The Shocking Illustration Negation

And in a strange turn of events, I just had a literary agent give me FEEDBACK, which completely negated my last post, Illustration Experimentation!

She said, “I would continue looking at ways for you to illustrate your own work – that would be a great tool for you as you build your career.”

WHAT!!!!!???? I just JUST made peace with putting the illustration stuff behind me! Hell, I’ve not even included my illustration site in my querying the past two days, and this is the feedback! I could CRY! But I’m also happy, because this is my first ever Feedback from a Literary Agent.

The other piece of advice is a bit troubling. The agent wrote my “text is written more like a middle grade novel than a picture book.” What she doesn’t know is I queried my story in the early summer, pitched as Middle Grade, and never once got a nibble. So now, I’m dying to know if it’s only a word count issue or if it’s truly the writing style. Like, I’d love to get rid of all of the “said blah blah blahs.” That would cut a hundred words, easy. But, my story is heavy on dialogue… I think I’m going to have to get the Twitterverse involved. And also, I plan to disrupt my daughter’s school librarian. Hopefully she’ll have the time to entertain my whims.

Does a Middle Grade novel have much illustration?? Is 970 words enough for a Middle Grade novel? I need to find out! Ahhhhh, I’m so tired, but happy, but feeling a tad pulled in two directions!!

Featured image is one scene from my story, with cowboy-themed scrap booking stickers placed strategically onto my computer screen. I think it’s hilarious!