Category Archives: Middle Grade

by | November 25, 2024 · 2:41 pm

THE GIRL WHO SANG

Last year in November, my dear friend Estelle Nadel passed away. She was about to turn eighty-nine-years-old. In January of 2024, only months after her death, her graphic novel memoir, THE GIRL WHO SANG, came out into the world. This saga of Estelle’s (Enia in Polish) traumatic childhood as a young Jewish girl in Borek, Poland during the Holocaust, is moving, heart-wrenching, and powerful. And the story is greatly enhanced by the drawings of illustrator and storyboard artist, Sammy Savos.

Estelle’s story is one of life-threatening events, narrow escapes, and compassionate neighbors. She told it many times – in schools, on the news, and ultimately for the Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. She cried during every presentation. She couldn’t help it. Her life had been so difficult. But she was driven to keep going and often said, “People need to know this really happened… and that it happened to me. I have to do it now because I won’t be around forever.”

I was so happy when Estelle told me she had found both an agent and a publisher. I also told her that publishing a book, especially one with illustrations, could take years. At first, she wasn’t sure about it being a graphic novel. She didn’t want the illustrations to minimize the seriousness of what had happened to her. But her agent and editor felt like this was the best format to use in order to get her story into the hands of young readers. And after seeing the final product, I totally agree.

Last month, Estelle’s illustrator, Sammy Savos, did a Zoom presentation for one of my critique groups. I had been communicating with Sammy via email for many months and trusted that she would give us a good sense of her process. I hadn’t met Sammy in person or even spoken to her on the phone. Still, her heartfelt and appreciative correspondence made me think we were in for a treat. And boy, was I was right. Sammy’s talk was INCREDIBLE.

For a group of mostly kidlit writers, seeing and hearing about Sammy’s illustration process was mind-boggling. Not only did it take four-and-a-half years to complete the book, Sammy’s attention to detail was unprecedented. She had a very personal story to tell with many emotional components. Estelle’s father, sister, and one of her brothers were taken to Auschwitz and murdered. Her mother was shot in front of their small farm house. Estelle (Enia) and her one of her surviving two brothers were put in a jail cell as young children. They miraculously escaped and found their way to a neighbor’s house. That neighbor not only took them in, she hid them for over two years in the attic of her barn. And even when the war was over and Estelle and her remaining family members were liberated by the Russians, she still wasn’t safe. She and her brothers were taken to a displaced persons’ camp in Austria. But after a soldier heard Estelle sing, she and her brothers were given passage on a ship to America.

Sammy did an amazing job capturing Estelle’s life in Poland, giving particular attention to the buildings, clothing, and facial expressions of family members. She took great care in choosing the proper color palette to give the story a realistic tone. She made sure all the characters were proportional to one another, wore the proper clothing, and kept detailed notes about the timeline of events. Many of her drawings were inspired by the few photographs Estelle had from her childhood, and from her subsequent trips to Poland. Other information was gleaned by Sammy’s own meticulous research.

But most importantly, Sammy wanted to get the story right. She wanted to honor Estelle and her family, by getting the emotional and factual information as true as possible. She wanted young readers to learn about what had happened to Jews during the Holocaust by learning about a real person who had experienced it. Estelle and Sammy never met, but Sammy would often confer with Estelle by phone. And through it all, they developed a close bond. Sammy is in her twenties, Estelle was in her eighties. But the two connected as if they were related. As it turns out, members of Sammy’s family lived about an hour away from Estelle’s hometown of Borek, Poland before they came to America.

Estelle loved to sing, and I had the privilege of singing with her in our synagogue’s choir for many years. Whenever we were together, she always made time to ask me about my family and how I was doing. Despite her traumatic childhood, Estelle remained positive, active, and compassionate. She went on yearly trips to Poland where she participated in The March of the Living. She, and the grandson of the neighbor who had hidden her, gave talks in Polish schools about what had happened during the war. But her biggest claim to fame, Estelle’s signature line was telling everyone she cared about that she loved them. She didn’t want those words to go unsaid.

I am so thrilled that THE GIRL WHO SANG is out in the world to honor her legacy. Thank you Estelle, for telling your story, and thank you, Sammy, for bringing it to life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under 2024, Book Review, Graphic Novels, Interviews, Middle Grade, Nonfiction, Persistence, Rondi Frieder

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by | February 7, 2024 · 4:35 pm

Auditioning: Putting My Pages Out There

The timer went off. I had just finished a productive 50-minute revising session. But then… my break turned into being online too long. I disappeared into the SCBWI website, reading all about upcoming webinars. Yes, I was procrastinating. Yes, I was hoping a super power would finish editing a chunk of my young adult novel. It was due to my young adult novel exchange partner in five days.

