Tuesday From The Trenches: Michelle Mohrweis

Happy Tuesday, KidLit friends! I have seriously had such a blast with these Tuesday From The Trenches interviews! Every interview is so unique and I love hearing about each journey. Plus, it helps me actually know what day it is because let me tell you... during this pandemic, I never know the day. That's normal, right?

Anyways... I'm so excited to be welcoming one of my agent siblings to the blog today!! Michelle Mohrweis is the first of a few agent siblings that I get to highlight and I am absolutely thrilled. Our interview just solidified for me how much I adore Emily Forney, our rock star agent. Seriously friends, if Emily is not on your radar, she should be. She's been nothing but a joy to work with. Watch her on Twitter to find out when she reopens to queries.

And now, join me in welcoming Michelle Mohrweis to the blog.

Thank you so much for joining us today, Michelle! I’m thrilled to share your query story with my readers. Especially since we are agent sisters and I adore Emily!

First of all, Can you share your query stats with us? (as far as you know/remember):

Of course! I do want to start by saying, this wasn’t my first time in the trenches, but it was certainly the most exciting for me! Before this attempt I had written and queried several other stories, including one I spent six years on. For the story that got me my agent, however, it was a short whirlwind of a journey.

Time Spent in the Query Trenches: 4 Days (18 if you count the 2 weeks I gave for agents to get back to me after my notice of an offer.)

Number of Agents Queried: 10

Number of Requests for Additional Work/Full Manuscript: 4

Number of Twitter Pitch “Likes”: 5

Number of R&Rs: 0

Number of Rejections: 9

Number of Offers: 1

Agent and Agency: Emily Forney at Bookends

Oh my goodness! I don't think I've ever seen such a quick turn around! This is beyond amazing. I also love your persistence. After 6 years, you didn't give up, you wrote another story, and you jumped back into the trenches. I bet many of our readers need that motivation to try again. The query trenches can really beat us up, but they are a necessary evil!

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

I used Query Tracker to keep track of my queries this time. Though in the past attempts I used a chart in a word document!

I loved Query Tracker! I was one of those who would stalk the "timeline" feature to see if agents had responded to others who had queried around the same time. haha. One of the reasons I started this series, actually!

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

During my past attempts, rejections stung. A lot. I would usually try to follow a rejection up by doing something relaxing to distract myself, like playing a game, writing more, or taking a walk.

This time, however, my querying journey moved unusually fast. I didn’t get any time to stew on rejections. By the time I was getting rejections, I already had my call set up and I was distracted preparing for that. Then, after the call, the remaining rejections were from agents that kindly decided to step aside once I notified them off my offer. Those rejections were all so nice, and if anything, they made me more excited to be working with Emily.

That is so great. I love the advice to distance yourself from the rejections a bit. I think that's key. But how awesome that you didn't even need the coping mechanisms this time!

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

I started searching for agents to query when THE TROUBLE WITH ROBOTS was just a concept. In between writing sessions, I searched the #MSWL tag on twitter, looking for any agents interested in MG STEM books. I made a list of all the agents interested. Then, I searched for the agents that represented books I enjoyed. I would read a good MG book with a similar tone and similar themes, then check the acknowledgements to see who the agent was.

Once I had a good list, I then went on Publisher’s Marketplace to research the agents further. I checked out their agent websites to see what they were interested in and searched for their twitter accounts. I used my research to refine my list, sorting it by who I would be most interested in.

By the time I was ready to start querying, I had 3 lists, one for each of my planned rounds of querying. My plan was to send out about 10 to 15 queries at a time. Then, in between each round, I would revise my query and first pages as needed before starting the next round.

At the time I had no idea how fast things were going to go, or that my first round of queries would become my only round.

Wow, that is an awesome tactic. I love the research and thought you put into the process. I think that's so key... really looking for an agent who will best connect with your work.

How did you ultimately connect with Emily? Did you cold query? Participate in a twitter pitch event? Or connect in some other way?

