Latkes for Santa Claus: a Delightful blend of Hanukkah and Christmas

Happy Wednesday, readers! It's been a minute since I've done a book review as I've transitioned this blog to Tuesday From The Trenches, but I have been missing book blogging, so I will be transitioning back to more of a balance between the two. I'll still be hosting a weekly interview with an agented author about their journey through the query trenches, but twice a month I will also be doing book reviews or debut author interviews. I hope you enjoy the new balance! Today I am sharing an interview with Janie Emaus, debut author of Latkes for Santa Claus. I loved this book so much and hope that you will all pick up a copy! Join me in welcoming Janie to the blog today.

Thanks so much for joining me today, Janie! I am thrilled to be featuring your book, Latkes for Santa Claus. I loved the mash up of Hanukkah and Christmas. It’s really such a great book for culturally blended families, as well as for those of us who want to better understand cultures different than our own. I also thought it was such a fun way to introduce new holiday treats!

Can you tell us a little bit about your inspiration for the book? How did this idea come to you?

I was raised Jewish and celebrated my first Christmas after marrying my husband. When our daughter was born, we had a Christmas tree, left cookies for Santa and lit our menorah for the eight nights of Hanukkah. I began to wonder if our daughter was confused. Not being able to find any fun, fanciful books with characters she could relate to, I decided to write my own.

That is wonderful. I absolutely feel like your book fills a hole in the market. It's truly delightful. Let’s talk a bit about the recipes you share in the back of your book. Are these personal family recipes of your own?

The latke recipe is our mouth-watering one passed down through the generations. Every year, the women in our family gather to peel, chop, fry and eat our latkes. It was during one of these events when the idea sizzled into my mind to have my main character leave latkes for Santa Claus.

I love that! Ideas really can come from everywhere. Will you share a little more about your publishing journey? How did you find a home for Latkes for Santa Claus? What was the submission process like?

Since I couldn’t find any books blending Hanukkah and Christmas in an enjoyable way, I thought my book would sell. Easy Peasy. Right. Wrong! It took over fifteen years, several agents and dozens of rejections for the book to sell.

Then back in December 2019, I entered #Pitmad. For those unfamiliar, #Pitmad is a Twitter event where authors tweet their pitch in 280 characters and anxiously wait, refreshing every few minutes, or seconds, for an agent or editor to like the pitch.

My editor liked my tweet on Thursday. I sent her the manuscript on Saturday. And on Tuesday, she offered me a contract! I like to say that after only a few decades, I became an overnight success. I learned a few days ago, that the book went into a second printing.

I love PitMad so much! I found my agent through the September event, so it holds a dear place in my heart. I love that you had such an amazing success story after so many years of nos. What a testament to your perseverance. Do you have any advice for authors considering going directly to publishers rather than working through an agent?

That’s a tough question. If you’re planning on going the traditional route, depending on the genre of your manuscript, you usually need an agent. Children’s book publishers are more open to unsolicited submissions. As are some of the smaller presses, such as Wild Rose Press, the publisher where I sold my time travel romance.

But the big publishers require submissions through agents.

I’m currently looking for an agent for my Women’s Fiction novel. I follow agents on Twitter and on Manuscript Wish List. (MSWL) I’ve been in the querying trenches for years, on and off, and I know how subjective this business can be. I’ve had several agents throughout my writing career and from my experience, no agent is better than a bad one.

But it’s all about perseverance and believing in yourself.

So very true, Janie! I truly believe that every author can make it if they don't give up. Thank you so much for joining us today! Best of luck as your beautiful debut continues to sell. I can't wait to see what else comes for you.