Just as I was about to close the website, one webinar jumped out at me. It cheered, “Sign up. Now! Don’t think. Do it.” The webinar featured an agent giving live feedback on the first 10 pages. Ten pages? Wow! Rare, I thought. And curious. One seat was left. It was mid-day. The pages were due at 5pm the next day.

“Nope, too late,” I thought. “Besides, my manuscript isn’t query ready.” Meanwhile, my neuro divergent brain was full speed ahead, doing a jig and high on a possible challenge. I quickly googled the agent’s website and Manuscript Wish List. I got goosebumps. She was seeking the themes steeped in my YA novel.

Minutes later, I was registered. Plus, I paid extra ($25) for the agent’s post webinar detailed critique of my first 50 pages. What an adrenalin rush! What a perfect way to put my pages out there. An audition of sorts.

The spontaneity was energizing. This wasn’t the first time that I had jumped and registered last minute for a pitch or contest. Perhaps, the stars simply align that way for me.

Unfortunately, in this instance, there was one problem. A big problem. I had not looked at the first five chapters of my YA novel in months. Many months. I had been hyper focused on cutting, editing and polishing the last act. Yikes!

I immediately hunkered into my editing cave. The good news, it was easy to cut and edit, because I had moved parts from the beginning to the second and third acts. The bad news, it was very challenging to re-figure the first chapter. It no longer fit, as a result of my final revision. I felt stuck and overwhelmed. If only it made sense to start with chapter two. But, I needed a set up. Ugh.

I re-read the Beat Sheets (from SAVE THE CAT! BEAT SHEET WORKBOOK by Jamie Nash) that I had done and re-done for this novel. I re-read the first act. I handwrote notes; did free writes of possible first pages. Geesh. Was I really going back to the drawing board? Insane! I couldn’t delay; couldn’t stop. I had a deadline.

Fast forward. The webinar was an incredible experience. Each attendee’s first five pages appeared on screen, while the facilitator read them aloud. The agent devoted six minutes to each work, giving succinct, insightful, thought-provoking feedback aloud that she had prepared in advance. Everyone listened. No interactions, discussions, questions. I loved the meditative, deep thinking mood – and generous quiet time to soak up the sound of our prose and a professional’s reaction.

Of course, I was nervous and full of “I should have changed this, cut that…” But it was too late. It was un-polished. It didn’t matter. My work was out there. The curtains were wide open. An audition.

Lesson learned: Put my pages out there before I’m ready to query. The webinar pushed me outside the “I have to” box. I have to have a full manuscript ready before I…  Ever since, it has felt liberating and reassuring to keep entering pages in a contest, online sessions, etc. Intimidating? You bet! But these auditions keep me moving forward and believing in my novel. Best of all, they give me a reality check.

By the way, the agent’s detailed ($25) feedback was a huge perk. Pages of positives, keen insightful suggestions, along with discerning questions. I have added her to my To Query spreadsheet.

Here’s to auditioning your work in progress! Why wait? Give these opportunities a try and look for more. Congratulate yourself on putting your pages out there.

Webinars: SCBWI Regional Virtual Events https://www.scbwi.org/regional-virtual-events

March contests for YA novel excerpts: (Winners are assigned to an editor or mentor that coaches you to a polished manuscript.)

#RevPit 2024 Annual Contest  https://reviseresub.com/annual-contest

First Page Prize   https://www.firstpagesprize.com/

Gutsy Great Novelist  https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/chapter-one-prize/

Uncharted Novel Excerpt Contest  https://www.unchartedmag.com/uncharted-magazine-novel-excerpt-prize-judged-by-keshe-chow/

 

There’s no time like the present. –MG and YA acclaimed author, Victoria Hanley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under 2023, Agents, craft advice, critique, Karen McChesney, Literacy Program, Main character, Middle Grade, Motivation, Persistence, Revision process, RMC-SCBWI, Upcoming

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by | December 2, 2023 · 7:30 am

How Writing Got Me Through a Very Tough Year

2023 has been a tough year for me. It began in January when my 97-year-old father’s health began to seriously deteriorate. And after many trips back and forth from Denver to New York, it was clear that the end was near. He passed away on May 18. It was a long life well-lived, but still, a big loss for everyone who knew him.

Then on the day before the funeral, when we were flying from my son’s business school graduation in Washington DC to New York, my husband received the final diagnosis of his recent health problem. He had multiple myeloma, cancer of the plasma cells, which seriously affects the body’s immune system. After the funeral, three shivas, and a couple of days of cleaning out my dad’s condo, we flew back to Denver. My husband would begin treatment. This included a regimen of twice-a-week infusions of a targeted drug therapy for three months. It was supposed to be followed by a stem cell transplant in October. Only in September, he contracted West Nile virus.

