I Write for Apples: chapter books

Hillary is a chapter book and middle grade author. Her latest middle grade book, Apple Pie Promises, is now available from Sky Pony, and her new Ellie May chapter book series is now available from Charlesbridge. Hillary is represented by Victoria Wells Arms in association with Hannigan Salky Getzler (HSG).

Connect with Hillary …

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Get the books …

Apple Pie Promises Amazon * Apple Pie Promises Indie Bound

Ellie May on Presidents’ Day Amazon * Ellie May on Presidents’ Day Indie Bound * Ellie May on April Fools’ Day Amazon * Ellie May on April Fools’ Day Indie Bound

QUERY

What advice would you give to querying writers?
My advice is to not to query too many agents as once. Do it in small batches. When I was querying, sometimes I would get a “no, but I really like your writing” sort of response and the agent would include a nugget of wisdom that helped me to strengthen the manuscript. After I implemented the advice, when I re-queried, the story was in better shape.

SIGN

How did you know your agent was the right one for you?
I really loved the books that my agent, Victoria Wells Arms, had worked on as an editor at Bloomsbury, and since I was seeking an editorial agent, I felt certain that she would be a great fit for me.
When I sent Victoria a query, she jumped on it and we were speaking on the phone almost immediately. There were a couple of other agents I was considering, but nobody was as responsive as Victoria. I just love her enthusiasm. She’s responsive, kind and an editorial agent. I feel so grateful that we’re working together.

SUBMIT

What do you suggest a writer does while out on submission?
After your initial obsession—all of the excitement of creating the submission list—that you utterly forget that you even wrote the manuscript. In another words, amnesia is very helpful. How do you do that? Well, get to work on something else. Obsess over your new WIP instead of angst-ing about the baby that’s off in the world. Oh, gosh, that sounds harsh. It’s like telling a mom don’t think about your kid once they’ve left the nest and are on job interviews during their senior year of college. But seriously, once the manuscript is out there, spending energy wondering about it will only make time slow down. If you’re not ready to dive into a new project, read a friend’s WIP or go on an intense reading binge and take notes. Oh, and review whatever books you consume on GoodReads. The authors will totally appreciate it; plus, you get to keep a reading record, and it’s less time worrying about your baby.

Thank you, Hillary!

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Lisa Ann Scott writes books for children—picture books, chapter books, and middle grade. Her latest release in the Wish Fairy series is now available. Lisa is represented by Jennifer Unter of The Unter Agency.

Connect with Lisa …

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Get the books …

Amazon author page

QUERY

What resources and websites did you use when querying?

Just AgentQuery.com

Had you queried other books before the one that got you your agent?

Yes. I first started writing Women’s Fiction and widely queried a novel that got 7 partial requests but no full requests. (So that means I had a pretty good query, but the book fell short.) I can see now that book was flawed, because it was about things that happened to the MC to move the plot forward instead of the MC making decisions to drive the plot forward. So I moved on to middle grade! I wrote my first MG novel from three different POVs in first person present, and just sent that out to a few agents, and set it aside after realizing there were problems I didn’t know how to fix. (No way! A 3 person POV first person present book had some problems?) My agent, Jennifer Unter, signed me on with my second middle grade novel, School of Charm.

If querying was a long time ago for you, what do you remember most?

I had a few full requests on School of Charm, and one of the most promising came right after I was let go from my TV news anchor job. I was ecstatic. I was certain this was the new door opening for me. And then I got the rejection. I was devastated. And I stopped writing….for a while. And of course switched genres again! This time, self-publishing romance (as Lisa Scott. Thus, the use of my middle name for my kids stuff.) And I was all set to self-publish School of Charm when a friend urged me to query again. And I did. To one agent. Jennifer Unter. So yes, sometimes it takes just one more try. Don’t give up!

SIGN

At what point do you share new story ideas with your agent?

Whenever. She’s always willing to take a look and add something to her TBR pile. I come up with lots of ideas, so I have to pace myself. J

Do you send sample chapters to your agent or do you wait until the next manuscript is finished?

I talk about ideas with her first before completing an entire manuscript, (unless it’s a picture book.) So I’ll either pitch the idea or write up a few chapters to send along.

SUBMIT

What do you suggest a writer does while out on submission?

Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Continue going to writing groups, workshops, reading books on craft etc.

How much contact do you have with your agent when you are out on submission?

She forwards each rejection we get, so I can read the editor feedback. When I get the “FYI” email from her, my shoulders slump a bit, because I know it’s not great news.

Did you know there was interest in the book before you got an offer or was it a surprise?

The first book was a surprise. The first Scholastic series, I knew about the interest because they wanted to see if I would do a few minor revisions. I’d say it changes from book to book.

How does it work when you’re writing a series? Are the books sold together or does it depend on the success of the first?

With Scholastic, the series have been sold as four-book deals. If they do well enough, then we’ll discuss additional books. But they’re written so that the four-book arc has a satisfying conclusion, but also leaves the door open for other stories to be told.

Thanks, Lisa!

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