Literary Agent Interview: Erica Bauman and Query Critique Giveaway

Today I’m thrilled to have agent Erica Bauman here. She’s an agent at Aevitas Creative Management. 

Status: Erica is currently closed to submissions but plans to reopen to queries the first week of June.

Hi­ Erica! Thanks so much for joining us. 

About Erica: 

1. Tell us how you became an agent, how long you’ve been one, and what you’ve been doing as an agent. 

I’ve been working in the publishing industry since 2012, and what drew me to agenting was the long-term professional relationship between agents and their authors. I love the idea of not just finding incredible books but talented authors, and helping them grow in their careers and find readers. 

I started building my own client list in 2016, first in the MG and YA space, and then more recently branching out into adult fiction. 

About the Agency: 

2. Share a bit about your agency and what it offers to its authors. 

When I joined what is now Aevitas, we were still two smaller agencies that hadn’t yet merged. In the last ten years we’ve really grown in size, and offer our clients benefits like a dedicated foreign rights team and film team, but still approach our work as a very hands-on boutique agency. All of my colleagues work editorially with our authors to make sure that the version of the book we send out to publishers is the strongest we can make it, and reflects well on our authors as professionals. 

What She’s Looking For: 

3. What age groups do you represent—picture books, MG, and/or YA? What genres do you represent, and what are you looking for in submissions for these genres? 

I represent projects from ages MG and up. In the MG and YA space I’m open to all genres, as well as graphic novels and some select nonfiction. I have a soft spot for speculative fiction, but also love horror, mystery, and fun contemporary and romcoms. And across the board I’m looking to work with BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled and neurodivergent authors and stories. 

My list can be described as projects with a strong commercial hook, depth and emotional resonance, and enthralling writing.   

4.  Is there anything you would be especially excited to see in the genres you are interested in? 

I love when an author brings an element of the unexpected to their project, like an out-there genre mashup or world building element, or a new perspective on a familiar trope or retelling. Something fun and surprising, but also integral to the story you’re telling. 

What She Isn’t Looking For:

5. What types of submissions are you not interested in? 

While I do have some picture books on my list, it’s not an area that I’m actively looking for. Anything younger than middle grade—so picture books, chapter books, and early reader—are not really in my wheelhouse. And, while I do represent graphic novel memoir, I’m not a great fit for prose memoir. I also don’t represent story collections or poetry collections. 

Agent Philosophy: 

6. What is your philosophy as an agent both in terms of the authors you want to work with and the books you want to represent? 

This may be a bit of a cliché answer, but I want to work with authors who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work. The publishing industry is tough—there are a lot of writers and only so many books acquired per year, and more often than not you and your book only get one chance to make a good impression. So when it comes to queries, I’m not only looking for manuscripts that are fun and engaging, but show a level of craft and polish that are evidence of that author’s hard work. 

Editorial Agent: 

7. Are you an editorial agent? If so, what is your process like when you’re working with your authors before submitting to editors? 

Yes—I majored in creative writing, so I love rolling up my sleeves and digging into a manuscript. The submission process in anxiety inducing, and there are so many factors outside of an author’s control, but what we can control is the manuscript and writing itself. So I work closely with my authors and we usually do a couple rounds of revision to make sure that the version of the manuscript we send out is the strongest and most polished example of that author’s writing. 

Query Methods and Submission Guidelines: (Always verify before submitting) 

8. How should authors query you and what do you want to see with the query letter? 

I only accept queries through Query Tracker—any unexpected email queries are swept up by my spam filter. As for the query letter itself, I know that one of the biggest challenges is finding the right balance between conveying enough of the specific details of your story so that your concept/plot feels distinct, but not too much in that limited space that it becomes overly complicated and convoluted. It’s tough to thread that needle, and usually takes a couple drafts to get right, but it is so important—I’m looking for a clear sense of what the book is not just to determine whether it’s a fit for my list and something I can sell, but to also get a sense of whether the author knows how to talk about their book. It’s not a skill that comes naturally to most people, so getting outside reads and feedback on your query letter, or studying the jacket copy of the books you already own, or even practicing talking about your book like it was just something you picked up and want to recommend to a friend can all help you distill your pitch. 