I am not making this up. And for those of you who are unfamiliar with the disease, West Nile is no joke. You get it from a mosquito bite. And although Colorado is known for its dry climate and lack of bugs, this year was different. We had an unusually large amount of rain and much warmer fall temperatures. There were swarms of mosquitoes. Colorado actually had the most cases in the entire country! West Nile can cause a high fever, excruciating headache, tremors, brain fog, paralysis, meningitis or worse. My husband had the first four symptoms. And with his compromised immune system, the virus took hold in a big way. He was hospitalized for two days and sick for five weeks. The stem cell transplant was postponed.

And then in October, the world went crazy. Hamas attacked Israel and a violent war erupted. Anti-Semitism around the world and on college campuses, including my own college campus, reared its ugly head and shook us to the core. It was soul-crushing, complicated, terrifying.

But we had to keep going. My husband slowly recovered from West Nile. Family members flew in to help. Our friends baked and cooked. My morning dog-walking group provided an arena for venting and processing whatever was on my mind. But the biggest distraction of all, was my writing. It became my refuge, my emotional escape hatch, my joy.

Before my dad died and my husband was diagnosed, I serendipitously signed up for the Highlights Foundation online class, “Just Do It” in April. https://inthewritersweb.com/2023/06/. This class became a lifeline of structure and support during my most difficult months – May and June. It pushed me to get up and work on my novel. Every single day. I was moving along at a clip and decided to apply to the “The Whole Novel Workshop,” an in-person retreat at the idyllic Highlights campus in Pennsylvania. I wasn’t sure if this was going to work with my husband’s transplant schedule, but he really wanted me to go. He thought it would be good for me to do something for me. And as it turned out, the transplant was scheduled for the week after I returned from Highlights. The timing was perfect. Our sons flew home to be with my husband while I spent a week in the “Renee Watson cabin,” surrounded by talented writers, inspirational faculty, and the award-winning Highlights cuisine. Oh, and let’s not forget the pair of roosting bald eagles, the white-tailed deer meandering past my cabin, and a rusty red-colored forest right out my window! It was perfect.

 

 

 

There were other ways my writing supported me in a big way. I continued meeting with my always amazing critique group, The Story Spinners, twice a month. Members of my Tuesday writing group, The Nanos, stepped up to host, since I could no longer have people in my house because of my husband’s compromised immune system. I also joined two new online groups: an accountability group from my “Just Do It” class and a critique group of Jewish writers from around the world. I completed my nine years of being the PAL LIAISON for the RMC-SCBWI by moderating the industry panel at the annual Letters & Lines Conference in September and was asked to moderate two more panels at the Denver Festival of Stories, sponsored by Second Star to the Right Book Shop and the non-profit Books To Kids in October. I even got to introduce the keynote speaker, Bruce Cameron!

“Thinking about my writing” also relieved daily stress. I would take walks and ask myself: How can I strengthen my main character’s arc by throwing more obstacles in her way? Is there a better way to describe the setting? What plot twists will surprise my reader? Throwing myself into the world of my books gave me a constructive outlet when I felt overwhelmed, frustrated, or deflated. It was the best way to reflect, regroup, and recharge.

Despite the challenges of the past year, I do have some good news. After 18 days in the hospital, my husband is coming home. Today! The stem cell transplant was successful. He still has months of healing ahead, but we are moving forward. Our younger son earned his MBA and has started a new job. Our older son continues his humanitarian work around the world and is engaged to be married. One niece got married and another had a baby – the first child of the next generation of our family. One of my manuscripts was a finalist for the Golden Pen Award at the RMC-SCBWI Letters & Lines Fall Conference. And my latest novel, the one I workshopped at Highlights, received glowing feedback. It wasn’t easy, but I made it through 2023. And leaning into my life as a writer was a big part of this accomplishment.

How has writing helped you through a personal challenge? Please share your story in the comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

13 Comments

Filed under 2023, Middle Grade, RMC-SCBW, Rondi Frieder, Second Star to the Right Book Shop, Uncategorized

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by | October 9, 2023 · 4:57 pm

Finding The YA in Learning

 

Murder. Secrets. Drugs. Gossip. Lies. Sexuality. Romance. Magic. Identity. Rumors. Breakups.

Hang out with a group of YA writers and you’ll likely hear these words, along with more provocative, dark, odd, edgy, far-out, intense, hilarious, eccentric, juicy, shocking topics. We love teens. We love big drama and conjuring a mess for our teen characters in current time or mystical worlds.

