In the past week, I’ve had two very exciting things happen in my writing life. I was offered a contract for publication for my picture book PIXIE’S ADVENTURE from an e-publishing company. I wasn’t querying publishing houses, but this particular company “favorited” my Twitter pitch in December during the #PitMad contest. This was the first YES I’ve ever received, so I naturally I started jumping up and down and screaming. Since then, I’ve done a lot of research on this company, utilizing the SCBWI Members Forum, the 12×12 Facebook Group, contacting some of their authors, and chatting with other professionals in the industry. I haven’t yet given my answer, but what I learned from all of this is that you shouldn’t just jump blindly into the first offer you receive. Taking the time to educate yourself will help you determine if this is truly what you want for yourself and your story. After all, our stories are little pieces of our hearts, and they shouldn’t be handed out lightly…
That brings me to my next story. Today, I had a phone call with an agent I had queried back in December. When she emailed me (on my birthday!), she said she couldn’t offer me representation at this time, but she would like to do a one on one critique with me. I think that might qualify as a “Champagne Rejection.” I was thrilled that she wanted to talk about my story, so we set up the call. Anyway, the call went better than I ever could have hoped. This agent had many positive things to say about my writing, and she offered some helpful and encouraging feedback. She asked me to resubmit my mansucript once it has been revised, along with another manuscript I told her I was working on . BEST. REJECTION. EVER.
Then, the icing on the cake…
WOW!!!! I’m not sure where this will go, but to have someone I admire and respect say that about me is the best feeling in the world. And it also explains why it’s 1:00am and I’m awake typing this blog post instead of sleeping…
Thanks for reading and sharing this proud moment with me!
-Jenna xoxo