9.  Do you have any specific dislikes in query letters or the first pages submitted to you? 

Query letters are an opportunity for you to argue your case for why someone should read your book, so don’t waste it. A too short query letter is a wasted opportunity—you have the full page, take advantage of it. It’s also a professional introduction to agents of what you will be like as a business partner, so writing from the POV of your characters doesn’t give us a clear picture of how who you are as a colleague and collaborator. And any query letters that disparage other authors or other published books communicates to me someone who needs to tear others down to make themselves feel valued, and that’s not a personality I’m interested in working with. 

As for first pages, I see a lot of openings where the character wakes up suddenly from a dream. And—this may just be a me thing—but opening pages that start with an intriguing line or moment, and then immediately flash back to either earlier in the day or to an extended memory to show how they got there. Start the story where it starts. 

Response Time: 

10. What’s your response time to queries and requests for more pages of a manuscript? 

Right now my response time for queries is hovering at around 3 months. I tend to put queries I’m intrigued by in my maybe pile for a second look, before requesting more pages, so those take a bit longer. I also read queries by genre, rather than chronologically, so responses can go out of order. 

Self-Published and Small Press Authors: 

11.  Are you open to representing authors who have self-published or been published by smaller presses? What advice do you have for them if they want to try to find an agent to represent them? 

I’m open to representing previously published or self-published authors, however when it comes to queries I’m looking for books that have not been previously published. So, if an established author has a brand new project they’re querying, that’s great, but signing an author for a book that has already been released is a little outside of my wheelhouse. 

Clients: 

12. Who are some of the authors you represent? 

I’m lucky that I get to work with New York Times bestselling author Kayla Cottingham, Eisner and Harvey Award nominated author Tony Weaver Jr., acclaimed YA author Maria Ingrande Mora, and Lambda Literary Fellow Naseem Jamnia, to name a few. 

Interviews and Guest Posts: 

13. Please share the links to any interviews, guest posts, and podcasts you think would be helpful to writers interested in querying you. 

“Genres, Tropes, Trends, and Finding Your Agent Fit with Agent Erica Bauman”—The Manuscript Academy Podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/genres-tropes-trends-and-finding-your-agent-fit-with/id1171799743?i=1000663492092 

My MSWL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TTAlk2Accs and https://manuscriptwishlist.com/mswl-post/erica-bauman/ 

Links and Contact Info: 

14. Please share how writers should contact you to submit a query and your links on the Web. 

I can be queried at https://QueryTracker.net/query/EricaBauman, and any updates on my query inbox and MSWL can usually be found on my Instagram: @EricaBaumanBooks 

Additional Advice 

15. Is there any other advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors that we haven’t covered? 

It’s good to have goals as an author, but be flexible in how you get there. There’s no set path in publishing, so many factors that affect every step on the path, and every author’s journey is different. So set goals you want to aim for (and communicate those with your agent), but be flexible in that the journey is not always a straight line. 

Same goes with your writing—know the non-negotiables for your manuscript, those elements that if changed or removed would fundamentally affect your relationship with the project, and be open and receptive to feedback everywhere else. You want to find someone whose vision aligns with yours, who values the same things about the manuscript, but can provide editorial insight that you might have overlooked to help you better execute your authorial vision. 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Erica!

 Giveaway Details

­Erica is generously offering a query critique to one lucky winner. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment through May 9th. If you do not want to enter the contest, that’s okay. Just let me know in the comments. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you follow me on Twitter or Bluesky or mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. This is an international giveaway. 

Have any experience with this agent? See something that needs updating? Please leave a comment or email me at natalieiaguirre7@gmail.com 

Note: These agent profiles and interviews presently focus on agents who accept children's fiction. Please take the time to verify anything you might use here before querying an agent. The information found here is subject to change.

 Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops 

Friday, May 1st, I’m participating in the Come What May Giveaway Hop 

Wednesday, May 6th, I have an interview with Dana Mele and a giveaway of her YA The Beast You Let In and my IWSG post 

Monday, May 11th, I have an interview with Sarah Marie Jette and a giveaway of her MG One Fair Share 

Wednesday, May 13th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Andrea Colvin and a query critique giveaway 

Saturday, May 16th, I’m participating in the Moms Rock Giveaway Hop 

Monday, May 25th, I’m off for Memorial Day 

I hope to see you on Friday, May 1st!

