Christina Paschyn: Signing with an Agent
A Milestones Met Interview
Please share your exciting news (agent signing, book sale, etc.)!
I just signed with agent Saba Sulaiman of Talcott Notch!
How long have you been writing/pursuing an agent/publishing deal and how has the Courage to Create program/tools served you in reaching this milestone?
I began my creative writing journey in 2017, first focusing on drafting YA novels and then pivoting to picture books in 2019. I began querying my picture books in earnest in 2022.
I have taken numerous creative writing courses through various organizations, but I have to say the Writing Barn has been the most helpful and influential for me in terms of picture book drafting and revising. In addition to the great one-off seminars and replays, I took four rounds of the Writing Barn’s WSS program and learned so much in each one. My instructors were Lisa Katzenberger, Andrea J. Loney, Ann Marie Stephens, and Hannah Barnaby. All were phenomenal and helped me take my craft to a new level. I grew particularly close with Lisa and Ann Marie, whom I consider dear friends and mentors. They continued to help me with my revisions after the program finished, and I owe them both so much. Both really championed my favorite manuscript – the one that caught my agent’s attention. They helped me perfect it, and I would not be starting this new phase in my writing career without their invaluable insights, critiques, and encouragement.
Through the WSS program, I also met my critique partners, Mary Rudzinski and Jennifer Phillips. They, too, have given me indispensable feedback and support, and we are all now achieving amazing agent/publishing/award milestones together. All of this is thanks in big part to the Writing Barn and CTC!
When we reach a milestone, it means we may encounter new fears and challenges, as well as joys along the journey. How has being a part of the CTC community prepared you for both enjoying the celebration of a milestone reached and the work that is next to come?
The CTC community, particularly the online app, provided a truly supportive community. Reading about other members’ wins, but also equally importantly (if not more so) their disappointments (such as query rejections), was eye-opening and valuable. It certainly made me feel less alone. After all, it’s easy to fall into the belief that querying is futile and that your stories aren’t good enough and will never be picked up. Imposter syndrome and defeatism hit hard. But to realize that other authors are feeling the same way as me, that they have been querying for as long or longer, and then seeing their dreams come true is beyond inspirational. Perseverance and hard work are truly what it takes to succeed in this industry. I am fully aware that securing an agent is just one step. I know that more rejections will come my way when my manuscripts go on submission. But as before, I will lean on CTC for support and persevere until my stories are on bookshelves!
In the Courage to Create, we call on our Big Why as we engage in the ups and downs of the literary life? What’s your BIG WHY and how does it keep you motivated to keep working towards new milestones?
My Big Why is the belief that my stories deserve to be told. We all have our own unique perspectives, histories, and insights to share with the world. In my case, I am passionate about my Ukrainian heritage. My goal is to help broaden children’s understanding and horizons, educating and entertaining them. This keeps me moving forward.
It’s not easy to keep creating courage when it comes to our literary lives. Did you ever encounter a low point or period and did you lean on any of the CTC tools or practices? What did the no/not yets, or near misses/champagne rejections teach you in hindsight not that your YES is here?
I did receive several rejections that were critical or somewhat harsh and insensitive in tone. I knew this was part and parcel of the querying journey, but it still stung to receive them and sometimes even sent me into a defeatist spiral. But my CTC mentors, teachers, and critique partners were always there to lift my spirits and put things back into perspective.
In terms of my agent, she loved my main manuscript but wasn’t quite into the other work I had submitted to her. But she offered me a second chance to impress her, which certainly motivated me to keep writing, revising, taking more classes, and trying. I can candidly say it all worked out in the end—she is my dream agent! It really goes to show how much this is all down to the work we writers put in. I’m also happy to report that my manuscripts are now being shortlisted for awards (another thing I thought would never happen). Again, I cannot stress enough how helpful the Writing Barn’s classes have been for me!
As we celebrate your milestone reached, what thoughts can you share with other writers who may doubt they will reach their first or next milestone?
One message I kept hearing over and over is that so many writers give up too easily. That, if they just stuck it out a bit longer in the query trenches, their yes would come. I wanted to believe that, but it was still hard to stop thinking it would never happen. But in the end, it took several years of classes and two years of querying for me to get to this point. Before landing my agent, when people would ask how long I had been querying or how many queries I had sent (more than 100 total for my various manuscripts), I was ashamed to say. I thought it was already taking me way too long and that people would judge–especially potential agents! But since I’ve gotten my yes, I’ve received messages that, for many writers, getting an agent after two years is quite “fast.” So the only thing I can advise is don’t give up. Querying takes a long, long time. Tailoring all those letters is tedious and time-consuming. But if you truly believe in your stories, it’s worth it, and it will happen!
What is your favorite Courage to Create Belief?
Shame and silence are creativity killers. We process the passes, and reject rejection, knowing nos will come ON THE WAY to our YESes!
Christina Paschyn is a picture book and YA author of Ukrainian descent. She is also a documentary filmmaker and journalism professor.
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