We’re so excited for Kari Gonzalez! She stayed focused, put time into learning the craft of writing, and did her research. By controlling things she could control, she put herself in the perfect place to find an agent match.

Congratulations, Kari!

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

I started writing seriously in 2017 and started seeking an agent about a year after. In retrospect, it was much too soon. I had so much to learn and took some amazing classes like Making Picture Book Magic, The Children’s Book Academy Picture Book Writing Course and many SCBWI webinars to hone my skills. I didn’t start querying seriously until 2021.

What kind of research did you do before submitting?

Before submitting, I researched  agency websites, read through query tracker, manuscript wishlists and reviewed social media posts of agents I planned to query to see if we may be a good fit. I also was lucky enough to be in a critique group with another one of my agent’s clients. That gave me a great opportunity to understand her workstyle to see if we would be a match.

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

66 queries

9 champagne rejections

4 requests for more work

1 referral

1 YES!

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

I think market trends ebb and flow. I remember feeling like many agents were expanding their portfolios to older age groups or only seeking author/illustrators, but I focused on what I could control and kept sending focused, well crafted queries to agents that I felt would be a great fit for my work. My search was not just about finding an agent to represent my work, I wanted to find someone who would be a passionate advocate to champion my work. There are definitely agents seeking picture book writers, but it didn’t hurt that I had a large picture book portfolio, and a completed middle grade novel in verse. This was my path, but it doesn’t have to be everyone’s. Write what you love!

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

My agent is Stacey Kondla from The Rights Factory. She is incredible. She is such a champion of my work and we connected right away in ‘the call’. She was actually closed to submissions with a caveat that she would be interested in reading stories about libraries. I knew I had the perfect story and submitted. She emailed back shortly after.

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

I knew she was the one during our call. Her personality and love for my work really put me at ease. She welcomed all of my questions and had a really quick response time. When I found out she also LOVED my novel in verse and had a personal tie to my chronic illness, I knew hands down she was the perfect agent to champion 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 has been a fantastic part of my journey and I highly recommend joining for anyone that has not already. The Facebook forum is fabulous for asking questions and networking, and I loved that there were opportunities for manuscript and query letter feedback. Now as my debut picture book, How To Hatch A Reader is about to release in August, 2023 it has been instrumental in me learning more about marketing, gaining reviews and scheduling author’s visits.

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

My writing process has not changed all that much. But now with Stacey as my agent,  I have an advocate championing my work and her enthusiasm for my projects and industry connections give me a foot in the door of houses that were otherwise closed to unsolicited submissions.

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

Make sure you participate in critique groups and have an established portfolio of work ready. Do your research and make sure that the agent you are submitting to will be a good fit. Do they represent all of the age ranges and genres that you write? Are they passionate about your style of storytelling? And when you get that magical call, make sure to ask questions!

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

I don’t believe this played a part for me, but I sure have loved connecting with the writing community on all of the social media platforms. The kidlit community is an incredibly supportive and lovely bunch of folks.

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 have always dreamed of riding in a hot air balloon!

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

I always have a handful of picture book projects in the hopper and I’m currently working on a YA novel in verse.

I want to extend a huge thank you to 12 x 12! It’s because of you that I continue to challenge myself to write a draft a month and how I built up a quality portfolio that helped me find my perfect agent!