 

 

Author Interview: Gareth P. Jones and The Monster Maker and The Time Thief Book Giveaway

Happy Monday, Everyone! Today I’m excited to have Gareth P. Jones here to share about his Solve Your Own Mystery series books, The Monster Maker and The Time Thief. I love mysteries and have never read a solve-your-own mystery story, so I’m excited to read these books. I just reserved The Time Thief at my library. 

Here’s a blurb of The Monster Maker from Goodreads:

 

DO YOU DARE ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE TO BECOME A DETECTIVE? WILL YOU BE ABLE TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY AND FIND THE MONSTER MAKER MACHINE?

One puzzling mystery. Several slippery suspects. Endless possibilities!
 
Welcome to Haventry, a town where the ordinary and extraordinary collide! With ghosts, werewolves and zombies living side by side, trouble is always brewing. And when a fiendish crime is committed, YOU are the detective in charge of the case.
 
Dr Franklefink’s precious Monster Maker has gone missing and there are lots of suspects! Along with your yeti partner, it’s up to YOU to find the culprit. Should you trail Bramwell Stoker, the terrifying vampire, or Grundle and Grinola, the mischievous goblin twins? Should you follow up a lead about the cunning witches? Or will investigating the doctor’s monstrous son Monty lead you to the thief? YOU decide!
 
With hundreds of paths to choose from and no dead ends, you’ll solve the mystery every time!
 
A fantastically imaginative detective story for readers looking for an interactive adventure. 

And here’s a blurb of The Time Thief from Goodreads: 

The Museum of Magical Objects and Precious Stones is putting on a special time-travelling showcase, but when the main exhibit is stolen, it’s up to YOU to find the thief. The Time Sponge has the ability to stop and start time for whoever squeezes it, so who has the strongest motive? The minotaur chief of police who has a lot on at work or the shoplifting band of mermaids? Should you trail the museum’s petrifying gorgon curator? Or could your very own yeti partner be responsible? YOU decide!

With hundreds of paths to choose from and no dead ends, you’ll solve the mystery every time!

A fantastically imaginative detective story for readers looking for an interactive adventure. 

Hi Gareth! Thanks so much for joining us. 

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer. 

Once upon a time in London, I witnessed two squirrels jump over a man’s head. This gave me an idea about a dragon detective. This idea became a series of four books (Dragon Detective), which were lucky enough to find a publisher - although not in the US… not yet, t least. This led on to more books about all sorts of things including Ninja Meerkats, Steampunk Pirates, murderous twins (The Thornthwaite Inheritance), a long-eared rabbit called Rabunzel and various other offcuts of my mind. These days, I spend my days writing books and songs, visiting schools, teaching ukulele, busking and performing. 

2. Where did you get the idea for your Solve Your Own Mystery series? 

I used to love reading Choose Your Own Adventure style stories. These books often involved rolling dice, but it was the idea of being immersed in another world that appealed to me. I never liked dying though. I was discussing these books with a friend, who suggested I write one. I had already written one interactive short story– a Victorian ghost story, which I used to perform to promote my book Constable & Toop. I also created a show called Mystery Makers, which is an hour of audience improvisation as we create a brand-new mystery. All of these things led to me writing an interactive book with no dead ends & an emphasis on story rather than game, featuring a detective agency in a fantastical world where the reader literally has agency over their destiny. 

3. This is a four-book series. I have two questions (see the next question too) about writing your mysteries. First, how did you plot out the basic mystery for both stories? Did you decide on the storylines for all four books when you wrote The Monster Maker or as the series progressed? 

A sensible writer would have plotted out the first book. A wise writer would never have considered including a story arc in a series like this. Disappointingly, I am neither sensible nor wise. I just sat down and started writing. No plan. No idea of what was going to happen. It’s my favorite way to work. 

4. Well, it’s good if it works for you. This series has the added complication that the reader solves the mystery, and there are hundreds of paths to choose from, at least in the first book. How do you plot out and write out all these different options? 

