I’m very excited to announce that I’ve signed with Caitie Flum at the Liza Dawson Associates literary agency as a YA author. I’ve been working toward this goal for 3+years. Revising and revising. I couldn’t be prouder of this moment.

I found out my last agent was leaving the business around the same time I found out I was pregnant with twins. I had to find a new agent, which meant writing an entirely new novel while pregnant. With twins.

My last round of queries (about two years ago) resulted in 7 rejections. I wanted to quit working on this book. Shelf it and focus on my success as a magazine writer. My good friend and talented writer Melissa Sarno told me not to quit. “You’re so close. Don’t give up.” Her wise advice was about the rejection letters. “When you’re ready, read the feedback. Use it. If an agent gives you feedback, they’re not being nice. They are busy. They don’t need to write to you.” I licked my wounds and got to work.

On the 88 Cups of Tea podcast, produced by my amazing friend Yin Chang, writer Heidi Heilig mentioned Holly Lisle’s How to Revise Your Novel online class. I signed up for it. It was intense. It took me 2 years to complete the excruciatingly detailed lessons.

I asked beta readers (Charlotte Martin, Jen Garfield, Melissa Sarno, Brendan Hay, and Jessica Bayliss) to give me detailed feedback. Any note that resonated with me, I took. Any time 3 readers said the same thing, I made a note to change it. I mapped out a detailed revision plan.

I queried my top agents. Agents whose work I respect in the industry. When I got rejections, I took Melissa’s advice. I read their feedback *and* their compliments. When I got two offers of rep, I took my time to really get to know the agents. Before I spoke to either one, I asked myself some serious questions about who I wanted to work with and how I saw my career. Answering those questions FIRST helped me to be clear about finding the right literary agent.

My now agent siblings raved about Caitie. Like we spent an hour on the phone and probably could’ve talked longer. That’s when I knew this was right for me. I am excited to tell them the news that I’m on #TeamCaitie now.

When agents say they’re not the right fit for you, I used to take it personally. Like I was not a great writer. But when I got those rejections now, I realized if they’re not super passionate about my book, then it isn’t the right fit. Our relationship relies on that excitement.

For writers who are parents: When I was pregnant, I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to write. How was I going to manage 2 babies, freelance work, and a book? It seemed like running a marathon without any training. This is how I did it: I scheduled 5am writing sessions. My husband took my twins on the weekends for 2-3 hours. I wrote in waiting rooms. Or at 4am while pumping breast milk. Wrote in 15-minute power sessions (thanks for that, David Hochman).

There were definitely days when I thought, “Why am I working so hard, unpaid?” Or I wanted to sleep instead of write. But this book means a lot to me. It’s a dream I’ve had since I was a kid.

Being a parent taught me to be way more efficient with my time. Though when I couldn’t go to the playground with them one Saturday because “I was working on my book,” Claire asked me 2 hours later when they returned, “Where’s your book, mommy?” ? Now I can tell her, “Soon!”

Grateful to every agent who gave me feedback, expressed interest, or simply said, “I can’t wait to see your book on bookshelves some day!” while rejecting me. I feel so honored that my top tier of agents, who I respect and admire, read my work.

I know I’ve got a bigger journey ahead, but I’m so excited to be here, and hopefully join the ranks of the published YA authors who I admire so much. Your books inspired me to write mine.