Melissa Koosmann joined 12 x 12 a couple years ago and jumped in with both feet. She is currently our elf for the Reading Like Writers category on the forum where she hosts discussions on craft questions and finding picture books to answer those questions. In reading her interview below,  you’ll see why she’s a perfect fit for this section of the forum and how her love of craft was the key to Melissa finding her agent. Please help us celebrate with Melissa!

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 for kids for about twelve years, but I spent most of that time writing MG and YA. Then, when my first child was a toddler, I suddenly wanted to write picture books. At this point I’d had hundreds of rejections for MG and YA writing, so I understood how hard it was to get attention from agents. I decided to spend two years writing picture books and studying the craft before I started querying.

By late 2017, I had three strong manuscripts and felt I was ready to query. At that point I was participating in a mentorship program through my local SCBWI branch in Western Washington. My mentor, Peggy King Anderson, agreed I was ready, and her opinions gave me confidence. So I made a resolution to send out 100 queries in 2018. I got no nibbles on the first two manuscripts I sent out. But in the meantime, I was working on more stories. I wrote and polished a new one I felt was really special. When I sent it out, I got an offer of rep pretty quickly.

What kind of research did you do before submitting?       

I researched agents through their websites and Twitter accounts, and I checked up on their past deals on Publishers Marketplace. I queried mainly agents who had a recent record of picture book deals. Whenever possible, I also read several books by authors working with each agent. When querying agents, I tried to find a connection between their clients’ work and mine. If I found one, I mentioned it. But if I didn’t see a strong connection, I queried without saying anything about their clients’ work.

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

I haven’t kept a running tally of all the rejections I’ve received in my life, but I’ve had multiple hundreds of them. In 2018, I had a total of 48 agent rejections before I got my agent. But the story that attracted my agent’s interest was still pretty new. It got fewer than a dozen rejections.

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

Sometimes. A lot of the research process involved weeding out agents who said they weren’t interested in picture books, or who didn’t want non-illustrating picture book authors.

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

In every batch of queries I sent out, I included one or two pie-in-the-sky people. These were agents I really wanted, but they seemed out of my league.

One of those was Sara Crowe, a well-established agent with a client list crammed full of authors I love. She’s with Pippin Properties, an agency I admire to the moon and back. Sara’s submissions page didn’t actually say whether or not she wanted new picture book authors, but my research told me she had made some recent picture book deals. I decided she was worth a very long shot, and I sent off a query.

About a month later, I got an email from Sara saying she loved my story and wanted to talk. I literally jumped up and down in my kitchen. Then I tried to talk myself out of my excitement. Sara had only read one story. She couldn’t possibly be calling to make an offer…could she? We scheduled a call for the next morning, and it turned out she wanted to take me on.

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

There was one moment in the call that clinched it for me. I was concerned because Sara had only read one story, and I asked to pitch some more. Halfway through one of my pitches, she interrupted me, saying, “I KNEW it! I KNEW you’d have more work I loved!” It was incredibly gratifying to hear that excitement, especially from someone who represents so many authors I admire. I did insist on doing my homework, talking to a few of Sara’s clients, and having Sara actually read some additional manuscripts before I signed the agency agreement. But my heart was pretty much set after the call.

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 love the challenge of writing one new manuscript every month. I’ve managed to finish more than twelve first drafts both years I’ve been a 12 x 12 member. Most of those drafts ended up in the drawer, but I like the exercise of writing regularly.

The 12 x 12 community is also hugely important to me. I’m home a lot with my kids, so I don’t see other writers in person as much as I’d like. This community gives me support I need, and it’s a great place to bounce ideas around.

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

Sara signed me on a story I’d revised as far as I knew how to revise it. Now I’ve taken it through maybe a dozen more revisions, some based on Sara’s feedback and some in response to a revision request from an editor. Even if this one never ends up getting picked up, I’m grateful because I’ve learned a huge amount from these last few revisions.

But I’ll be honest and say I also felt extra unsure of myself for a few months after signing with Sara. I think some part of me felt pressured to produce better work now that I had an agent, and that made it hard to work at all. Fortunately I have enough experience to know the only cure for uncertainty is writing, so I’ve pushed myself to write a lot of new stories. None of them feel like they have much magic to them, but I’m revising them and continuing to push myself to produce more.

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

Take some time to study craft before you query. Even if you’re already an accomplished writer in another field, there’s a ton to learn.

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

Not really. An author platform is a secondary focus for me. I focus more on writing stories and studying the craft. That said, I’d love it if you followed me on Twitter: @MelissaKoosmann

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 really want to go to outer space. If some company ever starts selling rocket ship tickets I can afford, I’m definitely buying one.

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

Most of my favorite manuscripts I’ve written are literary, but lately I’m doing a lot of humor. Not sure what’ll come of it, but I’m enjoying the work.