I map out what’s happening as I go along but there is no plan at the start. I decide what’s gone missing then try to find it. I listen to what the suspects have to say. If they are good enough talkers, they get to audition to appear in the other books. I think the witches wheedle their way into all four books (because I enjoy their company). Creating as I write makes it more exciting for me, as I have to lose myself in the mystery and see all of the possibilities. Unlike the other books I’ve written, with these it feels like I need to climb inside the story to write them. Oh, and they take A LOT of editing. I worked with some excellent – and very patient - editors on these books. 

5. Your mysteries are set in the town of Haventry, with ghosts, werewolves, zombies, minotaurs, mermaids, and more. What made you decide to add the element of fantasy to your story, and what was your world-building process like? 

I realized I would need a lot of suspects so I set it in a world with werewolves, vampires, zombies etc. to help the readers to remember all of the different characters. Describing people is really hard (for me) so it makes it easier if one suspect is a gorgon and another is a mermaid. A world full of supernatural creatures also allows me to explore slightly darker subject matters that interest me. Death. Mortality. The nature of existence. That sort of thing. I can address these subjects using dejected monsters, whiney ghosts and depressed zombie clowns.  

6. Jodie Hodges and Molly Jamieson are your agents. How did they become your agents, and what was your road to getting your first publishing contract in 2007 like? 

I’ve been with Jodie since before she was an agent. My previous agent sadly died so Jodie became my agent. I actually found a publisher before I found an agent. One day, a few months after seeing a squirrel jumping over a man’s head, I met a publisher called Sarah. She was in the middles of publishing a series of books about a boy wizard called Harry Potter. She was the one who saw something in my Dragon Detective series. She took a punt on me. As you can imagine, I am very grateful to her.   

7. That’s such a cool publication story. You’ve published over 50 books since your debut book. How have you been able to grow your career as an author? What advice do you have for other writers hoping to have a successful career like you? 

Honestly, most of the time I feel like I’m hanging on by my fingernails. I think most of us do. I sometimes wonder how things would have been if I’d gone in with a plan. I know some writers that did, but I don’t think that kind of strategic business thinking is compatible with my way of looking at things. I find the business side all a bit dull. I just want to mess about and do silly things. Some of those silly things become books. Some become songs. Some become poems, or jokes, or doodles, or conversations in pubs… or sandwiches. Some of them don’t turn into anything. That’s OK too. I understand how lucky I am to be able to call this my job. I hope I’m able to continue doing this for the rest of my life, but I guess we’ll see. 

8. You live in the U.K, and these books are now being published in the U.S. How are you planning to promote them here? 

I was thinking of either skydiving into New York City while a thousand drones write my name in the sky or - if I can’t get pull that off – putting some stuff on social media. What I’d really love to do is to visit the states to sing my songs and put on my mini-musicals and improvised mystery shows in bookshops and theatres, but realistically I’d need to persuade a publisher to pay for that, so we’ll have to see how the books do. They are – I think – entirely unique in structure, but originality isn’t always the best idea if you want to sell a lot of books. I think it’s probably better to be a bit like something else. 

9. You’re also a singer and songwriter. I saw on your website that you’ve created songs and videos for your books. How does creating these songs and videos for kids help you connect with them? Do you use them at your school visits? 

I love writing songs. I try to write one every day. I did start doing it as a way of promoting the books. It’s fun trying to capture the essence of a story musically and lyrically -  to create a theme song. The Solve Your Own Mystery song is jazzy and interactive. When I perform it live, the audience decides which verses come next. As a consequence, the song can last quite a long time. As well as schools and libraries, this year I’m taking my one-man musical to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It’s based on a picture book I wrote called CinderGorilla. I’m quite excited and a bit nervous about doing this. One day, I hope to bring a show to Broadway. I know that this is unlikely ever to happen, but one can dream. 