About Janie Emaus

Janie Emaus is an author/blogger. LATKES FOR SANTA CLAUS is her debut picture book. She is also the author of the young adult novel, Mercury in Retro Love. Her essays and short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and websites. The first book in her time travel series, The Time Traveling Matchmaker, will be released in Spring 2021. To learn more about Janie, visit her website www.janieemaus.com and her blog at https://medium.com/@janieemaus

About Kailei Pew

Kailei Pew is a wife, mother, and picture book author represented by the amazing Emily Forney of Bookends Literary.She is an active member of SCBWI, a 2019 Write Mentor Mentee, and a finalist in Susanna Leonard Hill's 2019 Holiday Writing Contest. She loves writing picture books that help kids see they can do anything they set their minds to.Kailei can't wait to get her stories into your hands.

Tuesday From The Trenches: Monica Acker

Happy Tuesday, KidLit friends! I feel like the past month or so has flown by. This year will soon be over, and I'm sure that we're all glad to see it go! But as crazy and difficult as this year has been, there's also been a lot of good. I was able to sign with my own agent, Emily Forney, and start this super fun blog series featuring querying authors and their time in the trenches leading up to publication. I've loved this series so much, and hope you have too.

Before I introduce you to this week's guest, let me first ask you: Have you heard about the KidLit Holiday Dance Party? Have you registered? If not, make sure to get on that right away! Space is limited, and we're 80% full right now.

And now, join we in welcoming Monica Acker to the blog today!

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

Thanks so much for having me. I always enjoy reading everyone’s unique paths and now I get to share mine!

It's really been so fun to see just how unique each path to representation is. I'm excited to hear about yours. Can you share your query stats with us?

Time Spent in the Query Trenches: Two years, but really three phases. July 2018: Two months into writing seriously. Definitely not ready. My apologies to the handful of agents I queried. Fall 2019: Dipped toes in the water. Form responses. January to July 2020: Not sure if I would ever feel totally ready, but dove in!

Number of Agents Queried: 43

Number of Requests for Additional Work/Full Manuscript: 1

Number of Twitter Pitch “Likes”: 1

Number of R&Rs:

Number of Rejections: Loads.

Number of Offers: 1

Agent and Agency: Kaitlyn Sanchez at Olswanger Literary Agency

I think we've all queried too soon as least a time or two. I know I did, at least!

How did you keep track of it all? What was your method for organizing queries? Spread sheet? Query Tracker? Etc.

I love an Excel spreadsheet. I like that I can adjust my sort to see agents at the same agency, submissions by story, date sent, etc.

I'm the same. Nothing like a good Excel sheet to keep me organized.

How did you handle rejections? Did any sting more than others?

I queried the first story I wrote. I brought it to one critique group. And if I recall correctly, I called my mom to say the group didn’t hate it so now I just needed to find an agent. Ha! There was so much I didn’t know I didn’t know. But when that first rejection rolled in, I thought, how lucky I was that someone took the time to read what I wrote. I even queried an agent who was closed to queries, such a rookie move, but she sent me my first personal rejection. She was so kind and encouraged me to keep writing. So I did.

Every agent I queried, I felt some sort of connection with, or else I wouldn’t have queried them, so there was a bummer feeling when a rejection came in. Scattered among the rejections were positive comments about my stories or my writing. These told me I was on the right path. I took screenshots on my phone of the personal notes to reflect on when doubts crept in here and there. And when a no came into my in-box, I usually found the best way to remove the sting was to replace it with hope by sending another query.

I love those kind and encouraging rejections so much! They kept me going. And I know exactly what it is like to no even realize all the things you don't know yet. But the kidlit community is so kind and accepting. Authors and agents alike.

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

I started assembling agent info from various sources such as conferences I attended, blog interviews, and Twitter. Then another writer kindly shared her list of agents, so I used that as a starting point for research.

I seriously love how generous people are! So between all of that, how did you ultimately connect with your agent? Did you cold query? Participate in a twitter pitch event? Or connect in some other way?