Emily was on my first-round of agents to query. I knew about her from seeing my friends query her, and I knew that she was enthusiastic, quick to respond, and very kind. However, I never did send her a traditional query.

When I was ready to query, it was a few days before PitMad (a contest where you pitch your story in a tweet, and agents who want to see more like your tweet), so I decided to start my journey by taking part in PitMad. Emily liked my very first pitch, and I was thrilled! She wanted a full manuscript from anyone whose pitch she liked, so that night I sent it off. I also responded to the four other agents that liked my pitch and sent out the rest of my round one queries (which ended up being 5 queries). It was very exciting.

So exciting! I know exactly what you were feeling there... Emily and I also connected at that PitMad event! What a whirlwind day!

So how much time passed between officially querying Emily to getting “the call”?

I heard back from Emily two days later. I was stunned at how fast she moved! After PitMad I had seen her tweet about enjoying one of the manuscripts she got, but I hadn’t imagined it could be mine. Then I woke up in the morning two days later with that email sitting in my inbox. We scheduled the call for two days after, and just like that, my querying journey ended. Only four days had passed since I started.

WOW! That is absolutely incredible, Michelle! I can't even imagine what that must have felt like. Major congratulations!

Can you tell us more about “the call” with Emily? How did you know she was the right choice?

I was so nervous leading up to the call! I kept telling myself that maybe I was wrong. Maybe it would be a revise and resubmit and not THE call. Maybe Emily just wanted to talk about the weather. Maybe Emily would change her mind. Maybe…

Yet the moment I hopped on zoom with Emily, she was so kind and calm and welcoming. She put me at ease and got so excited talking about my story. I was still nervous (I’m pretty sure my face was bright red for the entire zoom call!) but I was also excited now. We talked about THE TROUBLE WITH ROBOTS. We talked about my future project. I asked about her plan for my book, her communication style, her view of my future, etc. And by the end, I knew that I would be in good hands with Emily.

That is wonderful! Isn't Emily just amazing?? I feel like I could have written the exact same things (including wondering if this would be THE call or just A call). I love how calming and yet completely excited Emily is!

Could you tell us a little about the book that landed your agent? I see that you write and teach about robotics? That’s so awesome!!

THE TROUBLE WITH ROBOTS is a MG contemporary story about two girls in STEM. These girls hate each other, yet when their middle school robotics team is at risk of being cancelled, they must work together to save it.

I started the story because I couldn’t find many books dealing with modern day robotics. I teach engineering and robotics at my own school, and I wanted a story I could read with my students. Yet most books where the kids interact with robotics are either historical fiction style books, or scifi like ones with robotics that walk and talk. I wanted something showing kids interacting with current, modern day robotics.

So, I decided to write it.

Of course, THE TROUBLE WITH ROBOTS became much more than just robotics. It’s a story about coping with grief, about loss of family and friendship. It’s a story about determination and forming new friendships, about overcoming differences to accomplish incredible things. It’s a story about finding the art in all things, even robotics. And it is the story of my heart. I am so glad I got to write it and I hope someday I get to share it with the world.

Oh my goodness, it sounds absolutely incredible! I am certain you will find the perfect home for it, and I can't wait to read it myself!

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

Don’t give up! I queried several stories before this one. I spent six years on my last story, writing, refining, querying, revising, and querying again. By the time I shelved that story, I was starting to fear I would never succeed. Then THE TROUBLE WITH ROBOTS got me an offer within less than a week.

Querying is an odd blend of skill, luck, timing, and more luck. You just need to keep trying. Keep querying, keep working on the next story, and keep trying!

What perfect advice! I seriously can't get over your persaverance. And to go from a 6 year journey to a one week experience is still just blowing my mind. I love this story so much! Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us, Michelle! I know you are inspiring readers like crazy! Before I let you go... where can we connect with you online?