10. What are you working on now? 

I have just delivered a new idea to Jodie and Molly so we’ll see what they say about that. It’s my first attempt at a diary book, called The Diary of Ug by Me, Ug! Also, I do have an almost complete manuscript for a new interactive story (The Oddjob Murder Club) but I need to find the right moment to read it, because I’ve cooled on it at the moment and I can’t even bring myself to open the document. Oh, and I’m trying to write a few picture books but I’m not confident about any of them. I’ve been enjoying answering these questions though. Thank you. 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Gareth. You can find Gareth at: 

Website: garethwrites.co.uk

Instagram: @jonesgarethp

TikTok: @jonesgarethp

Youtube: @garethwrites 

Giveaway Details

Gareth’s publisher is generously offering paperbacks of The Monster Maker and The Time Thief for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by May 9th. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media sites and/or follow me on Twitter or Bluesky or follow Christopher on his social media sites, mention this in the comments, and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is US.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog. 

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops 

Wednesday, April 29th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Erica Bauman and a query critique giveaway 

Friday, May 1st, I’m participating in the Come What May Giveaway Hop 

Wednesday, May 6th, I have an interview with Dana Mele and a giveaway of her YA The Beast You Let In and my IWSG post 

Monday, May 11th, I have an interview with Sarah Marie Jette and a giveaway of her MG One Fair Share 

Wednesday, May 13th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Andrea Colvin and a query critique giveaway 

Saturday, May 16th, I’m participating in the Moms Rock Giveaway Hop 

Monday, May 25th, I’m off for Memorial Day 

I hope to see you on Wednesday!

 

 

Author Interview: Van Hoang and Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon Giveaway

 Happy Monday, Everyone! Today I’m excited to have Van Hoang here to share about her new middle grade contemporary, Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon. It sounds like it’s got a great setting, and serious problem, and interesting characters. I have already reserved it at my library. 

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

 

A heartwarming and funny middle grade novel about family, resilience, and the power of second chances where one girl’s summer punishment turns into a mission to save her aunt’s struggling nail salon and bring her family together.

Twelve-year-old Domi Pham had the perfect summer lounging by the pool, making art with her best friend, and celebrating her escape from seventh grade. But one costly mistake puts her dream summer on hold. Instead, she finds herself deep in debt to her parents, and shipped off to New Mexico to work at her Auntie Q’s nail salon for the next three months.

At first, Domi is miserable—surrounded by nosy aunties, constant nail polish fumes, and endless work. But as she gets to know Auntie Q and the people in the salon, she starts to see their struggles and resilience in a new light. When she discovers that the salon is at risk of closing, Domi puts her creativity and determination to the test to help save it. 

Hi Van! Thanks so much for joining us. 

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer. 

Hello! I’m so honored to be here! I’m a Vietnamese-American author of books for middle grade and adult readers. Ever since I was little, books have been a huge obsession for me, starting with series like Baby Sitter’s Club, Animorphs, and anything with dragons in it. 

I’ve always enjoyed writing stories but never thought being an author was something I could realistically pursue because authors seemed like such magical beings to me. After graduating college, in order to get through my long days at my day job, I started writing fiction again, and rediscovered my love for stories. Writing became a source of joy, where I could escape into the worlds I created and spend time with characters I loved. 

I still didn't really think that becoming an author was a serious goal until I was at lunch with a coworker who mentioned that he was friends with someone who had just gotten her first book deal, and that was the moment I realized that it could happen to someone in real life, and that someone might someday possibly be me. I began to pursue publishing seriously from that point on, dedicating years to researching and learning about the process of finding an agent, and then suffering through the grief and recovery after each failure, until one day, I got the call from an agent that changed my life. 

2. Where did you get the idea for Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon? 

When I was in high school, my parents got this weird idea that I needed to work at an auntie's nail salon. Maybe they thought it was good character building or maybe they wanted to punish me for something I don’t remember doing. It was one of the most traumatic summers of my life yet I look back on those memories fondly, remembering the nostril-singing chemical smell of acetone and nail polish and the constant drill of the electric nail filers. I find myself missing the friends I made, hearing the gossip and smack talk, and collapsing with exhausted pride at the end of the day. 

Writing a book often means spending enormous amounts of time with the characters you create, and that was what I really wanted--to return to those summers when I was young and full of goals surrounded by people who were eager to give me life advice because they cared about my future. I wanted to capture the bad days with its long hours and tough work but I also wanted to show the slow times with its card games, sitting around exchanging gossip. 

