I’m thrilled to feature Teresa Rodrigues to share an amazing PBParty Success Story. Would you believe she almost didn’t enter? If you are on the fence…go for it! You have nothing to lose. And could gain an agent and book deal!
If you’re reading this, it must mean that you plan to enter PBParty. Or maybe it means that you’re on the fence. Guess what? I, too, was on the fence in 2023. But luckily, I decided to enter. And it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!
I’ve been writing for practically my whole life. I wrote awful poetry to express my feelings as a teen, and as a young mom in my 20’s, an even more awful rhyming PB called A BABY IN THE BELLY – which I guarantee was one of the reasons agents and editors tell people not to write in rhyme (yes, unfortunately I queried it). But, eventually I came to my senses and realized that I had SOOOOO much to learn. So I did. I joined SCBWI, critique groups, attended conferences and workshops, took craft courses, and I read. A lot. For years.
Fast forward to 2023. I entered PBParty with a manuscript idea I came up with during the Storm of ’22 (Tara Lazar’s Storystorm, that is). WHERE THEY GATHER was a story I was deeply connected to, as it was inspired by my dad’s side of the family and the pecan tree we often gathered around in my grandmother’s yard. I knew it was special as I wrote it. I could feel it, and apparently, so could the PBParty judges, who named me as a finalist, and the six other agents and five editors who requested it.
From there, things moved quickly. I submitted to the agents only, as I was hoping to secure representation before submitting to the editors. I submitted my manuscript and a few additional manuscripts to several agents. I submitted to Christie Megill (The Cat Agency) on a Wednesday. She responded the next day with a lovely email and we set up a call for the following Tuesday, where she offered representation. Our call was wonderful and lasted for nearly an hour. Besides her telling me what she loved about my manuscript and her vision for it, she told me about herself and the agency, and answered all of my questions (many, even before I asked them) which I appreciated. The contract was finalized that Friday, and I was officially out on sub the following Wednesday. Two months later, the book sold to Kristie Choi (Atheneum, an imprint of Simon and Schuster). It was an exciting and overwhelming time, and none of it would have happened if I didn’t enter PBParty.
While this seems like a whole whirlwind experience, it took me years of hard work to get to this point. So, I encourage you to take your time. Study your craft. Really study your craft. Learn all that you can. Read all that you can. Write all that you can. Find critique partners that give you honest and helpful feedback. Listen to that feedback and use it to elevate your work. And when you think you’re ready, enter PBParty. But, if you’re not selected as a finalist or your manuscript doesn’t receive a like, DON’T GIVE UP! Let it be motivation to keep moving forward. Study the entries that received requests. Learn more. Read more. Write more. And keep at it. Your journey is your own, and the only way to succeed is to keep moving forward.
Here’s Teresa’s query that worked!
I am submitting my 219-word manuscript, WHERE THEY GATHER for your consideration.
WHERE THEY GATHER is a lyrical story that reflects the strength, resilience, and celebration of a young Black family through the lens of a pecan sapling. As the sapling weathers the seasons of change in Alabama during the early 1900s and grows into a present-day fixture of family gatherings, the reader is left with an appreciation of what it takes to survive and flourish. Filled with the power and determination to overcome discrimination and hardship of Still I Rise and the affirmation, empowerment, and hope of All Because You Matter, WHERE THEY GATHER is inspired by my own history and the pecan tree that our family continues to gather around.
In a former life, I worked as a histotechnologist cutting body parts and keeping legs in refrigerators, as my youngest daughter once said. Now, I spend my days writing, working as an admin for #BlackCreatorsHQ, and serving as Board Secretary for BAM Festival Inc., a nonprofit in South Florida that promotes children’s literacy.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Such an amazing query! A strong blurb and I especially love how she tells what aspects of her story relate to her comps. Her personal connection is there, too. I still remember reading Teresa’s entry. I instantly fell in love–it was so beautiful and powerful. I can’t wait for it to be out in the world!
If you aren’t familiar with Black Creators HQ and BAM Festival Inc, check out the links in Teresa’s query! They’re both amazing.
Here’s the pecan tree that inspired the story!
Teresa kept her 2023 PBParty entry up. You can view it here.
Follow Teresa on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with her book news and thank her for sharing her inspiring story and query that worked. 🙂
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