I
have followed Michelle Hauck for many years. I admire her dynamic writing
style—her books are fantastic—and her contests, blog posts, and endless support
of the kidlit community has helped so many writers, including me! Thank you,
Michelle, for welcoming me to your blog to share the cover of my debut MG novel,
BUTTERFLY GIRL.
Michelle
suggested that I mention some thoughts about how I found my agent. I wish I
could offer a quick and easy formula for “how to wow an agent and land a
publishing deal,” but that’s not how it happened for me . . .
When
I first started writing, I was eager to query my picture books, confident that
an agent would soon snap up my stories. I was a strong writer in high school
and college, and loved children’s books, so the long and painful journeys I
read about from other writers seemed like something I could avoid . . . but over
time I learned that the skills needed to write academic papers do not line up
exactly with the skills needed for writing books.
Like
many before me, much of my journey was difficult and discouraging. Mountains of
form rejections and long stretches spent hanging out in Cricket Land can leave
any aspiring author feeling stuck in place and frustrated—but with the help of amazing
friends and critique partners I met at the SCBWI Blueboards, my early
enthusiasm turned into a focused, serious commitment to learning the craft of
writing for publication. After several years of writing and querying picture
books and my MG novel (BUTTERFLY GIRL), I finally began to make progress in the
form of personal rejections, and a few requests.
As
my confidence grew, I began entering contests, like Michelle’s Sun vs. Snow (short-listed
by one of the mentors) and Query Kombat (winner in the picture book category).
I continued workshopping my projects with critique partners, and then jumped
into the online conference WriteOnCon, where I met my first agent, Danielle
Smith. (This was about two years before she abruptly closed her agency and
disappeared from social media.) I was elated when Danielle said she loved the
first few pages of BUTTERFLY GIRL and requested the full manuscript, along with
any completed picture books—and I literally danced with joy when she offered representation
a few weeks later. A book deal was right around the corner, or so I thought . .
.
After
six months with little communication and nothing on submission, I lost faith in
the partnership and decided it would be best for me to move on. I took a month
off to decompress and gather my courage, and then started querying again, although
I privately worried that other agents might have unspoken questions about why the
relationship had ended, and my formerly agented status would be a mark against
me. Incredibly, all the agents I queried sent personal responses that were
encouraging and kind, and four of them asked for additional material . . . and
thankfully, one of those agents was Essie White of Storm Literary, who cares
deeply for her clients and is exceptionally hardworking, supportive, communicative,
and honest. She’s also super savvy about the industry and has a fantastic
editorial eye. Signing with such a phenomenal agent was a moment of pure relief
and happiness—she truly is the perfect agent for me.
Essie
submitted BUTTERFLY GIRL to Callie Metler-Smith of Clear Fork Publishing—and we
received an offer of publication! Working with Callie and her team has been a great
experience. After writing a second stand-alone novel (going on submission soon),
I asked Callie if I could re-read the manuscript before she created the final
proof. I wondered if the things I had learned from drafting that second novel
might also apply to my first, since I hadn’t read it in a very long time, other
than copying and pasting the first 5-10 pages to query agents. After re-reading
I found that I still loved the story, but I noticed places where the writing
could be improved. Callie agreed with my thoughts, which meant delaying the
release so I could revise, and so she could read the new version and approve it
or offer additional feedback. I’m grateful to have landed with such a
wonderfully collaborative and supportive publisher!
It’s a fantastic
feeling to arrive at this point in the journey where I can finally share the
cover for BUTTERFLY GIRL . . .
By: Sarah Floyd
Release date: March 26, 2019
Publisher: Clear Fork Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-946101-64-8
Available for Preorder Soon
Available for Preorder Soon
About the
book:
In
the summer before seventh grade, Meghan McCoy-Lee discovers there’s magic in
the sap of her family tree. She follows instructions in her great-grandmother’s
journal . . . and grows leathery wings! Meghan’s story goes viral and her
mother, who abandoned Meghan at Grandpa’s Oregon farm six years earlier, swoops
back into town with superstar plans for her Winged Wonder Girl. Grandpa says
stay on the farm and ignore the paparazzi, but her charismatic mom wants her to
leave for Hollywood and start a new life together. The popular girls at school
want Meghan gone, like yesterday—she’s getting way more attention than they
are.
One
thing is certain: Meghan’s going to make up her own mind, and the designer
divas aren’t part of the equation. With the help of her brainy best friends,
there may be a way to make the queen of the mean girls stumble and fall off her
throne. Now Meghan must decide if a glamorous life with the mother she dreamed
of is worth moving away from the friends who stood by her—and from Grandpa, who
loved her before the whole world knew her name.
