Get ready for a trip around the world as Eva Wong Nava shares her journey to landing an agent! Part travelogue, part writing tutorial, and part motivational essay, there’s a little something for everyone in Eva’s story. We’re so blessed to have Eva as part of 12 x 12 and we can’t wait to see the new books that are created through her partnership with her new agent. Congratulations, Eva!

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

I’ve been writing children’s stories for at least a decade, without really seeking publication, always writing for my children. I got serious only in Paris, where I started to see certain similarities in flash fiction and picture book stories. I have been writing flash fiction for adults, using images as prompts, for some years before moving to Paris. In Paris, I tutored non English-speaking students in literacy and creative writing at my daughters’ international school. One morning on a school run, inspired by the image of a violinist at a metro station, I wrote a short story under 1,000 words. I submitted this to a flash fiction magazine which published it. It dawned on me that flash fiction isn’t all that much different from picture book stories — short stories under 1,000 words and writing from or with images in mind. The differences, I would say, is in how writers make the themes in picture books accessible to young readers and minds by choosing age-appropriate words to create stories that entice readers, and how to edit your stories to make them readable to those who still cannot read or are at the beginning of learning how to read. In flash fiction writing as in picture book writing, an author’s choice of words lies at the centre of writing our stories, due to the economy of the form. And, both require knowledge of the form and how to craft one’s stories.

Spurred by curiosity and finding new ways to teach literacy to my ESL (English as a Second Language) students, I started to use picture books as gateways into learning English. Picture books became my mentor texts as I figured out how picture book stories are written through rereading picture books in my collection. (I have been collecting picture books for more than twenty years. As we are a bilingual family — Italian and English — I have picture books in Italian too. The children were learning French, so I also sought out illustrated books or picture books in French.) Then, I worked with my ESL learners on how to craft short stories under 500 words, using an artwork as a prompt to writing. This formed the creative writing part of my English-acquisition coaching, as well as the learners’ art history lesson. It was such fun! I focused on themes and topics/art works relevant to them, and they used their knowledge of English to write these stories in their own words.

We left Paris in 2013. I left my students with tips on crafting their stories and packed my suitcase with summer clothes for Southeast Asia.

When we were expatriating in Singapore, I was commissioned by a film director to write a middle-grade novel. My brief was to write the novel inspired by his movie. This MG won the bronze medal at the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards in 2018. This led to commissions for two picture book stories by another independent publisher for their ‘Live to Inspire’ series. The MG and PBs focused on special educational needs. Following this, I submitted a PB manuscript to Penguin Random House SEA. This led to a contract for two books (picture book and YA). I’ve just completed the YA, which would be published either in 2022 or 2023. PRH SEA has also signed me for a series of four picture book biographies on the lives of four influential artists from Southeast Asia. This was due to a picture book biography that I’d written for World Scientific Education for their Women of Asia series. In Singapore, there is no need for an agent to get published. In the meantime, I continued to polish the craft of picture book writing and editing. I had joined SCBWI in 2016 and 12 x 12 a little after, and learned some more.

When I returned to the UK in the middle of the Pandemic, I submitted a manuscript that I’d been working on for some time.

Long story short: I felt that it was time to look for an agent in 2021 because I felt I was ready to be represented. I wanted my stories to reach a wider audience and to experience what it is like to work with one of the Big Five in children’s publishing.

What kind of research did you do before submitting?

I subscribed to Publisher’s Weekly and The Bookseller (UK equivalent). This helped me understand the market of children’s publishing and know the stakeholders and gatekeepers in the industry. I listened to a variety of webinars on getting represented and podcasts on writing for children, and joined various children’s writing groups online. I also registered for the annual Picture Book Summit, which was so helpful in many ways. I listened to and followed the advice from the agents at 12 x 12 webinars. I even looked up agent websites and studied the authors and books that they represent to see if the agency is a fit for me, or if my stories are a fit for them. I joined 12 x 12 GOLD which gave me the opportunity to submit once a month to an agent who was willing to read above the slush pile. I read blogs on how other children’s writers got representation. That was a good way to see who their agent is and then research the agency and the agent. When I read a book I liked, I googled the author and read their bios, and also tried to see who represents them. Most authors would let you know this through their websites. Twitter is a good place to start following agents and other picture book authors. Being a member of SCBWI also helped. But I would say, it was 12 x 12 members who inspired me to keep at it, learning, crafting, and submitting.