I’m on twitter as @MMichelleAZ. I also have an Instagram account (@MichelleMohrweis) though I am less active there. And my website is https://www.michellemohrweis.com/

Thanks so much for joining us today, Michelle! I’ve had a blast chatting and learning more about your journey. Best of luck on submission! I can’t wait to see your books in the world.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!!!

Michelle has generously offered TWO giveaways with this awesome interview!

1-Query Critique

1- 1st 5 Pages Feedback

To enter, retweet THIS tweet and follow Michelle and Kailei on twitter.

Best of luck!

Winner will be announced on Twitter on Monday, November 30th.

About Michelle Mohrweis:

Michelle Mohrweis is a middle school Robotics and Engineering teacher. She writes MG contemporary books about STEM Girls and loves to dive into MG and YA fantasy on the side. She is also a member of SCBWI Arizona chapter and a moderator at the Tucson Festival of Books. Michelle lives in Arizona with her husband and two dogs. When not writing, she can be found chasing her dogs around the house with remote control robots and launching paper rockets down the middle of her street.

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: Ebony Mudd

Hello kidlit friends and welcome to another Tuesday From The Trenches!! I hope you are enjoying these as much as I am, because I am seriously having a blast! I love hearing all of these different stories and learning about different paths to representation. We've had people in the trenches for years and years and others in the trenches for only a few weeks. It's all so different, but an overall theme is: It only takes ONE yes! So keep at it friends. And in the mean time, as your trudging through those trenches, help me welcome the amazing Ebony Mudd to the blog. She is an extra bright spot in the kidlit community and I have loved connecting with her. You can't help but smile when you interact with Ebony and I'm thrilled to be sharing her story today!

Thank you so much for joining us today, Ebony! I have loved connecting on Twitter and you are such a light and support to the KidLit community. I love how you are always encouraging others. Welcome to the blog today and thank you for taking this time!

Kailei! First of all, this is amazing. Tuesday from the trenches?! As soon as I saw that this was going to be a thing, I was like.....People. Need. This. So what I’m trying to say is, congrats on being a genius- haha! Secondly, thanks so much for even considering me and for being so kind/welcoming to me. I always refer to myself as the “new girl” in kidlit and so I really appreciate the fact that you want to know more about my journey! I truly just want all of the books on the shelves for kids and I love this community so much! (Ps: this whole interview is about to get real exclamation point heavy!!!)

I love a well-placed exclamation point (or three)!!! My CPs are always reigning me in. haha! And wow, thank you so much! These interviews have been such a blast. When I was in the query trenches, I was one of those people who would google the agents I had queried, desperately trying to find blog posts from their clients to see what average wait time was, when to expect a follow up, etc. So it's been so fun to create a whole series answering those questions. And you are just so lovely! You might feel new in the Kidlit community, but you have jumped in with both feet and have been so kind and "all in." It's been great to get to know you! So let's jump in...

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: 2 months :)

Number of Agents Queried: 18

Number of Requests for Additional Work/Full Manuscript: 5

Number of Twitter Pitch “Likes”: 26

Number of R&Rs: 0

Number of Rejections: I had 8 actual rejections sent to me from people who didn’t request more work. And of course some agents who have a no response is a rejection policy.

Number of Offers: 1 (Thankfully, the only one I needed!)

Agent and Agency: Lori Steel with Raven Quill Literary Agency

WOWZA! Only 2 months in the query trenches and 26 twitter pitch likes! That is amazing, and congratulations!! How did you keep track of it all? (Especially all those twitter likes!) What was your method for organizing queries? Spread sheet? Query Tracker? Etc.

I initially started off with a fancy excel spreadsheet that my husband spent so much time putting together. But, to be real.....I eventually just started updating things in the notes section of my phone. However, I did also use query tracker which was actually satisfying to update.

Gotta go with ease for sure! But bless your husband for being so awesome and involved in the process. I know your time in the query trenches was fast and furious, but you did still experience some rejection. So tell us... How did you handle those rejections? Did any sting more than others?

