What we love about Teresa Klepinger’s agent story is the amount of research and adjustment she put into her agent search. It’s important to look at the market and change your course if necessary. And, of course, tailor your submissions to each agent’s tastes. Congratulations to you, Teresa! Your hard work paid off!

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 in about 2006 and submitted mostly to publishers, but as picture book publishers closed to unsolicited submissions, I realized I’d be better off with an agent. I have two writing prompt books for classroom use published through Scholastic Teaching Resources. They are Cliffhanger Writing Prompts (2011), and Story-Writing Sandwich Prompts (2018). An agent wasn’t necessary getting published with them. Their contracts are “boiler-plate” as they say, though I did ask for and receive a slightly bigger advance with the second one.

What kind of research did you do before submitting?

As we all know, there’s a LOT to learn about submitting. I read articles and blogs. I went to conferences and workshops. I talked to experienced authors. I read blogs where real query letters were critiqued by real agents and editors. Then I scoured websites, more blogs, SCBWI’s The Book, Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market, Query Tracker, everywhere I could find lists of agents looking for picture book authors.

When I found likely agents, I searched for any and all information I could find about them. Bios, interviews, books they’ve represented. If they appeared to represent the type of books I write, I zeroed in on key words I could use to personalize my opening paragraph. My agent liked “quirky warmth,” which seemed to fit my manuscript, so I worked that in.

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

For this particular book, I sent 30 queries. Only Mary Cummings said yes, so – 29 rejections.

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

I just takes extra work. It’s frustrating, but not super difficult.

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

Mary Cummings is with the Betsy Amster Literary agency. I honestly can’t remember how I ran across her. I emailed her on a Wednesday. That very next Saturday morning I had an email from Mary saying, “This is so fun and energetic! I really love it!” She told me about a couple of formatting changes she would make, then said if it was okay with me, she’d like to talk about representation. I had to read it several times to truly comprehend that it wasn’t a rejection! We made an appointment to talk on the phone the next Wednesday. In the phone call, Mary asked how I came to write the story and what my background was. She answered my questions about how she worked, and who she would send it to. She offered representation and the contract was worked out and signed in about a month.

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

Last fall I pitched it to an agent at a conference. I knew her from SCBWI and another local writers’ organization I’m involved with. She was very excited about it. We talked on the phone, and she asked to have it as an exclusive, and also asked for a revision in the title and the ending, which I completed and sent back to her about a month later. As I waited for her response, I was actually warned away from her by two writers who knew her, one of whom had been represented by her. Over the next four months I checked in, asking for status updates, but I never heard another word from her. I finally wrote and withdrew the manuscript. Despite the disappointment, I believe the revisions I did for her made the story much stronger.

After Mary offered representation, I told her I wanted a week to think about it (which I had read in several places was an important thing to do). In the meantime, I was able to talk to a fellow writer I had met at a SCBWI retreat who had recently signed with her. She had good things to say. She found Mary responsive, communicated promptly and well, kept her informed of who the manuscript was going to and what the comments were.

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 . )

Sorry – no. This is my first year with 12 x 12.

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

The biggest change has been shifting my focus away from submissions. That’s been such a huge part of my thinking as a writer and a huge chunk of my time. Now I get to focus on the next new story!

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

I wish I could remember who said it, but a quote I love says “The biggest difference between a successful writer and an unsuccessful writer is that the successful one didn’t give up.”

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

I have a very small online presence, so probably not.

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 . )

As a former teacher and Library Storylady, what I think would be an absolute blast is to do a school visit tour!

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

I’ve spruced up some old manuscripts, and I’m working on coming up with the next unique idea. I tend to let things percolate for a while before I start putting it into words.

We have no doubt we’ll see your spruced up manuscripts as published books before long. Thank you for sharing your story, Teresa!