3. It’s cool that you drew on your own life when creating this story. Once you came up with your idea, how long did it take you to write and revise your manuscript before submitting it to your agent or editor? Share about your process and how you know you’ve revised enough. 

I draft my books as fast as I can, and then edit as thoroughly and as long as it takes. For this book, because it was written in first person (my past books have been in third person perspective to give some distance between me and my main character), the draft went by much faster. 

I like to imagine that I'm telling a story to my best friend, or in this case, to Domi’s best friend. When I had moments where I felt stuck, I'd pull up a separate document and pretend it was a letter to Evie, Domi’s BFF. 

I probably finished the first round in 3 months. However, revising took about 6 more months before I felt comfortable turning it into my agent. 

I can usually tell when it's ready, instinctively, when I don't find myself cringing as much as I read it. If I'm embarrassed in any way, then I know there's still work to do. 

4. That’s a great idea to envision telling your story to someone when drafting it. Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon sounds like a fantastic setting that girls will like. What made you pick this setting and create the unique characters who work in the salon? 

I knew the ins and outs of working in a nail salon from my experience there in high school, and I loved how close everyone got to the people they worked with. When you spend all day with someone, you can’t help but get to know them, and nail salons are the perfect place to throw some characters together, all with different personalities and pasts and struggles, and watch how their dynamic unfolded. 

In the book, Domi also makes friends with Bobby, a boy whose parents own the pho restaurant next door to the nail salon. I wanted to capture that second-generation immigrant experience of having to spend time at your parents’ business, and how those days also shape your life. As boring and difficult as these childhoods may seem, when other kids might be on the playground or at home with their tablets, being surrounded by grownups and learning the life lesson of making money to survive is pretty transformative. 

5. How did you keep your plot moving and make readers want to turn the page? What tips do you have for contemporary writers who want to write contemporary stories for middle graders? 

Stories are driven by goals, motive, and conflict. So even though this was my first purely contemporary book where no magic or demon-battling adventures took place, the plot always moved forward because from the very first page, Domi’s goal was clear: make back $500 to pay off her parents. The rest of the story was about how much more difficult it was to do that than she thought, and every time she comes close, something bad would happen to prevent her from reaching her goals. 

No matter what age or who your main character is, they should always want something so badly, they’d be willing to do anything to get it. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, but it has to be something meaningful to them, and audiences need to feel it and care desperately enough to vicariously be drawn into the story. 

6. Share a bit about Domi, your main character, and how she evolved as you wrote her story. 

I wanted to write someone whose personality was completely different from mine. Someone who was confident and popular at school and sassy but still sweet. That was why I chose to write it in first-person, otherwise I would have been too removed from the character. 

In the first few drafts, I ended up making Domi too snarky, and she turned out to be unlikeable. After a few revisions, I found a balance where Domi simply came off as misunderstood, especially to her parents. 

7. Mary C. Moore is your agent. How did she become your agent and what was your road to getting your first publishing contract? 

Mary and I have worked together for ten years now! I pitched a story to her about a boy without magic and she asked for the full manuscript, and then a few months later, made a phone call that I slept through. When I called her back, we had a long conversation about the story in a way I’d never experienced. She was treating my characters as if they were real people and the book as if it already existed in the world. 

I’d heard about agents asking for a Revise-and-Resubmit before offering representation, and I thought that was what would happen due to our lengthy conversation about what I needed to edit, but by the end, she was already offering to be my agent! 

Of course, getting an agent is just the first step of the journey and doesn’t mean you’re going to get published yet, if ever. But it was one step closer. Mary and I worked on that manuscript but it didn’t sell. She’s always been the type of agent who pushes me to work on the next book as soon as possible, not only to get my mind off the current project, but also because publishing works slow, and every project feels like a sapling. The earlier you plant the seed, the more time you’ll have for it to grow. 

I worked on my next book, about a girl who develops super strength and wants to get rid of it because it causes a lot of problems in her life. I wanted an excuse to add in the greatest obsession of my life: the Monkey King. Mary has always been an editorial agent–she gives a lot of advice before we even go out on submission (where we then get more feedback)--so we worked on the book for two years before she felt it was ready. That was the book that would become my debut, Girl Giant and the Monkey King. 

