Danya knows the value of “building a solid body of work” before querying agents, and her journey will help you see the value of it too.

Congrats, Danya, on doing the work to land your dream agent!

How long had you been writing before seeking an agent, and what made you decide it was time to look for one?

I spent a lot of time throughout my academic and professional careers exploring and figuring out where to land. But one thing that I never questioned was my identity as a writer and the power of words well-crafted and lovingly arranged to heal, transform, and inspire. I earned a Masters in Children’s Literature in 2008, but it wasn’t until I became a mother a few years later and took the PB course at Children’s Book Academy that I actually started writing my own PBs.

I spent a good number of years voraciously devouring batches and batches of PBs and thinking about what I loved (and what I didn’t) and why, as well as honing my craft, building community, and learning about the industry through Writing Barn, Highlights, SCBWI, Inked Voices (shout out to Brooke McIntyre), and of course, right here at 12 x 12—homebase for my journey.

With regards to when I started querying, I missed the part about building a solid body of work prior to (!). I began querying way too early. I started with one polished (and embarrassing!) story at hand around ten years ago. The form rejections poured in.

Then, as my writing grew, I began to see personalized rejections, and with time, thoughtful, helpful, and eventually exhilarating champagne rejections. All of the rejections somehow served a purpose in that each was a reminder that I was all in and chasing my dream. While crushing (some much more than others), each “failure” made me stronger and pushed me forward. 

There were despairing moments for sure, but they didn’t ever make me question whether I should keep going. Getting my stories out into the world was a non-negotiable, and landing a solid agent was a critical piece in that. The dark moments were more of a testament to my waning patience. It was more about how long it was going to take, not whether it was going to happen.

Around 3.5 years ago (can’t believe how it’s flown by), I teamed up with my amazing critique group (via 12 x 12).  My writing began to take off from there. The insight, accountability, wisdom, support, and camaraderie all wrapped up in a package was a game changer for my growth as a kidlit writer. Our monthly meetings were motivating and fruitful.

Then in summer of 2023 I was selected as a PBRising Stars mentee alongside Lisa Varchol Perron. Having a prolific, brilliant author like Lisa invest in my writing was validating and inspiring.  Both my stories and I emerged better, bolder, and even more determined.  I started a new round of querying (targeted and informed by research) and was soon receiving keen interest.

The short answer is that I started querying too early. In hindsight, I would have started much later, once my work was polished and there was enough of it to share.  I tend to revise and line edit simultaneously with first drafting. It’s a very judgy, masochistic, indulgent yet stifling (albeit thrilling) way to birth a story (…working on that!). I had to remind myself to always stay focused on production and resist getting tirelessly caught up in querying.

What kind of research did you do before submitting?

I was constantly researching—looking up every little bit of info I could find about any agents who I thought would take interest in my work. I found online videos (e.g. interviews, recorded presentations, panel discussions) especially helpful, as they gave a glimpse into agents’ personalities.  I was also frequently digging to discover who represented the work of writers that I loved/admired/felt my work was comparable to.  Then I would try to find opportunities to get my work into their hands. I invested in a Publishers Marketplace membership over the last year and a half, which was a useful resource for this. I also followed agents that I was interested in on X and more recently on Instagram to get a sense of personalities, interests, and what they were up to. I subscribed to weekly QueryTracker updates to find out who may be opening to submissions.

The dreaded questions: How many queries?  How many rejections?

I lost track. There were MANY queries and MANY rejections. There were champagne rejections (which truthfully felt like victories) too. I threw my net wide when I first started querying years ago, before I really knew what I was doing. I must have sent out around 60-80 queries in those first couple of years. Once I started recognizing the worth of my writing, I became very selective with querying. I only submitted to agents I deeply respected and thought I would love to work with (around 5-10). I got very close to a few of those agents and had wonderful, promising communication with them. These were important, as they provided validation along the way.

With regards to navigating all the “failure,” my family and friends kept me afloat. My husband Hugo was an endless source of encouragement and support. He insists on going to bed each night with a laugh, and he applied this kind of perspective and joy to his cheerleading of m, the entire way through. I’m not sure how he had the patience for all of that. He truly journeyed along with me. After the call with Joan, we both melted into a puddle of joy-tears (he was so relieved). My three kids were also endlessly motivating and supportive. Despite the stress and frustration they must have felt at times shaking off of me, I think that they watched their mom want something so badly and work so hard to get it—and I’m thankful for that.

Was it difficult to find an agent who wanted to represent an author focusing on picture books?