Other kid-lit writers often say we’re nuts for writing over 75,000 words. But we can’t get enough. We want to hold on to every word. No wonder our revisions can take years and years as we cut, trim, tighten hundreds of pages.

Thanks to my critique group, Story Spinners, I unexpectedly joined the YA writer “club” years ago after they nudged me to turn my coming-of-age short story into a YA novel. I was clueless and intimidated, but I couldn’t stop writing. I’m incredibly fortunate to be part of the SCBWI-Rocky Mountain Chapter’s YA community. And I’m in awe of how everyone cheers each other on at book launches and events by and for YA writers.

My fellow YA’ers and I adamantly long to be with our peers and find YA-only classes. No offense, picture book and middle grade writers. We adore you and your books! Just like our teen characters, we long to be belong; we want to be in a YA cluster. But, we’ll be the first to admit, we often feel like the misfits in writer land. Afterall, YA novels are a far cry from Middle Grade.

Perhaps that’s why our search for YA-only learning is constant and fierce. The past few months, for instance, several YA writers and I started researching YA-only workshops, courses, and other ways to amp up our learning.

Here’s what we have found so far:

Workshops/Courses:

Wordsmith Workshops https://www.wordsmithworkshops.com/

Vermont College of Fine Arts https://vcfa.edu/writing-novels-for-young-people-retreat/

Hugo House https://hugohouse.org/product/young-adult-fiction-workshop/

Writer’s Digest University https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-young-adult-novel

UCLA Extension https://www.uclaextension.edu/writing-journalism/creative-writing/course/young-adult-novel-i-writing-x-4451

Tin House https://tinhouse.com/workshop/

From SCBWI:

YA Connect and Other Connects https://www.scbwi.org/regions/rmc/events

YA Connect is free and offered every other month by and for YA writers of all levels to learn and meet fellow YA writers. Most YA Connects are both in-person & Zoom.

Michelle Begley Mentorship – Due Oct. 31, 2023 https://www.scbwi.org/regions/rmc/RMC-mentorship-program

Weekly Podcast https://www.scbwi.org/podcasts

Most recent one featured Deborah Halverson, award-winning YA author, including Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies and Honk If You Hate Me

Monthly Virtual Events, hosted by chapters across the U.S. https://www.scbwi.org/regional-virtual-events

Coming soon:

Lighthouse Writers Workshop, Denver – YA workshops, gatherings https://lighthousewriters.org/

Of course, there are a lot more YA-only opportunities out there. Share your findings in the comments, please. Meanwhile, YA writers: Keep reaching out to find other YA’ers. And remember, teens can’t wait to read your stories – and drama!

2 Comments

Filed under 2023, Agents, craft advice, critique, Graphic Novels, Karen McChesney, Main character, Middle Grade, Motivation, Persistence, Revision process, RMC-SCBWI, Upcoming, What I am doing now

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by | June 15, 2023 · 5:39 pm

JUST DO IT!

In the middle of March, I began sending my middle-grade time-travel novel out to agents. And as all experienced writers know, the best thing to do when you are waiting for query responses is to work on something else. My “something else” was an idea I got from a friend after we attended Andrea Wang’s intensive at the RMC-SCBWI Letters and Lines conference last September. (https://www.rondibooks.com/the-stories-hidden-inside-you/) But even though I had a “Beat Sheet” outline from Save the Cat for the Novel by Jessica Brody, I hadn’t written a single word of the story. Luckily, after an animated conversation with my friend and teacher, award-winning author Sarah Aronson (https://saraharonson.com/), I decided to sign up for her eight-week online Highlights class, JUST DO IT – Your Collaborative Support Group for Finishing Your Draft. Sarah would be co-teaching this class with the incredibly articulate and inspirational author and coach, Chris Tebbetts. (https://christebbetts.com/). It sounded like the perfect way to get this book started.

If you have ever done NANOWRIMO (The National Novel Writing Month-long challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days) you know the joy of writing fast. Just Do It! has a similar premise. It focuses on a creating a daily writing practice with many extra goodies thrown in. The formal part of the class is a one hour Zoom on Wednesday nights where Sarah and Chris give informative presentations on craft. Only there is so much more. Whether you are working on a picture book or a young adult novel, there are writing sprint sessions every day at a variety of times, morning prompts, and inspirational quotes. There are accountability groups, Discord channels for discussion and sharing, and OPEN MIKES! We also received videos and slides and oodles of handouts. But the best part of these two months was being part of a supportive writing community. Our class had over fifty participants from across North America, two guest speakers, and many Highlights staff members coordinating logistics behind the scenes. I felt like I was at a two-month writing retreat without leaving my house.

