¡Hola! Remember my last post talking about transitions? Well, I got some exciting news...
I'm now represented by Deborah Warren at EAST WEST LITERARY AGENCY!
One of the questions I get most frequently at children’s book conferences and workshops is "how did you get an agent?". So I'm going to share a little bit of this story now that's fresh in my mind. And I'm going to add some tips for those of you interested in getting an agent.
HOW I GOT MY CHILDREN'S BOOK AGENT
I left my previous literary agent over a year ago, and I was dreading looking for a new one... Seriously, an agent search is not for the faint of heart. It can be a long, cumbersome, doubt-filled process.
So I enlisted the help of my friend Kerri, who also needed a new agent. Soon after, I sent out a couple of queries... But it was a mistake. At the time I was feeling VERY impatient (I wanted to be-done-already!) and I sent out my submission before it was completely ready (my friends had gently told me, but I didn't listen).
PRO TIP 1: Finding a friend going through the same experience is super useful for moral support. Plus you can set deadlines and encourage each other to keep them.
PRO TIP 2: When you ask trusted people for advice, listen to what they say! I'm speaking from experience. ;)
Afterwards I was a bit deflated. I decided to take a break and let the universe do its thing...
Do you know what happened next? A couple of fantastic agents reached out to me after finding out via social media that I was looking for representation!
PRO TIP 3: If you are looking for an agent, make sure to spread the word as widely as you can. Sure, an instagram post won't work for everyone, but what do you have to loose?
The next step was meeting the agents. Through emails and calls we talked about all the fundamental bits: my career dreams, their work process, my own process, their book sales, their contact in publishing, etc. – I asked a TON of questions.
PRO TIP 4: Prepare for your call with an agent in advance. Which doubts do you have? What are you hoping to get from your relationship with your agent? Make sure they can give you what you need.
Then I did some research, and I made my choice... Deborah!
Deborah Warren has been in the business for many years and she has a great reputation. On top of that she represents some of my very talented friends (Belén Medina, Jim Averbeck, Jeanne Walker Harvey, Ian Hoffman…), so I was able to ask some questions and make sure we would be a great fit.
PRO TIP 5: Before saying yes to an agent, ask someone they represent for their opinion. Even better, ask someone who used to work with that agent. While it's important to take people's opinions with a grain of salt, you'll learn a lot about that agent's strengths and weaknesses.
PRO TIP 6: Please don't reach out to the agent's clients before you have a proposal from that agent. Be kind and don't waste people's time.
And that's the story of how I found my new agent. If you are a writer or illustrator and have questions about agents, stay tuned! I have more posts planned.
Abrazos,
Diana.