Rebekah Lowell was one of our 2018 12 x 12 Scholarship Winners. Her first 12 x 12 draft became the manuscript that sparked her agent’s interest. We’re so excited to see how far Rebekah has come in her writing journey. For anyone dealing with difficult circumstance, Rebekah is an inspiration. 

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

In 2004 during my last year at the Rhode Island School of Design, I took a class called “Picture and Word” taught by Judy-Sue Goodwin-Sturges, Libby Koponen, and the late Rebecca Bond, in which I created my first picture book dummy. I was hooked. I continued writing and making dummies, and also sending out material to agents and publishers via snail mail, but because of my situation, I was limited in what I was “allowed” to do, because of domestic abuse. I can’t talk about my early years in the children’s literature without talking about my experience with abuse and captivity. The abuser forced me to leave RISD a semester early since I had enough credits to graduate, so I wasn’t able to take advantage of career services upon graduation. I wasn’t allowed to work or communicate with others. In the same year I graduated RISD, we were married, and most of my creative work came to a halt for nearly a decade. It was not until 2013, that I escaped with my two daughters (with the help of law enforcement) and went to live in a women’s shelter, that I was able to dive back into my writing and illustrating. Throughout the previous decade I had written in journals and was able to paint a little (not while he was home), but because I was forbidden to go anywhere without the abuser, and was discouraged from speaking with anyone, networking was nearly impossible. Once we were free, I picked up where I left off with my education, and in 2014, I was accepted into Hollins University’s dual MFA Program of Children’s Literature and Illustration. From then on I focused heavily on my writing and illustrating, and submitted to agents and editors again for a solid five years before I finally found my agent, the inspiring Wendi Gu.

What kind of research did you do before submitting?

The decision to attend Hollins was one of the best I’ve ever made. We have access to amazing professors who bring their years of experience and generous spirit to us. They are truly a wealth of information and amazing support system. At Hollins, we also have the opportunity to attend agent and editor visits. In 2014, I joined SCBWI, as well as a local critique group (I now lead one in my hometown) and started attending conferences where I participated in portfolio and manuscript critiques. I also attended other kidlit conferences such as the Belgrade Lakes Conference in 2016 and 2017, and the Big Sur at Cape Cod Conference in 2017. I also cochaired Hollins University’s literary conference in 2017 and learned a lot. Over the past few years I’ve participated in StoryStorm, watched webinars from KidLit College, won a scholarship to the Children’s Book Academy in 2017, and also read KidLit 411 posts, listened to podcasts, such as “The Children’s Book Podcast” with Matthew Winner and the “Literaticast” with Jennifer Laughran. I also listened to many agent interviews online, and read a lot—always kidlit. I’ve applied to contests and awards I learned of and qualified for, and won the NESCBWI Ruth Landers Glass Scholarship in 2017, and the NESCBWI 4×4 author/illustrator mentorship with Brian Lies last fall. That mentorship helped my picture book work shift for the better. Brian Lies was a privilege to work with and was highly generous with his vast knowledge of this industry. In the winter of 2017 I won a Gold Level Scholarship for 12 x 12 and my January manuscript (with dummy) is the one I brought to my SCBWI manuscript critique with Wendi Gu!

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

Well over a hundred, but I don’t know how far over. I haven’t specifically counted, but I have saved them all. I started submitting in 2003, was discouraged to continue for the following decade, but began submitting intensely again when I was free in 2013 and found my agent in 2018. I have many self-addressed stamped rejection letters in manila envelopes (it’s like I handwrote my own rejection), some form letters, emails, etc. The declines started to change in tone. The more I received, the more the feedback improved. In the past year, the form rejections became personalized, and at times, I was told it was a difficult decision. I knew I was getting closer.

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

I write both picture and middle grade, and also illustrate, so I wasn’t looking for an agent who would rep just picture books.

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

My agent is Wendi Gu at Janklow and Nesbit Associates. On April 20, 2018, during my NESCBWI manuscript critique, Wendi mentioned she would be interested in seeing more of my work. So on the Monday after the conference, I followed up with her via email and asked if she would still like to see more work. She did, and so I sent her three other PDF picture book dummies, as well as my middle grade verse novel, each with art samples. After a couple of days, we had a wonderful phone conversation and by April 28^th, I signed the contract!

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

While I was sitting in my critique with her at the conference, I felt very relaxed and in the moment. I felt like we would work well together and enjoyed how easily she communicated her thoughts. She was a fan of my work, which felt exciting, and she was a positive and uplifting person to engage with. I felt a spark right off. I learned later, that she also felt this way. If this sounds a lot like dating, it is!

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. )

Yes, my very first story for January is the one that caught Wendi’s attention! It’s not the one I’m going to publish first because I want to develop it further in my thesis for Hollins, but it’s this dummy that piqued the interest of my agent and prompted her to ask for more work. I should also add that at the Francelia Butler Conference at Hollins University this past summer, the manuscript won a second place peer award and the illustrations for it won two first place awards.

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

Nope, it stayed the same! I enjoy working hard and following through with projects, so putting in a lot of time was not a surprise to me. Be prepared to love revision when you sign with an agent! (And I actually love revision, so I was okay there.)

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

Stay true to yourself and don’t try to bend to fit an agent’s taste. Be you when you write and illustrate. Don’t get stuck on one “dream” agent, but be open to meeting many agents. Make a dream list. Try to get to know them all online, in interviews, and in conversation if you can. Learn the style you work in best. Think of what is important to you in agent. Do you want them to be editorial? How accessible do you want them to be for you? How do you want to communicate with them and how often?

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

Yes, I think my online platform made a difference. I believe it’s important to have a positive presence online. During my manuscript critique with Wendi at the NESCBWI  Spring Conference, she mentioned she had visited my website and read about me online before meeting with me in person. One more tidbit from me: It’s important to always be professional online and put your best face forward. You never know who is watching.

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 would love to attend a Highlights Workshop. Also, I would love to climb Katahdin again with my family, now that my daughters are old enough. The first time I climbed it, I was pregnant with my oldest daughter and it was on the abuser’s terms. This time, I would climb the mountain with them on our terms because we are free.

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

At the moment, I have projects out on submission, so I’m stalking my email most days— and I’m working on new art for a picture book I wrote in 2013 (and have done the art for in four different ways so far) which won the Ruth Landers Glass Scholarship and helped me earn the mentorship with Brian Lies. I’m also working on my thesis for Hollins, which is three picture books (written and dummied out with sketches with three finished double page spreads for each) and a twenty-page critical paper. I’m also writing a new picture book draft each month in 12 x 12!

On a personal note, I was remarried in 2016 and we’re building our forever home in Maine right now, which will also have my dream-come-true studio space in it, so we’re working on details for that as well. My message to anyone out there who may be suffering in an abusive relationship: There is life after abuse and you can always start over. You have a choice.