Today we bring you Lindsay Leslie’s agent story. Lindsay assures us that making the big move of putting yourself out there and getting out of your comfort zone is the first step in getting an agent and being successful in the chlidren’s publishing. Her story is also a good reminder that there is more than one way to land an agent! Congratulations, Lindsay! Welcome to the blog!

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

I’ve always been a writer. In my previous career, writing made up the majority of what I did day in and day out. In terms of writing for children, I’ve been at it since 2015. I decided to push my work out to agents and Twitter contests toward the end of 2015 to test the waters and see what kind of feedback, or lack thereof, I received. I also wanted to show myself that I could do it, that I could rip off the protective band aid of being at home, by myself, in complete comfort. I needed to get uncomfortable. I needed to push myself out there and grow that armor.

What kind of research did you do before submitting?

All sorts of research. I felt finding an agent was very similar to finding just the right reporter for a client’s story. (I used to work in public relations.) So, I pulled on that knowledge and researched as much as I could from a variety of sources, including Publisher’s Marketplace, QueryTracker, blogs, MSWL, etc.

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

Oh, that is the dreaded question. I’m going to include the requests and then rejections I received from contests, including #PBParty and #PitchMas. In total, I queried 31 agents and received 31 rejections. So, how did I get my agent if I received 31 rejections? I got a contract offer from a publisher first and was referred to my now agent.

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

I think the road to finding a picture book agent is a very hard one. I’m all for taking every avenue available to find your perfect match. Leave no stone unturned. That is why I participated in Twitter contests. I wanted to continue to get my work out there and see who might find it irresistible.

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

My agent is Stephanie Fretwell-Hill with Red Fox Literary, and how I found my way to her is a long-ish story. In March, I participated in the #PitMad hashtag event. Many of you may know about #PitMad. It’s open to all genres, all categories. You pitch your manuscript in what was then 140 characters and hope to get a favorite from an agent or publisher. I got a favorite for my manuscript THIS BOOK IS SPINELESS from Kristen Nobles, the children’s publisher at Page Street Kids. I was beside myself and excited to get the “heart” from Kristen and immediately sent my query and manuscript. A month and a half later, I received a revise and resubmit request from Charlotte Wenger, associate editor at Page Street. I worked back and forth with her, and I’d say about a month later received the contract offer.

Now the moment I received the offer was ridiculous! I happened to be at the dry cleaners when I got the email. All I could do was jump. Then my son started jumping with me and asked, “Why are we jumping?” I didn’t answer because I was too busy, ya know, jumping, squealing, and pointing at my son. He cracked his signature smile, held my hand, and kept jumping. The lady who brought around the dry cleaning didn’t know what to do with us. So, I pointed at her all while jumping, and said “YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!” I didn’t care how crazy I looked. It was a crazy moment. A moment made for jumping.

Then I stopped jumping, because I didn’t have an agent. This is a career I wanted to have for a long time. I wanted a partner in crime. OK, not crime, but you get me. I reached out to the couple of agents who still had THIS BOOK IS SPINELESS and let them know I had an offer. I still received rejections from them–one had a full list of picture book writers and the other was on sub with a similar book.

I turned to my SCBWI friends, who suggested I speak with a literary lawyer as well. This lovely lawyer asked me if I had queried Red Fox Literary. Since they were closed to outside submissions, the answer was no. So, she referred me in. Co-founder and agent Karen Grencik suggested I speak with Stephanie, as she thought we would be a good match. I was very excited because Stephanie was on my list of dream agents. I spoke with Stephanie for an hour on the phone and just knew (and I knew a while back with all the research I had done) that she would be a great partner for me. Luckily, she offered representation. Wow, that was a long convoluted story.

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

All of my research, plus her answers to my questions matched up with my hopes and my gut feelings. We seemed in lock-step, and my intuition was giving me the green light.

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 .)

Absolutely! Even though I had a contract offer, that didn’t mean getting an agent would be a breeze. Obviously it wasn’t, because two agents turned me down with that contract offer in hand. I needed to continue to sell myself with solid work—the work I created during 12 x 12. Actually, the manuscript I had finished in June 2017 and received informative and wonderful feedback on from a few 12 x 12ers was the manuscript both Karen and Stephanie loved. The manuscript, NOVA THE STAR EATER, sold to Page Street and will be out in May 2019. I find the community of 12 x 12 inspiring, collaborative, and there when you need them. I’m a fan!

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

Not yet. I still go about things the way I always have. I’m always on the lookout for what might inspire my creativity. I write horrid first drafts. I wrestle with that draft like it’s a pig in mud. Once I’ve hosed it off, I always reach out to 12 x 12 or my other CPs and get feedback. Then I go in for another round of wrestling.

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

Keep creating! Yes, you may have ten queries out to agents. Don’t stop. Get inspired, get back to your craft and continue to improve. If you receive rejections, treat them like badges of honor. What an honor to be able to do what you love, to have enough passion about your craft to go out and query again, even if that means more rejections. Those rejections make you stronger and can inform your work.

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

Yes. I’m pretty active on Twitter and Facebook, and the Twitter contests helped get my name out there, so people know I’m serious about kid lit and exposed me to agents/publishers in a different, less traditional way.

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. )

My top “bucket list” thing to do in terms of writing is to be able to present to my sons’ elementary school while they are still there (or at least one of them). I turned to children’s writing because of the inspiration of my young boys. That would be the cherry on top! I think I might be able to check off that “bucket list” item, because my debut picture book, THIS BOOK IS SPINELESS, comes out Feb. 19, 2019!

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

Besides prepping for the launch of THIS BOOK IS SPINELESS and NOVA THE STAR EATER, I will be writing, writing, writing. I’m on sub with a lyrical picture book and am wrapped up in editing my middle-grade contemporary fantasy novel. Also, I’ve sold another picture book, tentatively titled WANTED: DUSK RAIDERS, that will come out in Spring 2020 with Page Street Kids.

Thank you so much for allowing me to share my story. I’m cheering all of you on and can’t wait to engage more on the forum, on FB, and maybe in person some day?