How I Met My Agent, Jennifer March Soloway: Guest Post by A.Y. Chan and The Legendary Mo Seto Giveaway

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

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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!