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

Oh – haha! Hmmm, I stopped counting at some point, for sanity’s sake. I queried intermittently over a period of three/four years, more out of curiosity than strategy. I would say, I’m not the norm as I didn’t query strategically and extensively. But out of my limited attempts at getting represented, I did get many, many, many rejections before that golden phone call. And these rejections were also from agents who I’d thought were good fits for me. This made me determined to learn some more. There are always many reasons for why agents refuse representation and why publishers don’t acquire manuscripts. It’s disheartening, of course, but I never gave up, because I truly enjoy crafting picture book stories. Each rejection made me revise the manuscript again, looking for ways to improve on the story and my writing. From a selfish angle, I write for myself, mainly. (hehe.)

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

There are enough agents who seek to represent picture book authors, I would say. The trick is to find one that will be a good fit for you and your stories. When I finally felt ready to submit purposefully, I concentrated on agencies that represent children’s books and strategized on which ones to submit to. As a writer of colour, and an advocate for more diversity in children’s’ books, I was interested in being represented by an agent who focusses on DIE (Diversity, Inclusion and Equity) and one who genuinely wants to represent underrepresented voices. If these agencies represented a list of diverse authors, I would put them down on my list.

As I am not a US citizen and also not US-based, it was hard to find representation in the United States, for example. I don’t know what the reasons are for this, frankly, but I would say I am not the only non-US picture book author who has faced this issue. But I have heard that it is harder to get US agents to represent you if you are not American or based in the US.

It wasn’t until my return to the UK that I found my agent. But I would say that I didn’t focus on UK agents when I was submitting while living outside of England. Once back in England, I just felt that submitting to UK-based agents was the natural thing to do, my being a Briton and London-based.

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

She is the wonderful Lydia Silver from Darley Anderson, a boutique literary agency based in London, with an office in the US. Lydia is focused on representing BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) authors and illustrators. BAME is to the British what BIPOC is to the Americans. (I have to say that I do not like either acronyms. We’re all writers, and the sooner we get rid of racial categories, the sooner we democratize publishing and normalize equal opportunities.)

I submitted a manuscript — a “diverse” story — to Lydia in February 2021. The UK was under lockdown then. She replied the following day with these words: “I absolutely loved it. You write beautifully and this is so moving, and I’ve not seen grief looked at in this way before, through such a gorgeously specific cultural lens. I’d love to have a chat with you about any other ideas you might have….” I have quoted and unquoted diversity because I feel that my story is a human story, a story about a child’s relationship with her grandmother that is sealed by their love for a heritage food — the dumpling. It is not diverse to me because this is my heritage and culture.

This manuscript was acquired within two days of Lydia submitting to publishers on her list. I had to choose between two publishers, which was a toughie. We went for the one with a logo that my children recognised as their picture books take up lots of shelf space in our library. All said, it is a dream come true and I’m still pinching myself.  I hope that when I wake up, this acquisition is still at the end of my rainbow.

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

It was her vision and voice that spoke to me. Lydia asked me what I was looking for in an agent and we went from there. She shared her vision with me for my stories; she sounded friendly and accessible, and this gave me good vibes about her. I am a highly sensitive adult (HSA) and feel people’s vibes very strongly. Lydia exuded more than positive vibes. The golden chat assured me that she is willing to work for and with me, to represent me authentically and genuinely, and to protect me. She asked me what publishers I had in mind for my stories and why. She also asked me whether I would like to see rejection emails from publishers and warned me that these could be disheartening. But if I wanted to see them, she would share them. So I knew from this conversation that she had more than a business interest at heart.

Lydia made sure from the start that I knew she was available for me if I needed things clarified. We communicate only by emails and phone calls only when there’s something very important to discuss, like a book contract or if I need some hand holding. 🙂

An agent is someone a writer must be able to trust, get along with, and share similar values with, be they values to do with business ethics, writing and/or books, and an agent is someone that an author would want to develop a relationship with over the course of their writing careers. An agent is that person who takes the time and effort to develop an author’s craft and build their writing careers, aside from all the other authors they’re working with. So, if your agent is all this, then they’re the one.

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 bless the day I discovered and joined 12×12. The webinars (which I don’t always have a chance to attend live because of time difference) have been nothing but a godsend. I await eagerly for every replay. I relish every single one and always find insights that help me better my craft.