It was somewhat challenging as a good number of agents whom I took an interest in were open only to author-illustrators.

Who is your new agent? Tell us about getting the news.

My agent is Ammi-Joan Paquette at Aevitas. Joan was my dream agent from the start. I was drawn to her thriving success as an agent, her mega-inspiring list of authors, and her down-to-earth, warm character (deduced through whatever I could find online). I loved her wondrous spirit that I saw glimpses of through her social media. Beyond her talent as an agent, she just seemed like someone I would choose to have in my corner, regardless. Then when I got my hands on her PB, All From a Walnut, which is just so gorgeous, it strengthened my resolve for wanting to work with her.

Although Joan had been on my radar from the start, there never seemed to be opportunities to connect with her. Then in the wake of book bans, there was an auction to help raise funds for Levine Querido, a publisher I deeply admire for its artful, bold, and different titles. I would have donated or bid regardless, but when I saw that one of the items was an opportunity to pitch to Joan directly, I jumped right in.

 I was away in Portugal on a family trip at the time and set my alarm for 4 a.m. to bid and ended up winning it (within the limit I set for myself). I then sent the story of my heart to Joan and heard back a couple of months later. She shared that although her PB list was full, she loved my story and wanted to see more of my work.  I shared more work, and she loved that as well. I checked in every few months, and she responded enthusiastically each time—but the timing wasn’t quite right.

During this time, I was also in discussions with several other fantastic agents who were interested in my work as well.  I was set on Joan though.  When I heard about EMLA merging with Aevitas, I thought it might be a good time to check in to see if there had been any further thoughts on my work. I re-sent all of my work to her in an organized package with pitches and summaries. We arranged a phone call (I was SO nervous), and she offered representation!   All in all, it was an almost-two-year pursuit (with numerous years of wishing/hoping/plotting prior to that) to signing with my dream agent.

How did you know your agent was “the one”?

Joan struck me as a wonderful mix of talented artist and highly-skilled businessperson. Beyond that, she was someone I could see myself really wanting to engage with. 

If 12 x 12 helped you in any way during your agent search/development of craft, can you tell us how? (P.S. It is TOTALLY okay if the answer is no. I am not trying to “lead” you 🙂 )

I can’t imagine what this journey would have looked like without 12 x 12. The community, reading about fellow PB writers’ trials and tribulations, wins and losses, I never truly felt alone. Learning about other writers’ wins was vital for me as I found them so motivating. With work and perseverance, I knew my time would come. It was also helpful to hear about fellow writers’ setbacks. It validated my feelings that this can be an intense journey not for the faint of heart.

And, as I mentioned, I connected with my beloved critique group (shout out to Ann Koffsky, Ellen Leventhal, Melissa Stoller, Celina Kamler, and Belinda Brock) through 12 x 12. If for nothing else, my membership would have been well worth it just for connecting with them!

Has your writing process changed at all since signing with an agent?

No. I just have more time and space to focus on creating new work.

What advice would you give to picture book writers looking for agents today?

Focus first and foremost on creating your stories. It’s easy to get consumed with querying and chasing agents. But once you get the attention of an agent that compels you, you need to be very ready with a solid body of work (e.g. 5-8 solid stories—not just three or four—in case they ask for more and then more). Be efficient with your time by being targeted with your querying.  And as hard as it is, resist the tendency to compare yourself to others. If you truly believe in your work and must see it out in the world, your time will come. Show gratitude to those around you—especially your partner and kids—for supporting you in chasing this dream. Share with them the ups and downs so that they cheer you on and join you in gleaning life lessons along your journey.

Do you think your platform (blog, social media) helped you find your agent?

No. Social media helped me with researching agents, but my own social media presence is quite minimal. I wrote monthly discussion posts for a couple of years for the PB community at Inked Voices. I loved doing that and put a lot into it, but those write-ups live at IV, not anywhere on my sites. I don’t have a blog or otherwise. I do have a basic website, but it needs updating and revamping! I’m pushing myself to be more active now, though, as I know it’s important to be out there. So, no—I don’t think that interested agents were drawn to me through my online presence.  

Tell us something that is on your “bucket list.” Something you’ve dreamed of doing all your life but have yet to accomplish (besides publishing a book, which is inevitable at this point 🙂 )

Author visits at my kids’ schools.

Exploring Zion National Park with my husband and kids. I’m very inspired by desert landscapes.

Doing the Inca Trail with them too.

Lots more in the way of family, travel, music, and writing.

What’s up next/what are you working on now?

Cranking out new work, creating an online presence, and continuing to hone my craft.