The Last KidLit Holiday Dance Party!

Hello, friends! I cannot believe that we are coming upon the end of the year. For me personally, this year seemed to zoom by. Lots of great book things happened for me this year (I seriously hope I can announce more things very very soon), and personally it was definitely a better year. I hope you ALL had a wonderful year.

What's really hard to believe is that it was a year ago that Kaitlyn Sanchez connected me with Valerie Bolling to kick of a series of KidLit dance parties! Our first holiday event, back in 2020 was so much fun that we held more throughout the year. And now, it is time for the LAST KidLit Holiday Dance Party. I can't believe it's almost the end of this fun event, but Valerie, Kaitlyn, and I all have other commitments and things that we are moving on to. But we could NOT move on to those things without one last dance party because we seriously love them so much! We hope that you will all join us.

KidLit Holiday Dance Party

Saturday, December 11th

2:00 PM Eastern Time

And since this is the last of our parties, we wanted to go out with a bang. We will be giving away manuscript critiques and books and I might just have a couple giveaway surprises up my sleeve.

Register below to attend this virtual zoom event. You will receive the zoom link by December 4th. We cannot WAIT to see you!

Register HERE:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeigzQIMrIhGDIUixdGZuT4QnhIWJ6whiQgkb06iu2oMOK6YQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Tuesday From The Trenches: Cade Hagen

Hello wonderful readers! And welcome to another Tuesday From The Trenches! I am so glad you are here and hope you had a wonderful Halloween. I do love spooky season, but I'm also excited for the holidays and the end of the year. I really can't believe we're almost through 2021. How time truly does fly.

I'm very excited to be welcoming Cade Hagen to the blog today and hope you all enjoy reading his story. I know that I personally was very inspired by his dedication and perseverance over 13 YEARS in the query trenches. I love learning about people who just don't give up. So, join me in welcoming Cade!

Thank you so much for joining us today! I’m thrilled to share your story with my readers!

Can you share your query stats with us? (as far as you know/remember. It’s okay if some of these numbers are zero):

Time Spent in the Query Trenches: 13 years

Number of Agents Queried: Over the course of five manuscripts, about 300, though there were plenty of duplicates

Number of Requests for Additional Work/Full Manuscript: About 30-40 (again, for all manuscripts)

Number of Twitter Pitch “Likes”: 0

Number of R&Rs: 0

Number of Rejections: In the neighborhood of 300. If we’re including short story rejects, we might be as many as 500. In other words, a ton.

Number of Offers: 3

Agent and Agency: Shari Maurer at Stringer Literary Agency

Cade, I absolutely love your dedication! This industry can really kick a person when they’re down, but I love to see that you didn’t give up, even when the years went on. That is key to success in this business! So with 13 years of queries, how did you keep track of it all? What was your method for organizing queries? Spread sheet? Query Tracker? Etc.

For the first two manuscripts, I used my own spreadsheets. For the next three, I used QueryTracker, a site I evangelically recommend anytime I get the chance.

Haha. I love your evangelism for QT. I had a love-hate relationship with it. Fabulous for organizing, but sometimes maddening with watching other queries sent in after my own get responses before I did. Am I in a maybe pile?? Did they just miss me?? Haha. But really, I mostly loved it. So with about 300 rejections, how did you handle it? Did any sting more than others?

There were a few very close calls along the way—phone calls and conference conversations and the like—that hurt the most. But they played a major role in motivating me to continue. I also have a wife who believes in me more than I deserve, as well as a brain stubborn and deluded enough to keep me pounding at the door.

I think that persistence really is what matters. And having people (like your wife) in your corner really does make all the difference. I love those motivations to keep at it.

How did you find agents to query/how did you decide who to query?

QueryTracker was my central hub, but I’d browse anywhere and everywhere: Twitter, Tumblr, MSWL, agency sites, etc. But broadly speaking, if they repped what I was pitching, I pitched. I don’t think digital persona is terribly reflective of true personality, so (barring any giant red flags) I didn’t pay much attention to that.

Sounds like you took advantage of many wonderful resources. That’s great. So between all of those sites, how did you ultimately connect with your agent? Did you cold query? Participate in a twitter pitch event? Or connect in some other way?

Ice-cold query.

Yes! I love cold-query success stories so much. Can you share a few more details about that? How much time passed between querying your now agent to getting “the call”?

She requested within a few days of my query, and I nudged her about three months later. Our phone call was about a week after that.

This is really great info, Cade. I think authors can be hesitant to nudge, worried that it might result in a “no,” so I love that you were successful with that nudge. Agents are busy people and it’s 100% okay to nudge after their specified time. *Readers, please do not nudge a couple days after subbing* (unless you have an offer, of course).

So after that nudge, tell us more about “the call.” How did you know your agent was the right choice?

We chatted for about 40 minutes about my book, why she loved it, and how she saw it faring in the market. We also discussed my process, how long it generally takes me to churn out a book, and what ideas I have for future books. It’s strange to say, but the biggest thing about Shari that stuck out to me is how little confidence I had that she would like it when I queried. It’s fairly outside her wheelhouse, and she said during the call that she was initially hesitant for that reason, but that she couldn’t stop herself from returning to it. For me, that cinched it. She’s also just a lovely person, and I felt that we had an immediately positive rapport. She’s been wonderful to work with.