I’ve spent my adult life dancing professionally so I’m real acquainted with rejection. I also spend a lot of my time judging dance auditions. I have the perspective of the other side. Even some dancers that are super talented, won’t get a part. I think that’s helped me in the publishing world. Rejections don’t bother me. I get it.

With that being said, if I had to pick a rejection that was hard it would be all rejections that came after full requests. Not so much because an agent “got away”, but because those rejections fan the flames of your already brewing imposter syndrome. Because those rejections aren’t just about one manuscript that’s not a good fit so it was harder to swallow.

However, I truly wanted an agent who was in love with my work and passionate about it so I never stayed down for long.

I felt the same way about rejections. The hardest ones were the ones that were nos after the request for more. But you are SO right. You want someone who is completely passionate about your work.

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

I’m an information snob and absolutely love to research. This part was so much fun for me. The main resources that I used were query tracker comments, publisher’s marketplace, agency websites, the manuscript wishlist website, and agent‘s twitter accounts. Yes, twitter helped me. I wanted to make sure that the agents I chose to query seemed to be interested in the types of books I want to build a career with. Did they want all funny? Because your girl isn’t funny so that probably wouldn’t be a great fit.

I love that! I was a total twitter stalker while in the query trenches. I wanted to know everything I could about and agent. And I love how thorough you were in researching agents. So amongst all of those awesome resources, how did you ultimately connect with your agent? Did you cold query? Participate in a twitter pitch event? Or connect in some other way?

I’m actually a PBPitch success story! I participated in the June 2020 twitter event and Lori liked TWO pitches (different manuscripts) that day. That really showed me that she was intrigued by my body of work. After that, I did some research and then decided she was someone I wanted to query.

That's amazing!! I love twitter pitch success stories so much. And her liking two must have been such an amazing day! How much time passed between querying Lori after her "like" to getting “the call”?

Okay, so:

Query sent - 6/25/2020

She requested more- 7/8/2020

And we had THE (BEST) CALL- 7/21/2020

Less than one month!

Wahoo! That is really exciting! Can you tell us more about “the call”? How did you know Lori was the right choice?

So’m going to try really hard not to say, “when you know, you know” because I’m sure people want more than that.

The way Lori spoke about my work and her reasons why it needed to be in the world lined up with my why behind writing those manuscripts. It was magical. I was like this woman is surfing my brain waves! The two manuscripts she was most drawn to were the ones closest to my heart. They represented what I wanted to write throughout my career. She just got me and got my books. I felt really safe thinking about collaborating with her.

Then of course, I spoke to her clients. I found out what type of editorial style she had. I spoke to Lori about the challenges that will come up for me being Black in this industry and again, I felt very seen, heard, and safe. I definitely KNEW on the call, but as I dug deeper and took my time to think about it....it was further confirmed that Lori was my agent! I had a really unique situation because I got an offer very early into my writing and querying journey. So for me, I wasn’t necessarily in a rush to sign with whoever offered. I am only 29 years old and want a long career with one agent so I really wanted to be sure. And months later, I don’t know how I could ever have anyone else represent me besides Lori!

I love everything about this so much! That feeling is something that's so hard to explain, but you nailed it. I especially love you feeling seen, heard and safe. How perfect. I cannot WAIT to see all that you and Lori accomplish together. I remember your pitches and they were fire. The world needs these books.

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

I’m going to try and limit it to three things, because this could be a whole separate interview, am I right?!

For reals! This is probably my favorite portion of these interviews!

First thing is, don’t query too early.....it’s not worth it. That manuscript that you think is ready? Put it away for a week and then look again. Do this several times. Get critique partners that will challenge you. Paginate it. Study it line by line. Really give it the time and care it deserves. There’s a difference between your work that won’t ever sell and your work that was queried too soon.