This is where I feel like a cheater-cheater pants because I did not traditionally query Kaitlyn. I was incredibly lucky, but it boils down to making connections. My super star agent runs a fantastic blog. She conducts interviews and often offers giveaways (in addition to running the #FallWritingFrenzy and #SpringFlingKidlit contest). I won a critique with an author through the blog and sent a manuscript in the same email thread, including the author and Kaitlyn. The story I shared caught Kaitlyn’s eye. She helped me get the MS submission ready, because the story of my heart touched hers as well.

This got me on the radar. And as I sent the MS out, Kaitlyn cheered me on. Once Kaitlyn started taking on clients, she reached out to me to see if my body of work would be a good fit for her list. The first things I sent weren’t quite right yet, but she asked for revisions and more work. We went back and forth a lot, but I always felt encouraged to be better. I hoped a mentorship through #PBChat would help get my MSs to where they needed to be, but when I didn’t earn one, I tackled revisions again, with the help of CPs (Always. If you do not have critique partners, find some) and sent them off to Kaitlyn one more time. This time, within, minutes (ok, maybe hours) my phone rang. Kaitlyn said she was so excited about the revisions that she had to call right away. During that quick call we set up “the call.”

Oh wow! That is all so amazing. And not cheating at all! It's so important to take all of those awesome opportunities. You never know what will come from them. And how amazing that she called you so soon after some time of back and forth! Kaitlyn is seriously so kind and supportive. I've loved my interactions with her. Can you tell us more about “the call”? How did you know Kaitlyn was the right choice?

I feel lucky to have known Kaitlyn from Twitter as a writer friend before she was an agent. I knew going into the call that she is passionate about kidlit and great at connecting people. During “the call” I got to know Kaitlyn the agent. We had a similar vision for my MSs and the process of revising and resubmitting showed me how well we work together. It was a no-brainer.

I love that so much. And I couldn't agree more that Kaitlyn is an amazing cheerleader and champion in the kidlit community.

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

Keep learning and writing. Once the query is sent, it is out of your control, so focus on what you can control. Take a webinar, read lots of books, attend a class, and write, write, write. Also, writing can feel really solitary, but get out there and make those connections.

Your story is a great testament to the good that comes from making those connections. That is wonderful advice! Before I let you go, where can we connect with you online?

Twitter @MonicaAcker1

My infrequently updated blog https://teacherwriteracker.home.blog/

Thanks so much for joining us today! This has been so much fun and I've loved hearing your story on the path to representation!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY

Readers, Monica has generously offered one lucky reader a non-rhyming picture book manuscript critique! To enter, follow both Monica and Kailei on twitter and retweet THIS tweet. Best of luck to everyone!

About Monica Acker

Monica Acker is a picture book writer and kid lit cheerleader represented by Kaitlyn Sanchez of Olswanger Literary. She is a member of SCBWI and Julie Hedlund’s 12 x12 Picture Book Challenge. Born and raised in New York, she now resides north of Boston, MA with her husband and three wicked awesome daughters.

About Kailei Pew

Kailei Pew is a wife, mother, and picture book author represented by the amazing Emily Forney of Bookends Literary.She is an active member of SCBWI, a 2019 Write Mentor Mentee, and a finalist in Susanna Leonard Hill's 2019 Holiday Writing Contest. She loves writing picture books that help kids see they can do anything they set their minds to.Kailei can't wait to get her stories into your hands.

LET'S DANCE! A Kidlit Holiday Dance Party

Hello friends! Happy Monday! I hope your weekend was relaxing, fun, and rejuvenating and that you're ready to jump back into writing/revising/editing/querying/etc. Speaking of relaxing, fun, and rejuvenating, I have some super exciting news! Valerie Bolling and Kaitlyn Sanchez have teamed up to bring to you a virtual Kidlit Holiday DANCE PARTY!! I mean, how incredibly fun does that sound, and I haven't even shared the details with you yet! Let's start with the basic details:

What: A Virtual KidLit Holiday Dance Party

When: Saturday, December 12th, 7:00-8:00 PM Eastern Time

Who: YOU are invited as Valerie Bolling and Kaitlyn Sanchez share their favorite dances and talk inspiration in both writing and agenting.