Shari sounds absolutely wonderful! And I love that she was so drawn to your work that she took the time to learn more about your genre, even outside of her regular wheelhouse. That sounds like a very committed agent! Could you tell us a little about your book that landed your agent?

It’s a YA speculative thriller, but I also like to think of it as a bit of a dark comedy. I pitched it as Black Mirror meets The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, and it's complete with artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and a cheerfully snarky teenage narrator who's in over his head.

That sounds wonderful! And I do love snarky teenage narrators!

If you could give querying authors a piece of advice, what would that be?

1. Use QueryTracker.

2. You’re forever a student of the craft. Always be learning, but more importantly (and somehow most ignored), APPLY what you learn.

3. Never. Quit.

All such wonderful pieces of advice!! Thank you for those great words of wisdom and for your example of truly never quitting. Where can we connect with you online?

Cadehagen.com

YouTube: Cade Hagen

Twitter: @cadehagen

Instagram: @cadertot88

Thanks so much for joining us today, Cade! And best of luck on this journey. I can’t wait to see your books in the world.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

Cade is graciously offering both a query critique and a first-five-pages critique. Follow him on Twitter and retweet THIS tweet to enter.

About Cade Hagen

Cade Hagen lives in Las Vegas with his wife and daughters. He’s a hot-sauce junkie, a wannabe whiskey connoisseur, and an objectophiliac for guitars. Visit him on Twitter @cadehagen or at cadehagen.com

About Kailei Pew

Kailei Pew is a wife, mother, and children's book author represented by the amazing Emily Forney of Bookends Literary. Kailei's debut Middle Grade Book, KID MADE will be coming to you from Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan Summer 2023

Tuesday From The Trenches: Natasha Khan

Hello wonderful readers! Welcome to this week's Tuesday From The Trenches. I hope you are all enjoying a lovely fall. We don't get much of a fall in Phoenix, so I escaped to the mountains of Flagstaff for the weekend and it was truly good for the soul. I hope your days have been full of apple cider, pumpkin patches, and spooky fun.

I'm so thrilled to be welcoming Natasha Khan to the blog today. I had the wonderful opportunity to read some of her work and zoom with her awhile back and she is truly lovely. Join me in welcoming her today!

Thank you so much for joining us today, Natasha! I’m thrilled to share your story with my readers!

Thanks! I’m really excited to be here!

Can you share your query stats with us?

Time Spent in the Query Trenches: About four months.

Number of Agents Queried: I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I’d say about 12.

Number of Requests for Additional Work/Full Manuscript: 5

Number of Twitter Pitch “Likes”: One. That was an editor, who asked me to submit something once I had an agent. We have yet to take her up on her offer.

Number of R&Rs: None

Number of Rejections: 9

Number of Offers: 3

Agent and Agency: Kortney Price at Raven Quill Literary

That is so exciting! You really worked your way through the trenches quickly. How did you keep track of it all? What was your method for organizing queries? Spread sheet? Query Tracker? Etc.

To be honest, I didn’t really query enough to make any organizational system feel worthwhile. I figured once I started sending out queries in larger numbers, a spreadsheet would make sense — but thankfully, it wasn’t needed.

That really must have been so nice. Congrats again!! Even though you didn't have many, any rejection can sting. So how did you handle those rejections? Did any sting more than others?

I think I’d read so much about the process, I was pretty geared up for a lot of rejections, so the cold querying ones didn’t sting as much. There was one that came after a live pitch and more manuscripts request from a really great agent that was more disappointing than the others. But the agent wrote me a really long, super sweet note that definitely took some of the sting away.

That is so kind of that agent. I love hearing stories like that. And I know that those personalized ones are super kind but somehow can sting more than others as well.

How did you find agents to query/how did you decide who to query?

My process was still pretty haphazard, but in general: I started doing research on MSWL, and on Twitter. Once I found an agent with a wishlist that seemed like a good match for my work, I’d do tons of research on them. Interviews, webinars, blog posts — anywhere and everywhere I found their name, so I could send them a super personalized query.

That is really great! I think those queries where you know your work is a good fit for an agent's list make a huge difference. So after all of that research, how did you ultimately connect with your agent? Did you cold query? Participate in a twitter pitch event? Or connect in some other way?

As damning as it may sound coming from a writer, I sensed I would be better live than on paper. So I pitched to Kortney, live and online, at a Writer’s Conference. It was my very first conference, and my very first pitch. I’d spent the last week researching the three agents I’d booked live pitches with, and most of the actual day in question sending pictures of possible outfits to my friends because I had no idea what to wear. In the end I showed up in a blue hijab and abaya and grey pearls that turned out to be invisible under the scarf. Not to mention a glowing orb behind my head, as it was nearing midnight in Saudi Arabia.

I pitched my story to Kortney, and she teared up. So did I.

I guess it was kismet.

Wow. What a powerful moment! And your outfit sounds lovely, by the way. I love good friends who walk me through those choices. So how much time passed between querying Kortney to getting “the call”?

