Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m thrilled to have A.Y. Chan here to share about how she got her awesome agent Jennifer March Soloway and her debut MG The Legendary Mo Seto. It sounds like a great action-packed adventure story that also features martial arts. I’m looking forward to reading it.
Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:
A fast-paced, high-kicking debut that’s
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets Stand Up, Yumi Chung as a young taekwondo
artist uses an ancient book to help save her dreams—and her father.
Twelve-year-old Modesty “Mo” Seto dreams of being
a taekwondo champion. Even though her mom disapproves, Mo can always count on
her dad, who is her number one fan and biggest supporter. Lately, Mo has been
on a losing streak, and it doesn’t help that she keeps losing to her
archnemesis, Dax, who’s much bigger than her. If only she were faster,
stronger, not so petite. Mo can’t even lean on her dad like usual with how
distracted he’s been lately.
When Mo learns about the chance to audition to
star alongside her idol and legendary martial artist and movie star Cody Kwok,
she knows this her chance to prove to her dad, to the world, and to herself
that she can compete with anyone, no matter her size. Unfortunately, Dax is
auditioning, too. As Mo and her nemesis progress to callbacks, someone attempts
to sabotage the movie set and Mo’s dad disappears—and both events seem linked
to a mysterious book, the Book of Joy.
The book contains information on a secret
dance-like martial art developed by Mo’s ancestral grandmother. Armed with
these powerful moves and an unexpected ally, Mo embarks on a high-octane
adventure to rescue her father, save the movie, and discover an unexpected joy
in being small.
Now here’s A.Y.!
Years and
years ago (seriously, it feels like a distant memory), I met the amazing
Jennifer March Soloway from Andrea Brown Literary Agency at a writing
conference in California. Back then, I was brand new to the world of writing
and wanted to soak up as much knowledge as possible by attending every
conference and workshop I could find.
This
particular conference was one where writers send in their query letter and first
pages to the organizers, and they have an agent review your work. Picture this: a nervous writer walking
into a room, heart pounding, half expecting to be devoured by the literary
wolves. Instead, I was greeted by Jennifer's humongous smile, which completely lit
up the small space and put me at ease.
We clicked immediately, bonding over our shared love of Hong Kong martial arts movies. We joked about how Jackie Chan is my uncle (spoiler: he’s not) and agreed that Michelle Yeoh is the coolest, fiercest movie star ever. Jennifer encouraged me to focus on my first lines, emphasizing the importance of hooking a reader. Funny enough, a reader recently told me she picked up my book, THE LEGENDARY MO SETO, read the first lines, and knew she had to buy it. Proof that first lines really do matter!
Fast forward a year,
and I was ready to find an agent. I read all sorts of advice from writers
online—some said to go for a well-known agent for their connections, while
others suggested new,
up-and-coming agents who might work harder to establish themselves. I sent out queries in batches of ten and waited for responses.
The whole
process was daunting. Many replies were form rejections, and many didn’t reply
at all. Some days, I didn’t even want to check my Inbox of Doom for fear
of seeing a rejection letter. I kept reminding myself that rejection isn’t
personal; writing is subjective. Just because someone doesn’t enjoy my story
doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it. There’s a lot to learn from rejection
and constructive criticism, but it still stings!
Through it all, I
kept thinking about Jennifer. We had such a great connection, and she said she liked
my writing…but would she like my full manuscript? When she wrote back asking
for a revise and resubmit (R&R) and to not resubmit to her for six months,
my heart sank. Six months felt like an eternity! But I took her advice and put
my heart and soul into revising and strengthening my story.
When I started querying again, I received some encouraging responses and even a couple of requests for the full manuscript. Then, miraculously, two agents offered representation, and one asked for a R&R. It still hadn’t been six months, but I emailed Jennifer to let her know about my progress. She asked to read my manuscript right away, and I held my breath.
And then it
happened—she offered representation!
I was ecstatic but
cautious. I knew having an agent didn’t guarantee publication, but it felt like
a massive step forward. I spoke to the agents on the phone, asked for client
referrals, and did my due diligence. Deep down, though, I knew Jennifer was the
one. Even though she wasn’t (at that time) the most experienced agent who
offered, I felt a connection with her. Like she was a kindred spirit.
Our path to
publication wasn’t a walk in the park. It took years of rewriting and
submissions to editors. Rejections from editors were even more painful because
they held the key to publication. Feedback was often contradictory—some said
they adored the characters but not the story, others the reverse. And then there
were the times when I passed an editor’s read and they took my story to their
wider editorial team, only to be rejected there. Or, when it was greenlit by
the editorial team but was nixed by sales and marketing.
Through it all,
Jennifer remained a positive force in my writing journey, my cheerleader and
steadfast supporter. She assured me we would sell THE LEGENDARY MO SETO (the
title was different then) and never gave up. There are no words to describe how
much it meant to me to have someone on my side with such unshakable confidence
in me and my story. Jennifer truly is the dream agent, and I am beyond
grateful we’re in this together.
To writers currently
in the query trenches or just starting their journey, my advice is this: focus
on the connection with an agent rather than just their agency or experience.
Try to meet agents at conferences and workshops, watch their videos, and follow/interact
with them on social media. You'll get a sense of who they are and whether you might
get along. Finding the
right agent is not just about securing representation; it's about building a
partnership based on trust, shared vision, and mutual respect. The journey to
publication can be long and arduous, but every step becomes a lesson and every
setback a stepping stone. Keep faith in your story and remember that the path
to success is paved with perseverance, unwavering hope, and kindred spirits
(agents, critique partners, or otherwise). Happy writing!
A.Y. Chan
is the author of THE LEGENDARY MO SETO (Aladdin, Simon & Schuster), a
fast-paced adventure about a 12-year-old black belt who auditions for a movie
role opposite her favorite martial arts movie hero…only to be told she’s too
small for the role. Publishers Weekly calls it "Adrenaline
pumping" and Kirkus Reviews declares it "An exciting action-adventure
story that packs a punch."
Follow her online for updates:
Instagram: @aychanwrites
X: @aychanwrites
Website: aychanwrites.com
Giveaway Details
A.Y. is generously
offering a hardback of The Legendary Mo Seto 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 September
7th. If your email is not on 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 your blog and/or follow me on
Twitter or follow A.Y. 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 U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom.
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,
September 4th I have an interview with author Natalie Lloyd and a giveaway of
her MG The Witching Wind and my IWSG post
Saturday,
September 7th I’m participating in the Holiday Kick Off Giveaway Hop
Monday,
September 9th I have an agent spotlight interview with Alex Brown and a query
critique giveaway
Monday,
September 16th I have an interview with debut author Callie Miller and a
giveaway of her MG The
Search for the Shadowsoul
Wednesday, September 18th I
have a guest post by Carol
Lynch Williams from Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers
Monday,
September 23rd I have an interview with debut author Dionna Mann and a giveaway of her MG Mama's Chicken and
Dumplings
I hope to see you on Wednesday, September 4th!
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