About the author:
Sarah Floyd was born in Carmel Highlands, California, where she
and her friends explored, built forts, and acted out magical adventure stories
in the woods that surrounded their homes. When she was in first grade her
family moved to San Francisco, and then to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She always
brought her favorite books, wherever she moved, and she always found new
friends who loved to read. Now she writes books for children and teens—for her,
it’s the best job in the world!
Sarah is also the author of the picture book, TEN CLEVER NINJAS,
which will be released later this year by Clear Fork Publishing. She is an
active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and
lives in Florida with her husband and teenage son. To learn more, please visit sarahfloydbooks.com,
and follow her on Twitter @kidlitSarah
https://www.sarahfloydbooks.com/
https://twitter.com/kidlitSarah
Giveaway
details:
WHERE WOULD YOU FLY FIRST, IF YOU HAD WINGS?
THANK YOU for celebrating with me today!! Please comment below with your answer (and include your Twitter handle or email) for a chance to win a signed ARC.
WHERE WOULD YOU FLY FIRST, IF YOU HAD WINGS?
THANK YOU for celebrating with me today!! Please comment below with your answer (and include your Twitter handle or email) for a chance to win a signed ARC.
Michelle
will randomly select a winner to receive a signed ARC, along with a query and
first chapter critique (MG or YA), or a query plus full PB manuscript critique. Entry ends February 2nd.
If I had wings, I’d fly to Italy. I've never been to Europe and I’d love to go someday! @ArileyGuertin
ReplyDeleteOh, how awesome is this! Big congratulations, Sarah! If I had wings I would fly down to Florida!
ReplyDeleteSo happy for you and for Butterly Girl! This is a happy story.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on a beautiful book cover, Sarah! I'm so happy for you and can't wait to pick up my copy of BUTTERFLY GIRL! If I had wings, I'd fly off to Maui!
ReplyDeleteAlaska -- in the summer. I hate the cold, but want to see that part of the country. Congrats, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteThe cover is just gorgeous. If I had wings, right now, I'd go anywhere warm but only if the people I love can come too. @dvilardi1
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful cover, Sarah! Congratulations!! I'm so very happy for you!
ReplyDeleteLovely cover! If I had wings I'd fly to Washington or Oregon and sit by the ocean for hours @EmVedderWrites
ReplyDeleteYou are the winner!
DeleteCongratulations Sarah!!! I loved reading your journey to publication. The cover is gorgeous as are you. If I had wings, I'd fly to heaven...
ReplyDeleteYes, my first thought was the same as Vijaya's--if I had wings I'd fly to heaven, accept I don't think I could get to heaven with wings. So I'll just say to New Zealand; it's a place I've wanted to visit for a long time. Congratulations, Sarah, on your upcoming release!! I enjoyed your blog post.
ReplyDeleteoops! forgot to say--my Twitter handle is evchristensen
ReplyDeleteWhat a great interview with Sarah! and the cover is stunning. If I had wings, I would fly to heaven and visit my mom and dad and share the cookies I just baked with them.- Mary Bleckwehl
ReplyDeleteThis cover is gorgeous, Sarah! I've been so anxious to have this beautiful story on my shelf...I'm thrilled that my wait won't be much longer, readers are in for a treat! Congratulations! Oh, and I would definitely fly back to Texas if I had wings...especially with the #polarvortex descending on us right now!
ReplyDeleteIf I had wings I would join a flock of seagulls, soar over the ocean and land on a warm, sandy desert island.
ReplyDelete@cjfriess
If I had wings I would fly to Tuscany!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding us that detours along our publishing journey don't mean we won't ever get there. And if I had wings . . . I'd go someplace warm. I've always wanted to see a desert in bloom. @JanetFSheets
ReplyDeleteAn inspiring read! I’d fly to Scotland to see my family and friends for the day. @mgtaitken
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cover! Congratulations on your book, BUTTERFLY GIRL, Sarah. If I had wings, I'd fly anywhere warm :) @Tracey_K_Brown
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Lovely cover! If I had wings I'd fly to South Africa to see the wildlife (wildlife biologist). Twitter NancyDereyRiley
ReplyDeleteI, too, was unable to see my comment after pressing publish. I look forward to reading BUTTERFLY 🦋GIRL. If I had wings, I would fly to MN, soaring over the land of 10,000 lakes. sleopold@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteIf I had wings I'd fly over the Canadian Rockies, and find all the mountain lakes that are currently inaccessible. @JoniLNemeth
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your road to publishing, I am very new to all of this, and am trying to mentally fire everyone's experiences for the future. If I had wings, I would fly home. . .to where I grew up. There's a peacefulness in the air there and I think it would be particularly beautiful from above everything. Congratulations on the book. What a beautiful cover! Wishing you every success.... @readingteachkbp
ReplyDelete