Kortney requested the manuscript I pitched her at the conference, and I sent it to her the next morning.

About 6 weeks later, there was a (tiny) dinner party at our home. I was being a less than engaging host because I kept checking my email. RevPit had come and gone, leaving me with a bitter sweet ‘runner up’ prize, and I was anxious to hear if I’d done any better with WriteMentor, who were announcing their mentorships that day. Mid Dinner came the news — I didn’t make it.

Dinner was shaping up to be a more silent affair than usual, when Kortney’s email hit my inbox. More manuscripts! I sent them to her the instant my poor guest left our door, and then hunkered down, preparing for another six weeks wait.

Kortney came back to me in about 3 hours. She wanted a call!

Oh that is amazing! After that 6 week wait to have such a fast turn around must have felt fantastic! Can you tell us more about “the call”?

Incredible as it may sound, I wasn’t actually sure what Kortney wanted to talk to me about. Could it really be ‘the call’? How could that be, when she’d asked to speak with me literally only a few hours after I sent her my manuscripts?

I had all these scenarios in my head about what I’d do to prepare when I had ‘the call’. I’d read blog posts, do more research, watch BookEnds videos on YouTube — what to ask an agent on ‘the call’? I’d discuss it with my critique partners. What should I say? What do you think they’ll say?

In the end, I didn’t do any of that because I was still not convinced this was actually ‘the call’. Instead, I spent hours wondering what Kortney could possibly want to talk to me about.

So I got onto Zoom at our slated time (sans pearls) and we talked about books, and our childhoods, and my writing — and the usual ships and sealing wax, cabbages and kings stuff you do when you’ve found a friend. About an hour into the conversation, Kortney started saying something to the effect of: ‘and if you pick me to be your agent —’

And I said: “Wait!”

To which she said: ‘What?’

To which I said, again: “Wait! Is this… the call?”

Kortney laughed her head off, and told me roundly that she’d never had this reaction before.

It’s a running joke between us now. Every time an Editor asks us for a call in the future, I can see this coming right back up:

Is this the call?

Haha! What a fun story! I love that you were an hour in before you realized. It sounds like you and Kortney have a wonderful connection though. How did you know she was the right choice?

I was fortunate enough to get two more offers of representation. I met the other two agents (suitably prepared this time around) and had a great time speaking with both. They were both editorial, which is important to me. Both had a definite vision for my manuscripts, and ultimately, my career. Both had clients who were very, very happy with them. Just like Kortney.

From everything I’ve read and heard, this is bound to be a pretty long and sometimes rocky road. So, in the end, I went with the agent I felt I’d have the most fun with on this journey.

So far, it’s lived up to its promise.

I love that. So important to have fun in the process. It can be so hard to choose between offers, and I love that you took this approach. Could you tell us a little about your book that landed your agent?

The book that I first pitched to Kortney — the one that left us both in tears, the first time we met — is a grandparent story. It’s short and it’s lyrical, and it has my heart. The grandparent relationship is an important one to me, and it shows up in various forms in many of my manuscripts. Turns out, Kortney’s the same way.

After she read the story, Kortney told her Grandfather: “I found you in a book today.”

When I heard that, I knew I’d found my agent.

That is beautiful. Sounds like such a special book and an amazing connection with Kortney.

If you could give querying authors a piece of advice, what would that be?

Ultimately, it’s a totally unpredictable journey. You might find your agent — your agent, the person who is your person — today, tomorrow, next week, next month, in a few years. No one knows. But trust you’re where you need to be, and keep learning. Read books in your genre, read books on craft, read blog posts and interviews, get critiques, give critiques, take classes, attend webinars and conferences. Whatever learning looks like for you. Always, always keep learning. It’s the only way forward.

That is truly fantastic advice! Where can we connect with you online?

A website is still in the works, but you can find me on Twitter: @NatashaMKhan

Thanks so much for joining us today, Natasha! I’ve had a blast chatting and learning more about your journey. I wish you all the luck and truly can’t wait to see your books in the world.

It was so great to be here, Kailei. I dreamed about doing an interview like this some day. So glad my first one is with you!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!

Natasha is offering one lucky reader a Picture Book critique, either Fiction or Narrative Non Fiction. Follow Natasha on Twitter and retweet this post for you chance to win. Winner will be announced on Twitter.

About Natasha Khan

Natasha is a Pakistani expat mom raising two boys with her husband in Saudi Arabia. She spends an inexcusable amount of time window shopping for books on the internet and playing the New York Times Spelling Bee.

Natasha has a degree in Political Science from the University of Southern California, which she brandishes in heated discussions over Pakistani politics. She is passionate about her country, her people, and her food. Ramadan and the two Eids are her favorite times of the year.

Pre-COVID, she spent most of her vacations traveling the world with her family. But her favorite place to be is in the kitchen, cooking while she listens to a sizzling audiobook. Her other favorite place is at her desk, writing away.

About Kailei Pew

Kailei Pew is a wife, mother, and children's book author represented by the amazing Emily Forney of Bookends Literary. Kailei's debut Middle Grade Book, KID MADE will be coming to you from Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan Summer 2023