too. I was published in various newspapers and blogs. I’ve always aspired to be a writer, even though I never felt confident enough to identify as one.

When the pandemic started, I resigned from my professorship and began to homeschool my three children. As a lifelong lover of books, a voracious reader, and an avid children’s literature fan, I have been reading dozens of books a week to my kids. Group reading time is easily our collective favorite, and I have to force ourselves to pause so we can do other things too, as part of homeschool! Last year, while reading, If I Built a School by Chris Van Dusen to my kids, inspiration hit! I wrote (and re-wrote… and re-wrote… and re-wrote) my first children’s book and I haven’t been able to stop writing since!

I decided to seek an agent when I felt that I had a couple of solid books that I truly felt proud of, and which my amazing critique groups and partners also felt were ready.

What kind of research did you do before submitting?

I am fortunate to have an amazing partner in life, who has been behind me every step of the way. He has cheered me on even when I felt silly attempting to pursue this passion. As a result, he and I teamed up together to research agents, the querying process, and ways to succeed. We each spent many nights together online, once the kids were in bed, researching various agents, reading interviews, and stalking QueryTracker and ManuscriptWishlist! We stayed up way later than we should have… but they were still fun “date” nights! 😊

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

Through my research, I identified nearly 70 agents I wanted to query but many were closed to submissions. Ultimately, I submitted 45 query letters.  About half of them sent rejections within about a month-or-so. Several agents had asked for submission packages.

When I was fortunate to receive an offer from one agent, I nudged the others who hadn’t yet responded, and received more requests for additional work! It was an exhilarating and amazing time.

In the end, I had several offers to choose between and all of the agents were fantastic! I didn’t anticipate being in such an incredible position and the decision was excruciatingly difficult!

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

Not really – there are quite a few agents who are interested in PB authors. The trickier part is timing in catching agents that could be a good fit, who are also open to queries.

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

My agent is Mary Cummings of Great River Literary. Getting the news and having “the call” with Mary, felt like flying! I was so impressed with Mary’s meticulous list of editors that she planned to submit my manuscript to, and as a brand-new pre-published author, I appreciated her detailed and nuanced explanations of the process to come.

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

Before querying Mary, I knew of her gorgeous books and prolific authors that she has worked with, so I felt honored to be in such company. Her expertise and her thoughtful list of editors made me feel confident in her approach.

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 wish I had joined 12×12 last year! I’m grateful to be a part of the community this year, and it is helping me create more new manuscripts to prepare for future submissions. The webinars are very useful and the community is so kind and inviting! Ironically, one of my amazing critique partners found her critique group through 12×12 last year, and I’m so lucky that she kindly invited me to be a part of it! In that way, I feel I have benefitted from 12×12 twice, even though I wasn’t a member last year!

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

Interestingly, chatting with my agent during “the call” about my manuscript sparked a lightbulb about what to strive for in picture books. It’s hard to articulate, but her supportive descriptions of my manuscript that she ultimately placed out on submission instantaneously gave me that “A-ha!” moment, and her words have echoed in my head as I continue to write and revise each and every manuscript.

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

Persistence! And, don’t rush! It’s hard to know when is the right time to start querying – and a thoughtful critique group can help with that assessment. There’s no right amount of time – it’s about investment of effort. One can wait years and barely touch manuscripts or get feedback, and then you’re probably still not ready. One could, in theory, make all of that progress within months, and perhaps be ready. Invest the time, check in with your critique partners, and go for it!

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

I created a non-monetized Instagram account while homeschooling my kids in order to further my personal mission of making STEM accessible – Instagram.com/DrZatHome – and thankfully it has amassed some followers! However, I don’t think social media has particularly helped in any way in landing my agent.

That being said, since becoming agented, I have developed my personal website (www.dannazeiger.com) and expanded my Instagram presence in case interested editors need more information. I’ve enjoyed connecting with the kidlit online community.

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 🙂 )

Ha! Publishing a book is at the top of that bucket list! I would really love to become a prolific children’s author, like some of my favorite authors out there. However, in addition to publishing, I’d also love to take a lovely, long family vacation (and maybe a few child-free days in there 😊) in some exotic, warm place!

The truth is, the privilege to pursue this amazing adventure of writing, while homeschooling my kids, and enjoying good health with a roof over our heads… is more than enough. Getting published would just be a delicious cherry on top! 😊

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

Time is my greatest limiting factor. I do write quite a bit of STEAM-related manuscripts: I have a few STEAM PBs that I’m running through my critique groups and partners. I also have written a very personal historical fiction PB that is based on my family’s history; I feel extremely emotional about this work. In addition to that, I’ve outlined and started writing a couple of MG books – one STEAM-infused, and one based on my family history.

And I have outlines of many more books I’m just itching to write! I can’t say I will ever be bored!

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