Joan Stradling (iwrite on QT) has recently signed with agent Jennifer DeChiara of Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. Joan, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Congratulations and good luck.



QueryTracker: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation?

Joan Stradling: It's a non-rhyming picture book called Who Invites A Pig to Dinner?. What inspired you to write it? I originally wrote it for the 2nd Annual Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories contest. I hadn't written a picture book before and was surprised when the story won first prize.

 

QT: How long have you been writing?

JS: I've been writing since sixth grade, but only "seriously" started writing in 2003 while pregnant with my youngest child.

 

QT: How long have you been working on this book?

JS:I actually haven't been working on this book. I was concentrating on trying to break out in YA or MG. When I got my rights back for the picture book in 2010, my husband kept bugging me to query with it. I finally gave in and sent out queries in September 2011. I never considered myself a picture book writer--just thought of it as something fun to do on the side when I got stuck on my YA or MG work. Of course, my hubby won't let me forget that I have an agent because of him. ;-) You just never know what will grab an agent's interest!

 

QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?

JS:Yes! There have been many times I considered giving up. When the rejections keep pouring in, it can be pretty discouraging. What kept me on track was my determination. I WANT this! I knew I'd get there eventually if I just kept writing and trying. Seeing other authors find agents and get published and hearing how long it took and how much work they did helped motivate me. I've met some great author friends along the way and have had many wonderful critique partners who have kept me going. Making connections is crucial! Writing can be a lonely thing if we don't try to connect with other writers. It's great to have family and friends for support, but having other writers who know what we are going through makes a big difference.

 

QT: Is this your first book?

JS: No. As I mentioned before, I've written YA and MG novels. However, this was my first and only picture book at the time of the contest (I've written a few more since).

 

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

JS: I took the basic and advanced novel writing courses from the Institute of Children's Literature.

 

QT: Do you follow a writing 'routine' or schedule?

JS: Sort of. When my kids were younger, I didn't have a schedule and just wrote whenever I could find time. Now that they're all in school, I write while they're away. However, I am also taking college classes from the local community college and have day classes so I don't get to write every day. I also have a child with medical problems so I have to be flexible in my schedule to accommodate her bad days. So, even though I have a schedule, I don't always get to stick to it. And that's okay. Write when you can, don't beat yourself up when you can't.

 

QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?

JS: I rewrote/edited it several times (lost count) before I submitted it to the Cheerios contest and tweaked it a couple more before I started sending it to agents (and then again after I got some rejections).

 

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

JS: Normally I do, but this time I only had family read it (though they do some great critiquing--two of them are also writers working toward publication). I did have a few critique partners read it, but I think it might have been after I submitted it to the contest--I can't remember.

 

QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?

JS: I didn't outline the picture book, and didn't outline my MG, but I absolutely outlined a couple of my YA novels.

 

QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?

JS: I started querying with this book in September 2011 and found my agent in November 2011. Before then, I queried with MG and YA--4 years worth! Granted, during those four years I wasn't constantly querying. I was also writing new things. My method is to send out a few queries, wait to hear back, and if the replies are all rejections, I tweak the query (and often the novel) before sending it out again.

 

QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?

JS: I sent 25 for this book. I can't even begin to count the number I sent on my YA or MG (many were sent before I joined QueryTracker and span several notebook pages).

 

QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?

JS: I first looked for agents who represented picture books. From there, I made a list of those who also represented not only PBs but also MG and YA (it's a limited list, believe me). Those who represented the other genres as well were at the top of my list--but I didn't query them first. Some of you may find this strange, but I started at the bottom of my list and worked my way up. I did this so I could hone and perfect my query letter based on reaction and feedback from the other agents. That way, when I got to the top and was ready to query my top picks, I'd have a pretty decent letter. Of course, when querying with picture books, you send the entire manuscript (mine is just over 600 words), so it kind of sells itself. Still, I got rejections and worked on my query as I worked my way up the list.

 

QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?

JS: Yes. I tried to find something about the agent that I could include in the query, even if it was only something small. The agent I accepted all kinds of PB's and I mentioned that in my query.

 

QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?

JS: I'm not sure I can give any advice that they haven't heard before. I know they've heard "Never give up!" and it's great advice. Another thing they've heard, but is also great advice is to keep writing. Even though I imagined breaking out with YA or MG, it was the little PB that landed me an agent. I never dreamed of becoming an PB writer. However, my agent suggested writing other picture books to go with the first and I'm having a blast doing it. You never know which book will help you reach your goal. If you've been querying for a while, try writing something new--in a completely different genre and see what happens.

Find a critique group. Another writer's opinion can be invaluable. If you can find a published/agented author to share critiques with that also helps. Get out there and make connections! Another thing they can do is to keep learning! Study books on writing, read blogs with helpful advice. The more you know, the better your writing gets. This is a field where you never stop learning. Read lots of books, not only in the genre(s) you write, but also in those you don't write. You never know when something might inspire you. That's probably way more advice than was wanted. ;-)

QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?

JS: Yes. In fact, I'll also include the first query I sent out (though I'll leave the agent's name out) so you can see how the query changed and developed. The first and last paragraphs stayed pretty much the same from the first query I sent to the last ones I sent. The middle paragraph--the book description--is where things really changed.

Dear Agent,

My picture book, WHO INVITES A PIG TO DINNER? won first prize in the Cheerios New Author Contest. I've made changes, and the manuscript is now 705 words. (you'll notice I did some more revising on the picture book and got the word count down a bit more by the final query) Since you've expressed interest in quirky, character driven picture books, I hope you'll find this a winning match for your list.

Perzy Ann Cat thought inviting the new neighbor to her dinner party would be the friendly thing to do. She wasn't expecting Potbel E. Pig to step out of the moving van, but uninviting him would be rude. Her other friends warn her of the many ways pigs make horrible dinner guests... but once the party starts, Perzy learns valuable lessons in tolerance and friendship by comparing her friends' manners with Potbel's. (Yeah, this wasn't working at all!!)

I am a graduate of the Basic and Advanced Novel courses of The Institute of Children's Literature and a member of SCBWI. I've pasted WHO INVITES A PIG TO DINNER? below. This is a simultaneous submission. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you. (only slightly changed this paragraph in the final queries)

 

 

Dear Ms. DeChiara,

My picture book, WHO INVITES A PIG TO DINNER? won first prize in the 2nd Annual Cheerios New Author Contest. After making changes, the manuscript is now 630 words. Because of your interest in all kinds of picture books, I'm excited to submit to you and hope you'll find my story a worthy addition to your list.

"Who invites a pig to dinner?" her friends ask when they find out Perzy Ann Cat invited Potbel E. Pig to her dinner party. Her friends all agree pigs make horrible dinner guests, and now Perzy fears her party will be a disaster. Uninviting Potbel would be rude, and Perzy decides to make the best of it. Once the party starts, she's surprised by what really happens when a pig is invited to dinner.

I am a graduate of the Basic and Advanced Novel courses of The Institute of Children's Literature and a member of SCBWI. In addition to writing, I review books for TeensReadToo.com. I've pasted WHO INVITES A PIG TO DINNER below. This is a simultaneous submission. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Joan Stradling

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