Julie’s leadership, generosity, and kindness, have been the balm soothing me on days when I feel low and lack self confidence as a children’s book author. I suffer greatly from imposter syndrome, unfortunately. And being part of a community like 12  x12 has made me feel loved, included, and validated. And, Kelli’s accessibility and friendly voice makes being part of this community so welcoming.

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

If by process changing, you mean, how I write, then yes. My agent is an editorial agent, which most agents are. It is in their interest and yours that they submit the best work that the writer has produced to commissioning editors. This process takes time and a lot of revision. It’s good to know that representation does not mean instant acquisition or publication. Publication is a long process and requires infinite patience.

The manuscript that got me representation has now changed into another story — a better one. I have learned tons from this process. I now write with how a commissioning editor will read my manuscript in mind. This process has become part of my craft. I may not get it right all the time. But every manuscript revision is a chance at learning and improving the craft.

Since being represented, I’ve learnt a lot about the role of the commissioning editor/editor in publishing. As a freelance editor myself, I already understand this process, but working closely with editors who specialise in picture books has opened my eyes to what the craft of picture book writing and illustrating specifically entails.

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

I would say do your homework, which I am sure is what every picture book writer on submission has been told umpteenth times. Also, understand the business that is publishing, specifically that is children’s publishing. And learn the craft because picture book authorship is a craft, first and foremost.

Then, unleash that child in you. Write the stories that you’ve always wanted to read as a child. For me, the missing stories were those that represented who I am, where I come from, and about the people I wanted to read about. As a child, I didn’t see any of these. As an adult, I write to reclaim these for myself and my children, who are bi-racial, and have a whole identity and culture different to mine. But beyond this, just write because this was what you’d set out to do anyway.

After, strategise on your submissions and go slow. Be kind to yourself because querying is hard work. And never let those rejections get you down because it is not about you or your writing — there are myriad reasons why you got a no again, and you won’t always know why, so, move on to your next revision and next agent. There are plenty of agents out there who would love your story. Remember, it takes only ONE story to get represented. Focus on that one story that you want to tell and write it to the best of your effort, and always from the heart.

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

I can’t say that I have a platform (because platform, from my understanding, is someone with status and importance that the publishing world deems marketable and saleable, like, say, Meghan Markle, for example, whose debut picture book was acquired by Penguin Random House US) or that having a social media presence has helped me find representation. I have heard of writers who got representation without any social media presence. At the end of the day, as a writer, what’s most important is the quality of your writing. I am on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, but I am hardly there, to be honest. I dip in and out and only take part in conversations or discussions that interest me and that I don’t think are controversial or political. It’s hard, I’ll admit, to stay silent when I read some unsavory tweets and posts. But for sanity’s sake, I steer away from any conversation that distracts me from being a children’s book writer. Let’s just say that I prefer to prolong the innocence for as long as I can.

But I do have a blog on my website, which allows me to connect to readers through art and stories. I blog about my processes and what inspires me. I blog about what interests me, which are usually the visual arts (I’m an art historian), food (former food blogger), social issues (sometimes), and books, especially children’s books (my passion). I would say that the most important thing about blogging is the space it gives me to write. I don’t have a set plan or strategy, I just write from the heart. My last post was about a Malaysian photographer who won an award, which I had linked to an unfortunate spate of racist events that occurred in Singapore because the photography was sublime and the events perturbed me.

As 12×12 members have often heard, agents are looking for how as an author, you’re able to write about other things too, like how to craft a pitch or write that query letter. So, keeping a blog allows me to just write. Writing/blogging about what interests me gives me more clarity about what I write about, which are usually stories that explore themes like identity, a sense of belonging and (my) culture or some issue I care about like gender equality or highlighting discrimination with a view to exposing its ills. Blogging is a way for me to join all the dots and a way to connect with other people who have the same interests as me.

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 🙂 )

Oh – haha! Thanks for this fun question. I’ve always wanted to write a script. I’ve been toying with the idea of a script for a dramatic documentary. It’d be fun, I’m sure.

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

I’m working on the structure and story for a middle-grade novel at the moment. For picture books, I’ve revised three stories that I’d kept in my back pocket for some time. These stories have completely morphed into new ones after my revisions. (Re-vision — that’s exactly what this word means and entails.) I’m in a poetic phase at the moment and want to take the opportunity before the phase dissipates to jive up some of my stories.