So, you may ask, after weeks of diligently sitting  at my computer, did I finish my draft? Unfortunately, the answer is no. A variety of expected, and unexpected, life cycle events collided right smack in the middle of the eight weeks. However, I did write 24,000 words, which is probably half the book, right? And more importantly, I am now totally immersed in the world of my new story. I wake up every morning with character traits, plot twists, and image systems rolling around in my brain. And after my recent critique with Sarah, I am considering all kinds of possibilities. I am in the zone!

But there’s more. The virtual writing sprints will continue through the summer which should help me pound out the next 24,000 words. Also, my accountability group is planning to keep meeting on a regular basis. We are committed to cheering each other on to the finish line. But here is my biggest takeaway – the greatest change in my writing process: I am way much more comfortable with integrating the concepts of “discovery and play” into my drafting. I have also found the courage to silence my internal editor. (One person in my accountability group has named her IE and repeatedly tells her to stop talking. I now do the same thing and it is phenomenal.) I am finally accepting the fact that plot changes happen when your characters come to life on the page. And although my “Beat Sheet” has been dramatically modified, my themes are stronger and my main character’s true wants and needs are clearer to me. It’s funny, but along with me just doing it, my characters are just doing it, too! And I can’t wait to see what they do next.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, another Just Do It! class is being offered by Sarah and Chris this fall. You can sign up here: https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/workshop/just-do-it-your-collaborative-support-group-for-finishing-your-draft-fall/

 

 

 

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Filed under 2023, craft advice, Main character, Middle Grade, Motivation, Persistence, Revision process, Rondi Frieder, WORD NERD

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by | April 17, 2023 · 9:00 am

Let’s hear it for audio books!

See what I did there?

I have a long commute to work. LONG. Sometimes my trip home takes an hour. So I joke that I get a lot of reading done in the car – via audio books!

Now, if anyone’s ever told you listening to audio books isn’t REAL reading they are 1000% WRONG. The story might be entering your consciousness via your ears instead of your eyes, but the picture it paints for you is the same. The impact can be the same. And if the book is read by a REALLY GOOD voice artist, then it can be even more impactful. Also, this article points out why continuing to question whether or not it’s “real” reading is ableist.

Anyhoo, here are a few middle grade books I’ve read (via audiobook) recently and LOVED:

Finally Seen by Kelly Yang; audiobook read by Cindy Kay

I ADORE Kelly Yang’s Front Desk series. This book, a standalone, may outshine that series for me. When Lina arrives in the United States after being apart from her parents and younger sister for five years, she is surprised to find that life is nothing like what she imagined – or what her mother told her in letters. Her family is barely getting by, and, after an embarrassing moment in class, Lina decides to never speak at school again. But with the help of a friendly librarian, an understanding friend, and a book that reflects her own experience back to her, she finds the courage to use her voice.

Tumble by Celia C. Pérez; audiobook read by Victoria Villarreal

When Addie Ramirez’s stepfather proposes adopting her, she decides that it’s time she learned more about her biological father – whom she knows very little about. Her hunt leads her to the famous family of luchadores, the Bravos. As Addie gets to know her relatives and learn more about her father, she finds that bringing the two halves of her family together is going to be much harder than she imagined. This is a warm, poignant, funny read.

 

The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat; audiobook read by Sura Siu

This is a magical fantasy set on the high seas! Twelve-year-old Sai wants nothing more than to leave her low-born status behind – but to do that, she must hide her ancestry and pretend to be high-class. Her work as an assistant to the country’s most celebrated mapmaker might be her best chance to alter her future. And when he is offered the chance to go on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to map the furthest reaches of the world, and decides to take  Sai along, she’s guaranteed a celebrated future. That is – unless anyone finds out her truth.

A Green Velvet Secret by Vicky Grant; audiobook read by Gabi Epstein

Yardley’s best friend, Gidge, is dying of cancer. Gidge also happens to be Yardley’s grandmother, who has decided to use all of her last moments to “fix” her karma by writing letters to everyone she decides she needs to make amends with. Yardley is devastated when Gidge is gone, and remembers her as she helps out in a vintage clothing store Gidge introduced her to not long before passing away. Yardley’s not sure she believes in reincarnation, but when a woman arrives at the shop to pick up a package left for her, and it contains a green velvet dress that once belonged to Gidge, she’s convinced that the woman is Gidge, returned to her. This is a moving story of how we handle grief and remembrance, as well as a twisty mystery. CW: includes assisted suicide.

Cold-Blooded Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce; audiobook read by Bethan Rose Young

If I had to choose ANY genre as my favorite middle grade, I would say it’s “plucky victorian girls solving mysteries and defying gender norms.” The Myrtle Hardcastle series fits that bill – and every book in the series has been delightful. This is the third, and in this outing, Myrtle and her governess set out to find the person who murdered a shopkeeper in his shop on the day he’s to unveil his annual Christmas window display. Twists and turns lead us to the local college belltower, and a ceremony that took place there many years before – and included Myrtle’s own mother.

