Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc.).
I just signed with Lori Steel of Raven Quill Literary Agency, and she’s already negotiating my first book deal!
How long have you been writing/pursuing an agent/publishing deal?
I’ve been a freelance writer for over 20 years and have an MFA in fiction writing for adults, but I didn’t start writing picture books until 2012, when my son was eight years old. I joined SCBWI in late 2012 and learned that I really didn’t know how to write a picture books. Ha! So I took online classes, attended workshops at Highlights and SCBWI conferences, and joined 12×12.
I started querying agents about two years later, and signed with one in March 2015. After a frustrating year and a half of poor communication, we parted ways. I kept writing, revising, and entering contests, but it took me a couple of years to put that bad agent experience behind me. I started querying agents regularly again in 2018, and attended a writing retreat at Miranda and Baptiste Paul’s home with a handful of picture book writers who I now count as some of my closest writing buddies. Everyone needs trusted writing pals to share this journey with!
In 2019, I was a 12×12 Gold member and queried 12×12 agents and others outside of 12×12, but I couldn’t get past the increasingly lovely rejections. In 2019, I took advantage of a Writing Barn first-time discount and took a novel writing class, but that long-term project is currently marinating in a drawer.
After applying to various writing mentorships over the past three years, and not being selected, I decided to invest my 2020 educational dollars in a mentorship with Bethany at the Writing Barn. I submitted three stories and signed up for two Ask an Agent webinars, the first with all of the agents from Raven Quill. I was immediately drawn to how open and honest they were in their answers, and how much they emphasized the importance of communication.
In particular, I really liked Lori Steel, and she was looking for the kind of work I wrote. You know how there are times when everything a person says just feels right? Well, that was Lori during the webinar. So I submitted a query, with Bethany as a referral since she had already seen my work, commented on it, and felt that some stories were submission-ready. Three days later, I spoke to Lori. After a lovely call where she and I both asked and answered lots of questions, she told me she’d like to represent me. I was THRILLED!!!
3. What fears/hopes did you have before working with Bethany privately? Or participating in WSS or a WB class/intensive?
This is a funny question. As a creative person, I’m always afraid that whatever I show to someone will be seen as horrible, no good, very bad writing. That pesky little editor devil that sits on one of my shoulders whispers ugly things in my ear way too often. I respect Bethany and her work so much, and I know that she is generous and kind, so I knew that her criticism would at least be cloaked in a warm, fuzzy coat. And I knew that I really needed just a little more boost to take my work to the next level, including getting a referral that would get my work noticed faster. This turned out to be true!
4. How did the WB programming aid you in both the craft and business of picture book writing?
The recent Ask An Agent webinars are brilliant! You get a true feel for how each agent works, their individual personalities, and the personality of the agency as a whole. It’s more helpful than reading interviews or combing numerous Twitter feeds or MSWLists. Plus you get to ask questions directly. And you also get an idea of what agents think editors are looking for as well as latest developments in the industry.
5. How did the atmosphere of The Writing Barn aid you in achieving this goal?
Although I really enjoyed my online novel writing workshop through the Writing Barn, I haven’t been to the Writing Barn (sadly), but am looking forward to attending a workshop there sometime down the road!
6. What sets Bethany apart as a teacher/mentor? Why would you encourage others to take on a deep mentorship?
Bethany is awesome at both the craft and the business of writing. While I’ve gotten much better at the craft over the years, I still struggle with the business side. I’ve found that Bethany is quick to find connections in my work, and helps me bring out those aspects for developing a story as well as for marketing purposes. She’s giving me a much better idea of how to do this, but it’s still early in my mentorship, so I’m looking forward to learning much more!
Bethany is not only generous and kind, she’s also extremely insightful as she reads through your application, process letter, and stories. She sees things and makes connections that a writer is often blind to. And she reaches deep into your stories (and your heart) to help you create your best work. So she’s not just critiquing your work, she’s helping you evolve as a writer who thinks deeply about why you write, and then helps you channel that purpose into your writing. This is extraordinary. It’s also quite a boost to get a referral to an agent from her!
7. What is a takeaway you will carry with you far beyond this good news as you continue to build and develop your career?
That looking deeply into the “why” I need to tell “this story,” as well as finding common threads that run through my stories, is key to making connections with others via the heart.
8. Any advice you have for writers/creatives struggling to stay the course in pursuing their goals?
Several times during my journey, even as recently as a few months ago, I was ready to give up. But I couldn’t let myself do that, because what message would that have sent to my son? What stories would never get told? Giving up would have been far worse than staying the course. Giving up would only guarantee my failure. So I kept going. If you want to succeed, you can’t give up. Take a breather, yes, if you need to. Talk to your writing buddies. YES! They will lift you up when you need it most. But never give up. Simple as that.
Bio:
Jilanne grew up on a farm where she used to hide in the hayloft, reading Nancy Drew mysteries to cats and sheep while avoiding chores. Unlike Nancy Drew, she was never able to solve the Case of the Missing Boot that she lost in a muddy field. To this day, she’s certain the field ate it. Jilanne has been a burger flipper/pizza slinger, a zoo train engineer, a “real” engineer for IBM, a fitness trainer, a tai chi instructor, a freelance writer, and now writes stories for kids and adults. She has a BS in Industrial Engineering and an MFA in Creative Writing, has read at Listen to Your Mother – San Francisco, and is an alumna of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers and the Rutgers One-on-One Conference. She is a co-producer of Kidquake, the elementary school program of Litquake, San Francisco’s annual literary festival. Jilanne enjoys getting lost in San Francisco’s fog with her husband, son, and dog named Wrigley.
Loved every word of this post…and I’m so so so happy for you, Jilanne! I also jumped into the kidlit world in 2012…it’s a journey that has many ups and downs…but oh so worth it…especially because we get connected with this incredible community!