Jack Frost

Here's the latest piece that I did for my agent's Christmas promotion. Happy December!

Fate and Fortune

How one right turn, leads to landing an agent.

On this journey to get published it seems the road has been nothing short of long and winding, yet just one little turn can send you down an unexpected path. I've always believed in fate. I've always believed things happen for a reason. The last couple of years I'm having a hard time figuring out what that reason might be, but I'm hoping one day it will all make perfect sense. So when a simple chain events leads me smack-dab in the hands of "my" new agent, I have to think there just might be something to this fate business after all.

Here's how the story goes.

It's the middle of the month and I'm in the middle of a rut. I'm going to work each day, trying to figure out when I'll have time to work on new stories, feeling a little low, needing a little inspiration. I haven't been out for awhile, when some people at work plan a Happy Hour get-together. Perfect I think. It's been weeks, maybe months since I went out. I'm ready to go! So I accept. Then wouldn't you know it, the very next day I get an email invite from my local illustrators group for a meeting. On the same day! At the same time! We hadn't had a meeting for months, maybe six or seven months, and now we're getting together on the same day I already made a commitment for. I'm thinking what bad luck I have, wishing they were on different days.

So I go the the Happy Hour. It's close to work, which is close to home. We get done earlier than I expect. Now, I'm the type of person who doesn't like to miss out things. My Mom says I'm always trying to fit 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound bag. (Actually I don't think she uses the word potatoes.) I'm on my way home believing that's where I'm heading when I approach the freeway on-ramp sign, next thing I know I'm making a quick call to a friend to find out how far into the meeting they are. Twenty minutes later I'm walking into the meeting. Late, but walking in, ready to hear what every one's been up to. I knew Molly would be there sharing her portfolio and her recent experiences in New York City, I just didn't know I'd be there too. Molly Idle won the SCBWI portfolio award grand prize back in August. As part of her grand prize she won a trip to New York to meet with a few Art Directors from major houses and tonight she had stories to tell! Lynne Avril was there too, which always makes the meetings a hoot and a half! She had some original art to show. Part of her Amelia Bedelia books. I'm always amazed at the amount of work she can do in a short amount of time.

As the meeting is wrapping up I'm having a discussion with Molly, who is also querying agents. She mentions an agent that I had queried awhile back but never heard from. I decide the next day that I should query that agent again, maybe she never got the initial query? Within hours I have a reply. She looked at my website, calls my work beautiful, but passes. Again, I hear my work is too realistic. I send her a thank you. (I normally don't do this. I figure their inboxes fill up enough with important stuff.) And what do you know, she sends a quick email back with a recommendation for an agent more suited to my style. I query this second agent and two days later I have a verbal offer! We email back and forth a few times with questions (I had a lot of them - she even said there were a lot - but she took the time to answer every one of them.) And two weeks after this meeting I had never planned to go to, I almost didn't go to, I have a signed contract with my agent!

Being a believer of fate, I also read horoscopes and fortune cookies, I have this one pinned to my wall as a reminder. The harder you work the luckier you get. This is true. This business is hard work. Working hard can put you in the right place at the right time. But I also know some people work really hard and never get lucky. And I also know that as I drove down 56th street that night, and made a split decision to get on the freeway, made that one right turn, fate was involved.

I have an Agent!

Starting this year out with a bang! I'm very proud to announce I have an agent! I am now represented in the children's book publishing market by Wendy Lynn & Co. They represent over 35 artists. Be sure to check out their website. You'll find me there right in the mix with a whole lot of talent. Yup! Right next to names like Mark Meyers, Tara Chang, Sherry Neidigh, Nathan Trewartha, Kim Jacobs, Valerie Sokolova, Lin Wang, Eric Freeberg, and Penny Webber, to name just a few. I couldn't be happier!

Did you find me?

Where's Wilson

Become a Follower!

Forget leading. It's time to become a follower. I just did! And as a bonus I could win a free chat with literary agent Mark McVeigh. Come on, join me. It's easy. You could win a chat too. Here's how. Go to his blog, The McVeigh Agency Blog, become a follower, and get 10 others to do the same. That's it. It's a blog your going to want to bookmark anyway.

The blog officially launches in two weeks and promises to be loaded with interviews with publishing legends, give-aways, videos, and gossip! Plus, I have the inside scope on his upcoming interview. Stay tuned...

Thanks az-ang for the info!

Welcome to Our House

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Arizona held their 5th annual "Welcome to Our House" Conference this past Saturday. This year's theme was "It takes a Village: From Craft to Market and Beyond". The event, held in Scottsdale, was another great success. It was so cool hearing how each speaker used the theme, It takes a village... in their presentation. The full day event included individual manuscript critiques, portfolio reviews, a presentation from three editors, (Pamela Bobowicz, Sarah Cloots, and Alexandra Cooper) one designer director, (Sara Gillingham) and one literary agent, (Maircia Wernick) Up Close and Personal Breakout Sessions, and First Page/First Illustration panel discussions.

It was a great day for talking shop, meeting up with old friends, and meeting new cyber-space friends in person! Each member of the faculty shared some background on the publishing house they are at or agency they work for. What books they are working on or recently finished. What has been a success for them. What books they like. And what they are looking for in submissions.

The Setting

The Conference Room

The Crowd

The Presentation
(Alexandra Cooper)

The Design Director
(Sara Gillingham with illustrator Amanda Shepard)

The Agent
(Marcia Wernick and me)

The Breakout Session

The "First Page"

The"First Illustration"
(boy that's big!)

The Wait

The Critique

We heard a lot about voice from everyone, include the design director. I found this very interesting. I took it as meaning that your "style" is like your visual voice. Which makes a lot of sense to me. I know that's what I have been trying to develop for the last two years. As far as writing goes, I felt like the first page session best defined what "finding your voice" is. Just hearing the story read out loud, and the reactions from the panel, seemed to make something click for me. I started to feel like I knew which one had a "true" voice before the panel even commented on it. I know it is something that will carry over the next time I sit down to write.

On a personal note: I had a very good portfolio review and a good reaction from the First Illustration panel! OK, it was a really good reaction. More than I could have hoped for!