Witchlings by Claribel Ortega; audiobook read by Cyrina Fiallo

I remember finishing this book and then sitting in my car marveling at how much I loved it. It’s just wonderful, and I CAN’T WAIT for #2 in the series. Seven Salazar knows she’s a witch – she lives in a town of witches and every child at 12 years old participates in a ceremony to be sorted into a coven which will determine what kind of magic they will master. But when the ceremony takes place, Seven is distraught to learn that she is a “spare” – a witch not sorted into any coven who will be treated as an outcast and be stuck in a life of servitude. Seven is determined NOT to accept this fate, so she invokes the “impossible task.” If she and her fellow spares can complete this task they will have a second chance at becoming their own coven and coming into their full powers. But the impossible task is called that for a reason…

What are you listening to and enjoying? Please share!

4 Comments

Filed under Audiobooks, Book Review, Mary Kuehner, Middle Grade

by | March 3, 2023 · 3:30 pm

Get Ready To Submit Your Novel!

By Rondi Sokoloff Frieder

As I get ready to submit my latest middle grade novel to agents, I am filled with a mishmash of emotions. I’m excited, nervous, anxious, and dare I say it… petrified! I have been working on this book, on and off, for over ten years. It has been written, critiqued, revised, workshopped, re-imagined, edited, and rewritten. This is my seventh draft. And although it is way better than when I started, I am still filled with a case of the jitters as I get ready to set it out into the world.

I love this book. And I’m hoping agents and editors will, too.

If you are also getting ready to submit your novel to agents, please keep the following in mind:

  1. You must truly believe that you have done everything possible to make this book the best it can be.
  2. Your critique partners should agree and cheer you on.
  3. Write a query letter. Make sure it is tightly written with a unique hook. Have your critique partners give you feedback and rewrite it.
  4. Draft a synopsis. And get feedback on that, too. This is one of the hardest things to write. Especially if you are limited to one page for a 50,000 word book. Use a template and polish it until it shines.
  5. Create  a short bio. Many agents are asking for this, especially if you are submitting to them on Query Tracker – querytracker.net .
  6. Research agents who are looking for what you have written. You can start with Manuscript Wish List – manuscriptwishlist.com , but make sure to visit the agent’s website to make sure they are still with the same agency. Development editor Susan Chang (www.susanchangeditorialcom) also recommends becoming familiar with Publishers Marketplace and reading the acknowledgement pages of comp books to identify the type of agent who would be interested in your genre. Check social media platforms like Twitter, TicTok, Instagram, and Post.news to see what agents are currently looking for. Go through your conference/webinar notes and identify agents who might be a good fit. Even if the conference was a while ago, mention you attended and went to their sessions. Agents know  writing a book takes a very long time.
  7. Make a spreadsheet to keep track of your submissions. Some people do this on Query Tracker. I do it on Excel and use six columns: Name of Agent, Name of Agency, Date Submitted, Why I am Submitting to this Agent (met at a conference or watched a webinar where they presented), Response Time (if stated), Response Date, Comments.
  8. Tailor your query letter to each specific agent. Tell them how you found them and why your book is right for them.
  9. Send your queries out in batches. I would start with ten–twenty. However, Susan Chang says you can go as high fifty! The industry is glutted right now and agents are busy. She recommends casting a wide net.
  10. If your responses are mostly form letters (or no response at all which is THE WORST!), you probably need to rework the query letter or look at your first ten pages. Perhaps you can improve the writing or amp up the pacing. If you are getting personalized rejection letters, you are on the right track. Send out another batch. If you get requests for partials or fulls, CELEBRATE!!!! You are getting close.
  11. It may take months to hear from an agent. To keep from getting totally stressed out, start working on your next project. All agents want clients who are building a career. Outline your next novel, take a class, storyboard a picture book, and don’t forget to READ!
  12. Congratulate yourself for completing the process. You had an idea, you developed it, you got feedback, and you put it out there.

I am in the middle of doing all of the above. Like you, I am thrilled to finally be sending this story out into the world. But I am also nervous about the responses I will get (or never get!). And while I wait and obsessively check my email in-box, I will work on my next project.  I have the idea, an outline, three chapters, and a new notebook for journaling. I have signed up for an accountability class and am hoping to workshop this book later in the year. I am pushing on. Because I am a writer. And this is what writers do.