Don’t let other people’s query experiences be imprinted so deeply on you that it stops you from believing in yourself. Again, I’m an info snob. I love to know what all of the outcomes CAN be. I love to hear people’s experiences. But most stories that I’ve heard are nothing like mine. I started writing this year. I queried this year for the first time. And I got an agent this year. All from a pitch contest. It can happen. But the word on the street was that it could never happen that fast. I’m glad I knew that so I was mentally prepared for a marathon and not a sprint, but I’m even more glad that I didn’t use what other people experienced as law.

Lastly, make yourself a rejection care box and a “wins” box. Maybe it’s mini bottles of wine? A face mask? A gift card to your favorite restaurant? A coupon to watch a trashy tv show? A book on your TBR list you can start reading? A bath? A note to yourself? A copy of the first draft ever of your manuscript so you can be proud of where it is now? Maybe you should print out positive critique notes from critique partners and put it in there, too? Decide what you need. Figure out how you will celebrate each win and what you’ll do when each rejection comes in. And yes, celebrate EACH win. You get a full request? That’s a win. A nice rejection? Win. It all counts.

Love, love love this advice! Especially the note to remember that every journey is different and there is no "one right path" to representation. You had a whirlwind of a year, Ebony, and I am absolutely thrilled for you!! Thank you so much for taking this time to share your story. I have been inspired and I know that our readers will be too! Before I let you go, where can we connect with you online?

I’m on Twitter at @ebonylynnmudd and I feel super fancy saying this, but I have a website

https://www.ebonylynnmudd.com

Thanks so much for joining us today, Ebony! And THANK YOU so much for this insanely generous

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!

Ebony is offering one lucky winner a complete PB submission packet critique! This includes a query letter and FOUR (4!!!) PB Manuscripts!

Don't miss this opportunity, friends! To enter, retweet THIS tweet and follow both Ebony and Kailei on twitter.

Winner will be announced next Monday on Twitter.

About Ebony Mudd

Ebony Lynn Mudd writes picture books for underrepresented kids who don’t see themselves in the media. She is intentional about the diversity of her son’s bookshelf, and now she writes to contribute to the diversity in children’s literature. Ebony spends her time fighting fiercely against inequalities, toxic masculinity, and gender stereotypes. As a former professional dancer and current owner of a tuition-free dance company, she is a bridge for underprivileged kids that hope to work in the arts. She appreciates the creative freedom that choreographing to a song gives her and often compares it to creating a story from a blank page. Her other interests include restaurants with all-you-can-eat sushi, quoting Phoebe from FRIENDS, and eating anything edible that she didn’t have to cook.

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: Heather Bell

Welcome, everyone, to another Tuesday From The Trenches! I have had so much fun with this series, and it has been even more amazing than I had hoped for. If you missed last week's interview with the wonderful Stephen Briseño, you can check that out HERE.

I'm excited to be hosting Heather Bell on the blog today! Join me in giving her a warm welcome!

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

Thank you for having me, Kailei! And thank you for sharing all of these different stories. It really helps put everything in perspective.

I absolutely agree! It has been so fun for me to see just have different everyone's journey is. It's so nice to see all of the different paths to representation. 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: 3 years (with a year and a half break after my first round)

Number of Agents Queried: 25 + 2 straight to editors/publishing houses (including multiple stories to same agents)

Number of Requests for Additional Work/Full Manuscript: 3

Number of Twitter Pitch “Likes”: Somewhere around 9 or 12…Pitch parties always gave me the push to send.

Number of R&Rs: 1

Number of Rejections: All except the one

Number of Offers: 1

Agent and Agency: Kaitlyn Sanchez at Olswanger Literary Agency

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

I had an excel sheet, but it was fairly simple. It mainly listed the agency/agent’s name, which story I sent on what date, and when I should hear back (if they listed that info), and of course, date of rejection. There are so many rejections! But really, all you need is that ONE person.

That is absolutely the truth! It's all so subjective, and you only need the one yes!

