Today we get to celebrate Laura De La Cruz! It always feels like a bit of full circle moment when one of our scholarship recipients signs with an agent and it’s no different with Laura. Laura is a 2022 12 x 12 scholarship winner and we’re still thinking about her manuscript and now, fingers crossed, we hope to see it in print!

Congrats, Laura! We are so proud of you!

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 since I was a little girl—journals, letters, song lyrics, poems (more song lyrics really), etc. I come from a family of storytellers, so I grew up listening to many stories about ghosts, witches, working the fields, Pancho Villa’s rebeldes, and family adventures. Once I started having children in my 30s, I remembered how much I loved picture books when I was young. Eventually, I got a job working in a school library where I read picture books to children every day as part of my job. These events inspired me to write my own stories. So, I went back to school and attained my B.A. in English and immediately started seriously writing. Once I joined Twitter, SCBWI, and 12 x 12, I realized I needed an agent to make my publishing dream come true.

What kind of research did you do before submitting?

I used Query Tracker to find and keep track of the agents I was interested in. I searched for agents that were accepting picture book texts, which is a task in and of itself. I followed agents and agencies on Twitter. I also attended webinars taught by the agents I wanted to get to know better. I read manuscript wish lists and when any picture book author announced representation, I researched their agents to see if they may be a good fit for me and my pursuits.

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

Like many of us, I started submitting too early. I cringe when I think about what I sent my dream agent—needless to say, I wasn’t afforded the opportunity to sign with her. I was so disappointed when I received her rejection, my first, that I didn’t submit to her again until the following year.  After receiving her rejection again, I waited yet another year to submit to her. And then, guess what? That’s right, another rejection. I wasn’t ready and deep down, I knew it. Eventually, I discovered Query Tracker to keep track of my submissions. My work began to improve. And when my work started to get noticed, it encouraged me to submit to more agents. According to Query Tracker, I received 31 rejections out of about 36 queries, 3 no responses and two offers of representation.

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

Yes, it was difficult to find an agent that wanted to represent a picture book text author. It seems like many agents want to represent author/illustrators. The good news is that agents interested in picture book text are still out there. You simply must to do your research.

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

My new agent is Leah Pierre from Ladderbird Literary Agency and I have 12 x 12 to thank for that. Because I’m a 12×12 GOLD member, on September 1^st I submitted to Natalie Lakosil at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency. Soon after submitting, I nudged her due to the interest from another agent. She responded with a very nice rejection and said she loved my story but didn’t have the bandwidth to take me on. She then suggested I submit to her mentee, Leah and said she would love to work with her on this project. But there was a problem, Leah was closed to submissions. I couldn’t contact her through Query Tracker. I didn’t have her email and I didn’t want to send it to the Ladderbird general email (time was of the essence). But Leah had a webpage! So, over the weekend, I sent her a message through her website. I let her know that I was referred to her by her mentor, Natalie and apprised her of what she had said. Leah responded on Monday morning and asked to see my story. The next day I had an offer of representation! By Thursday of that same week, we had “The Call” and soon after that I was signing a contract.

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

I knew Leah was the one after we spoke on the Zoom call. She told me how much she loved my story and how excited she was to offer me representation. She was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and a very nice person (which is very important to me). Before “The Call” I looked her up. I read every interview I could find. I read about her agency, checked out her personal website, and asked for advice from my critique partners. One of the deciding factors was that she is currently being mentored by Natalie Lakosil. Leah is somewhat new to agenting but her being mentored by someone like Natalie put me at ease. I eventually sent her more stories, which she loved.

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 an intricate part of my success as a writer. I’ve learned so much from this group. And yes, 12 x 12 was instrumental in me finding the right agent. If I had not submitted to Natalie, a featured 12 x 12 agent, I would never have been referred to Leah.

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

No, my writing process hasn’t changed since I signed with my agent. But I have been feeling a little more at ease. I know there’s still a lot of work to be done but not having to look for an agent has lifted a weight off my shoulders.

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

Write, write, write! That is my advice. We all get caught up on getting published that we lose focus on what we must do, which is to write. We are told we need a social media presence, we need a website, we need a great query letter, a great pitch, etc. But once we have all those things in order, and don’t have several polished stories, what’s the point? Agents are going to ask for more work, so be prepared. Write your stories, get them polished then worry about the other stuff.

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

No, I don’t think my platform helped me to find my agent, but I do think having a social media presence helped me with other writing-related things such as connecting with other writers, learning about pitch parties, writing contests, mentorships, and staying up to date with publishing news. It also helped me to research agents and their agencies.

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’ve dreamed of traveling across the country in a trailer. Hopefully one day, once my hubby retires, we might be able to do that.

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

I have one picture book out on submission and I’ll be revising the story my agent wants to send out next. I am also researching and revising a picture book biography, and revising several other stories.

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