 

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Filed under 2023, Agents, craft advice, critique, Middle Grade, Motivation, Rondi Frieder, Susan Chang

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by | January 17, 2023 · 12:41 pm

My Best of 2022-ish.

Hello friends! Last year I put together a post of some of the picture books I was looking forward to in 2022. There were a LOT of them. Well, now that the year has ended, I thought I’d follow through with some of my favorites of the year… and a half. Yes, some of these came out in 2021 but most were 2022, and I read them all in 2022. Since I read PBs AND other books for kids, I thought I’d include some of my fave early readers, graphic novels and middle grade books as well. This list is by no means exhaustive – while I WANT to read everything on my TBR or every new PB that comes out, I miss A LOT. Time, friends, is fleeting. 

PICTURE BOOKS:

Anzu the Great Kaiju by Benson Shum. Are you familiar with Kaiju? Think Godzilla. But this little guy, rather than being scary, is quite sweet. 

Bathe the Cat by Alice B, McGinty and David Roberts. A family, some chores, and a naughty cat with access to the refrigerator alphabet magnets. 

Cover of the picture book The Boy With Flowers in His Hair by Jarvis. The head of a boy with flowers growing from it is shown on a plain white background. Big and Small and In-Between by Carter Higgins and Daniel Miyares. I could spend hours with this book. So much to ponder, and gorgeous illustrations. Would make a great writing prompt book! 

The Boy With Flowers in his Hair by Jarvis. Simple, quiet, and loving. A boy with (really) flowers in his hair begins to lose them. His best friend comes up with a solution to support him until they grow back. 

Color the Sky by David Elliot and Evan Turk. Birds, rhyme, and flowing color. 

Don’t Eat Bees: Life Lessons from Chip the Dog by Dev Petty and Mike Boldt. Chip the Dog knows what’s up. This is hilarious and will resonate with dog owners everywhere. 

Dress-Up Day by Blanca Gomez. Gomez’s illustrations remind me of Christian Robinson so I therefore love them. A little girl misses dress-up day in her classroom so decides to wear her costume the following day – with surprising results. 

Cover of the picture book Ice Cream Face by Heidi Woodward Sheffield. Illustration of an African-American boy holding an ice cream cone in front of a pink background.Everybody in the Red Brick Building by Anne Wynter and  Oge Mora. Everyone is awakened by a series of noises in the red brick building. 

A Grand Day by Jean Reidy and Samantha Cotterill. An ode to a day with the grandparents. 

Ice Cream Face by Heidi  Woodward Sheffield. A boy experiences many emotions while waiting in line to get ice cream. 

I’m Hungry!/¡Tengo Hambre! by Angela Dominguez. Dominguez writes THE BEST simple, toddler-friendly bilingual stories. A Spanish-speaking tiny dino communicates with an English-speaking bird in order to get something to eat. 

It’s So Quiet: A Not Quite Going-to-Bed Book by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tony Fucile. Mouse can’t sleep because it’s TOO quiet. Well, not for long! 

Like by Annie Barrows and Leo Espinoza. We are more alike (and still different) than we think.

Cover of the picture book Lizzy and the Cloud by the Fan Brothers. A girl in a yellow rain slicker stands holding a floating cloud on a leash.

Lizzy and the Cloud by the Fan Brothers. A little girl buys a pet cloud in the park – the have lots of fun, until the cloud outgrows her.

Miguel’s Community Garden by JaNay Brown-Wood and Samara Hardy. Book 2 in the garden series! Great for building background knowledge. Help Miguel find the sunflowers in his garden by comparing what we know about sunflowers to the things that we find growing!

Read Island by Nicole Magistro and Alice Feagan. Take a magical trip to the land of stories!

Swim, Jim by Kaz Windness. Jim is an alligator, so he should not be afraid to swim, right? Well, he’s NOT afraid of swimming. He’s afraid of SINKING. Will he find a way to overcome his fear?

Where is Bina Bear? by Mike Curato. This warmed my introvert’s heart. Bina Bear wants to be at the party to support her friend, but also… she doesn’t want to be there.

Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer. Take a walk and wonder about the world around.

EARLY READER:Cover of the book That Egg Is Mine! by Liz Goulet Dubois. A blue chicken chases a yellow duck who is holding a spotted egg.

Duck and Cluck: This Egg is Mine! by Liz Goulet Dubois. Sadly, Goulet Dubois passed away this year, not long after her debut early reader was released. This is a fun, sweet story about two friends fighting over an egg they find. Perfect for those just finding their reading feet. Is that a thing?

GRAPHIC NOVELS:

The Aquanaut by Dan Santat. A girl who lost her father at sea is visited by a mysterious… creature? Are they bringing her a message from her dad?

Cover of the graphic novel Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo. A disheveled girl wearing a fluffy pink dress and combat boots.

Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen. An anthropomorphized garlic, who lives in a vegetable town overseen by a witch, makes a dangerous trek to visit a vampire who has moved into a nearby castle. No, it’s not scary at all – it’s sweet.

Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo. Sue would rather spend the summer at comics camp with her friends than have a quinceañera party. But her mom has different ideas – she will be spending the summer in Honduras visiting extended family and yes, she WILL have a quinceañera. Can Sue and her mom compromise?

The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao. Can Christina make it on to the cheerleading squad – and survive her first year in middle school? Based on the author’s experience.

MIDDLE GRADE:

[It became clear to me as I put together this list that I mostly gravitate toward stories with adventure, magic, mystery and kids finding out they are not who they thought they were. Plus school stories.]

Amari and the Great Game by B. B. Alston. The second in the series. Not quite as good, but only because I loved the worldbuilding of the first and of course that didn’t need to happen this time. But still excellent, fun, and suspenseful.

Cover of the middle grade novel Daybreak on Raven Island by Fleur Bradley. An old prison building is seen in silhouette with three silhouetted children standing in front of it. The sun is just coming over the horizon. Daybreak on Raven Island by Fleur Bradley. If you want a suspenseful, atmospheric, spooky story this is for you! Three kids get stuck on an island overnight – an island that just happens to be home to a long-abandoned prison that harbors a LOT of secrets.

A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser. A girl, her mother and her sister move into an apartment in a shelter for houseless families. There she meets other kids like her, some who are new and some who’ve lived there for years. What will they do when the city decides to shut the shelter down?

Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros. Isaac and Marco couldn’t be more different – one is tall and athletic, the other short and academic. This year, though, they each want to achieve what the other has, for different reasons. Luckily, they have each other.

Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation by Sylvia Liu. Hana loves to build bots and can’t wait to join Start Up and be connected to the whole world through a neural net. But when her classmates begin to get sick, she finds out being connected to everything might not be the dream she thought it was.

Hide and Geek by T. P. Jagger. Four friends try and solve the final puzzle of a local toymaker in order to save their town.

Cover of the middle grade book Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee. A young Asian-American girl wearing an I heart LA tshirt is holding a fortune cookie.

Hither and Nigh by Ellen Potter. A missing brother and a mysterious magic teacher. Are they connected? Nell’s going to find out.

Jennifer Chan is Not Alone by Tae Keller. One of the most compelling school stories I’ve ever read – about bullying and when it’s time NOT tofollow the crowd.

Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee. Maizy and her mom spend the summer helping her grandparents out at the Minnesota restaurant they’ve had for years. Through an act of racist vandalism, Maizy begins to learn about her family’s history and secrets.

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tolá Okagwu. Onyeka’s hair is magical! That leads her to be enrolled in the Academy of the Sun where she discovers things are NOT as they seem.

Cover of the middle grade book Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa. A large green coatl chases two children who are running across a compass. Shinji Takahasi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa. This reads like an Indiana Jones adventure – but with kids as the heroes.

Sisterhood of Sleuths by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman. For fans of Nancy Drew! While trying to uncover the truth about a photograph she finds, Maizy learns her grandmother might have been connected with the original author(s) of the series.

Sofia Acosta Makes a Scene by Emma Otheguy. Sofia’s family is all about ballet, and Sofia wants to be, too, but her real talent lies somewhere else.

Team Chu and the Battle of Blackwood Arena by Julie C. Dao. Two siblings are competitive about everything, especially laser tag. But when they discover a ghost within the game at the new arena, they have to work together to figure out what’s going on!

Those Kids from Fawn Creek by Erin Entrada Kelly. I will read anything and everything Entrada Kelly writes. This is, in my opinion, one of her best. It will surprise you.

Cover of the middle grade book Witchlings by Claribel Ortega. Three girls look fearful standing in front of a menacing pair of eyes.Undercover Latina by Aya De Leon. Andrea comes from a family of spies, and is tasked with going undercover to befriend the son of a suspected white supremacist terrorist.

Valentina Salazar is Not a Monster Hunter by Zoraida Córdova. Valentina’s family gave up monster protecting (NOT hunting) when her father was killed. But now Valentina must convince them to join her on a quest to protect a magical egg that could wreak havoc on the whole world.

Witchlings by Claribel Ortega. Seven Salazar can’t wait to be placed in the coven of her dreams (with her best friend) and begin learning magic. When she’s not placed in a coven, and instead becomes a “spare,” she must take on an impossible task to prove herself worthy.

Happy reading, friends!

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Filed under Best Books, Book Review, Early Readers, Graphic Novels, Mary Kuehner, Middle Grade, Picture Books