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

The first ones were rough. Most of the time I never received responses (ha! I know that’s pretty normal, but I spent many nights thinking “just TELL me you don’t like it”). After my first batch (I think I sent 10), I took a long break from querying to really focus on making my stories better and to make sure I had more than a couple polished pieces. When I started querying again, I knew the break was worth it, because even though I wasn’t getting a “yes,” the agents were actually responding. Lots of champagne rejections, some with actual notes on how the story could improve. And I think the one that stung most was when I submitted straight to a house, and it made it all the way to marketing, then died there. But that also gave me hope. The story had something, and I wouldn’t give up.

Oh my goodness. That definitely would have stung for me to. Those super close calls are hard. I also love that you took time to really hone your craft. That is essential in my opinion.

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

MSWL was very helpful. Also, even if I didn’t get a like on a twitter pitch contest, I would see which agents were scoping things out and send to them.

Very smart! I think it's a great idea to go through twitter pitch contest likes to get an idea of what agents are looking for. There's a high chance they just didn't see your pitch, and knowing what they like will really help you know who to send them to. How did you ultimately connect with your now agent, Kaitlyn?

Early on when I first really dove into children’s books, I met Kaitlyn (my now agent). We were swapping stories after meeting in a Kidlit411 Facebook group (highly advise immersing yourself here), and after a few swaps she asked if I’d like to join her critique group. So, Kaitlyn was one of my first CPs. Once she was on track to becoming an agent, she approached me about possibly being one of her clients. As a critique partner she’s always been honest and I love how she can see the tiny issues as well as the big picture. I knew I wanted an agent who would be really hands on, passionate, and open. And Kaitlyn is basically Wonder Woman for all I know. After some discussion, she asked me to revise one of my stories. All her notes felt spot on, like she knew what I was trying to say and made it so much more concise and stronger. After making the changes, I resubmitted and here we are.

That's really awesome! Goes to show you how important it is to really put yourself out there in all the great kidlit communities. Can you tell us more about “the call” with Kaitlyn? How did you know she was the right choice?

It felt like destiny (haha)! But really, it did. I still had my story out with two other agents and was waiting for their responses. When they both declined, I told Kaitlyn. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to receive rejections! After lots of shrieking and dancing about, we discussed details. I’ve told this to others before, but she is all heart and fire. You can feel the fervor in everything she does and when she supports your work, she does so whole-heartedly. It wasn’t even a question.

Love that so much! Feeling that spark on the call is essential in my mind! You know you will be in good hands. If you could give querying authors a piece of advice, what would that be?

Be persistent. And get to know the amazing people in the kidlit community. We are all writing and illustrating stories for children, hoping that it will touch at least one child’s heart. And if you keep sending, keep querying, someone will see that in your work and feel that connection. It just takes one.

Wonderful advice! Thank you so much for such a great interview. Before I let you go, where can we connect with you online?

Instagram: heather.bell37

Twitter: @heatherbell37

https://heatherbellbooks.com/

Thanks so much for joining us today, Heather! This was so much fun. I think my biggest take away from this awesome interview is to never stop putting yourself out there and to never stop making connections. You never know what will come from those connections, plus it's essential to have people who understand in your corner in this publishing journey.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!!

Heather is offering a PB MS or Dummy Critique to one lucky reader!! To enter: Retweet THIS tweet and Follow Heather and Kailei on Twitter. Winner will be announced on Twitter on Monday, November 16th.

About Heather Bell

Heather Bell whole-heartedly believes that hidden within our everyday lives is a secret realm glimpsed through books, music, and children’s laughter. Holding a BFA in Painting from the Kansas City Art Institute, she is a member of SCBWI, a participant in the 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge, a Children’s Book Academy graduate, and a mommy. When not illustrating and writing, she searches out story ideas as an undercover school bus driver.

Heather Bell is an author/illustrator represented by Kaitlyn Sanchez at Olswanger Literary Agency.

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.