Why: Because we could all use a little more connection! And who doesn't love to dance?

Now for some more details...

Upon the suggestion of one of Kaitlyn's clients, Valerie and Kaitlyn got to talking about how much fun it would be to connect the KidLit community through dance. Valerie's amazing book, Let's Dance! is all about that... connection through dance. Dance brings people together in a way that nothing else does. I absolutely adore this book. The simple, fun, and brief text pairs amazingly with gorgeous, bright, energetic illustrations to make a story that is truly special.

Valerie has teamed up with one of her favorite Black-owned indie bookstores to offer signed copies of Let's Dance! You can purchase a signed copy HERE.

As Valerie and Kaitlyn talked more, they came up with the fun idea of hosting a virtual KidLit Holiday dance party. The idea was to gather via zoom, dance together, and discuss their inspiration in writing and agenting. I was thrilled when they reached out to me to host the event! I love opportunities to connect as a community, and this sounded like so much fun! This is going to be a fairly relaxed event, and more about connection and fun than anything else. We'll spend a good chunk of the event dancing and having a great time. But we will also be chatting a bit about Valerie's inspiration behind Let's Dance! as well as Kaitlyn's inspiration when choosing clients in agenting. We'll also hold a Q&A at the end to answer your writing related questions. We'll try our best to keep the event to 1 hour, as we know that everyone is so busy this time of year (and always).

While this is a free event, we would love to encourage each of you to donate $5-$10+ to a favorite charity, especially at this time of year. If you need some help selecting a cause, we'd each like to share one of our favorites (though it was so hard to each choose just one):

Equal Justice Initiative:

https://eji.org/

The EJI is one of Valerie's favorites. It is committed to ending mass incarceration and challenging racial and economic injustice in the United States. Which we need now more than ever.

Danielle's Gift:

http://daniellesgift.org/donate-or-volunteer/donate/

Danielle was one of Kaitlyn's best friends growing up. Danielle always wanted to help others when she grew up, but when her life was cut short, her family started a foundation to keep her dreams of helping others alive.

The Florence Immigration and Refugee Rights Project:

https://firrp.org/

This project is close to my heart as immigration rights are so important to me. My husband has had opportunities to do some pro-bono legal work for them. This organization provides legal representation for detained immigrants to help them out of wrongful convictions, and is so very needed as about 86% of detained immigrants go unrepresented due to poverty.

We hope that you will take the time to consider donating to one of these extremely worthy causes, or to one that is close to your heart. Feel free to share in the comments more of your favorite nonprofits.

Space is limited, so make sure to register soon! Register here:

LET'S DANCE! A KIDLIT HOLIDAY DANCE PARTY REGISTRATION

And now... what would an awesome event like this be without some GIVEAWAYS!!? During the event, we will be offering two amazing prizes.

1. One PB Manuscript Critique from Author/Agent Kaitlyn Sanchez

2. One Signed Copy of Let's Dance! by Valerie Bolling

Prizes will only be available to participants who attend the live event. If we're able, we will draw names during the event! But if not, we will absolutely announce the winners by Monday, December 14th on Twitter.

To enter:

Register for AND ATTEND the live KidLit Dance Party On December 12th

Like and Retweet THIS tweet for a bonus entry!

Easy as pie!

Also, make sure to be following me, Kaitlyn, and Valerie on Twitter so that you don't miss any exciting announcements about the event! You should also be following Kaitlyn's amazing clients!

So friends, we hope that you will all join us via Zoom on December 12th at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. Once you register, a confirmation window will pop up and you will receive an email within one week of registering to join the Zoom meeting. Again, please only register if you will be able to attend as space is limited and this will not be a recorded event.

Thank you all for joining us for such a fun event and for supporting our favorite charities this Holiday Season!

Register here:

LET'S DANCE! A KIDLIT HOLIDAY DANCE PARTY REGISTRATION

Can't wait to see you all soon!