8. You published your first middle grade novel, Girl Giant and the Monkey King, in 2020. Since then, you’ve published three other middle grade stories (including this one) and two adult novels. How have you kept up the pace of writing and publishing your stories so consistently? 

That was all before I had my kid haha. 

Joking aside, I’ve always been a prolific writer, and have used writing stories as a means of escape from the daily grind. I suffer from insomnia, and would often wake up in the middle of the night to write. It also helps that I have such an encouraging agent, and I’m friends with her other clients (we call ourselves agent-siblings), and we all motivate each other to keep writing. 

9. How did you celebrate the release of Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon, and how are you planning to market it? Has your approach to promoting your books changed since you were a debut author? 

My first two books came out during the pandemic, so I had very low-key, virtual book launches. My adult books were celebrated with my local library at a fancy author luncheon. This time around, I’m going to celebrate with my family in a quiet way. 

As far as marketing, I’ve found that the best approach is reaching out to bookstagrammers and booktokkers personally, sending them a cute PR packet I put together myself with ARCs of the book, some stickers and swag, and a personal note. I love book influencers and the impact they’re having on the reading world. 

10. That’s great that you have connections to booktokkers and bookstagrammers. What are you working on now? 

I’m working on an adult thriller, which is totally different from Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon, and is a bit scary at times to a Halloweenie like me. But it’s fun to write something totally out of my comfort zone, and challenging and satisfying. I’m on the third draft, when the puzzle pieces start to feel like they’re forming a coherent picture, and it’s exciting even though I know there’s still lots of work ahead of me. 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Van. You can find Van at https://www.authorvanhoang.com/, https://www.instagram.com/iamvanhoang/, and sign up on her newsletter at https://iamvanhoang.substack.com/. 

Giveaway Details

Van is generously offering a hardback of Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by May 2nd. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media sites and/or follow me on Twitter or Bluesky or follow Van on her social media sites, mention this in the comments, and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is US.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog. 

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops 

Monday, April 27th, I have an interview with Gareth P. Jones and a giveaway of his MG Solve Your Own Mysteries 

Wednesday, April 29th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Erica Bauman and a query critique giveaway 

Friday, May 1st, I’m participating in the Come What May Giveaway Hop 

Wednesday, May 6th, I have an interview with Dana Mele and a giveaway of her YA The Beast You Let In and my IWSG post 

Monday, May 11th, I have an interview with Sarah Marie Jette and a giveaway of her MG One Fair Share 

Wednesday, May 13th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Andrea Colvin and a query critique giveaway 

Saturday, May 16th, I’m participating in the Moms Rock Giveaway Hop 

Monday, May 25th, I’m off for Memorial Day 

I hope to see you on Monday!

 

Raindrops on Roses Giveaway Hop

Happy Thursday Everyone! Today I'm excited to participate in the Raindrops of Roses Giveaway Hop hosted by MamatheFox  and MomDoesReviews. I hope you're all doing well. I'm enjoying the warmer weather and getting outside to walk and work in my yard more. 

Book of Your Choice or Amazon Gift Card 

I am offering a book of your choice that is $20 or less on Amazon. I’m looking forward to seeing what books everyone is looking forward to reading. 

If you don’t have a book you want, you can win a $10 Amazon Gift Card. 

Giveaway Details

To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by April 30th telling me whether you want a book, and if so, which one, or the Amazon gift card and your email address. Be sure to include your email address. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address. 

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media sites and/or follow me on Twitter or Bluesky, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. The book giveaway is U.S. only and the Amazon gift card giveaway is International.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops 

Monday, April 20th, I have an interview with Van Hoang and a giveaway of her MG Auntie Q’s Golden Claws Nail Salon 

Monday, April 27th, I have an interview with Gareth P. Jones and a giveaway of his MG Solve Your Own Mysteries 

Wednesday, April 29th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Erica Bauman and a query critique giveaway 

I hope to see you on Monday!

And here are all of the blogs participating in this blog hop:

MamatheFox, Mom Does Reviews, and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.