By: Author Accelerator certified book coach Julie Artz

When Jessica Vitalis and I came across middle grade author Reese Eschmann’s application in our Pitch Wars inbox in 2017, we knew we had something special.

After a grueling revision and a flurry of agent interest in the Agent Showcase, we had no idea, however, that we’d be celebrating the release of Reese’s phenomenal, magical Middle Grade book in July of 2022. Reese’s story is the proof in the old adage “good things come to those who wait,” so I was thrilled to sit down with her and reminisce about a story that I’ve loved for years. Here’s the story of my first experience with shepherding an author through a revise and resubmit, a Big-5 deal, and then a long, long, LONG wait.

Julie: Tell us a little bit about your writing process before Jessica and I picked you for Pitch Wars. Was this your first manuscript? How many drafts? Any querying woes you can share?

Reese: The manuscript I submitted to Pitch Wars was the very first draft of the very first manuscript I’d ever completed! It was called IF YOU WILL back then, and then a hundred revisions later it became ETTA, INVISIBLE, and then another hundred revisions after that it turned into ETTA INVINCIBLE! I still can’t believe that ETTA actually made it to publication, and it definitely wouldn’t have happened without help and guidance from Jessica, Julie, my agent, my editor, and the many other wonderful people who make up my support system.

But, although ETTA INVINCIBLE was my first finished manuscript, I’d started two manuscripts before—one for adults and one YA. I only got around 30 pages into each before realizing they didn’t feel quite right, and then I found my home in writing for a younger audience.

In terms of querying woes, I ended up with multiple Revise & Resubmit requests from agents after Pitch Wars, and it took me around six months and two or three more drafts post-Pitch Wars to get my manuscript to where it needed to be to sign with an agent. That was a difficult time for me, and I almost gave up more than once. But many of the lessons I learned during that process—about perseverance, resting when you need it, and choosing hope—ended up informing and shaping Etta’s journey through the train. I’ve been with my amazing agent, Danielle Burby, for four years now, and I feel so lucky to have her on my team through the never-ending ups and downs of publishing!

Julie: How did you feel when you got that (ridiculously long) edit letter?

Reese: Honestly, I was excited! At the time, I knew very few people who were authors, and I was desperate for feedback and help. I was so grateful for the opportunity to receive a mentorship from Pitch Wars, and I knew my manuscript needed a lot of work, so I was ready to dive in! Overall, I’m someone who takes feedback pretty well, and I love the process of brainstorming new ideas that can make a manuscript better. I actually struggle more with knowing when to STOP editing, as I always feel that there’s more work to be done. So I love long edit letters! And I knew I had you two there to talk me through everything and help me out if I ever felt overwhelmed.

Julie: How was working with mentors different from working with your agent and editorial team? How was it similar?

Reese: One of the great things you and Jessica did was schedule a video call right away once we started working together. After that, I knew they’d always be available to jump on a brainstorming call and talk through any areas of revision where I was getting stuck. I also knew that they were there to support me in more than just writing—they wanted to help me through the emotional ups and downs of publishing as well. But when I started working with an agent and editor, I was more nervous about taking up their time. It took me a while to understand that they were just as willing and excited to jump on a call with me, and that they also cared deeply about me as a person and not just as an author.

After I realized that they saw themselves as a part of my team and wanted to support Reese the Author as a whole person, the relationship between mentors and agents and editors became a lot more similar! I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to meet both my mentors and my agent and editors in person, and it’s always so wonderful to sit down over a meal and chat about everything from publishing to our favorite tv shows and how we’re handling tough times in our country.

One thing that’s a little different about working with mentors vs. agents and editors is that in addition to loving books and writing, agents and editors have a business side of their brain that’s really fascinating and cool to see! When we’re talking about what revisions are best for the book, they’re also thinking about the market, and what the production team will think, and how feasible some suggestions are in terms of timelines and budgets, etc. I’m very grateful to work with a team who helps me stay on top of that kind of stuff, since I don’t think I’d be organized enough to do it myself!

Julie: Besides the tight timeline, what was the hardest thing about working with mentors?

Reese: Working with you and Jessica was WONDERFUL and there was nothing hard about it. :) But I think the most challenging part of a fast-paced mentorship like Pitch Wars is that after a two-month adrenaline rush to get your manuscript completed, the mentorship ends, and a lot of people crash (myself included). As I continued to struggle through the revision and querying process after the mentorship program ended, you and Jessica assured me that you were still there to support me, but I started to feel guilty for taking up your time (was I really asking them to read my manuscript AGAIN?).

One thing that helped was widening my support system, and over time my mentors began to feel more like friends and colleagues (even though you and Jessica continue to be wise unicorns who always know the exact right thing to say!).

Julie: Aw, thanks, Reese! We love our roles as wise unicorns! How did the story evolve with your agent and editor after you finished the revision with us?

Reese: After finishing my Pitch Wars revision, I would say that while a lot of plot elements continued to evolve, the heart of the story remained the same. Both my agent and my editor really understood what I wanted to do with the story and what Jessica, Julie, and I were trying to accomplish with Etta’s overall quest, and they helped me maintain that vision while also tightening the story, improving the pacing and characterization, and making the book more clear and cohesive overall. My editor suggested using illustrated opening and closing comic panels to help set up the story, and working with illustrator Gretel Lusky ended up being one of my favorite parts of the process! Also, some of my favorite lines and moments from early drafts are almost unchanged in the final manuscript, and I’m so grateful to have gotten to work with a team who cherishes Etta’s voice as much as I do. I can’t wait for more people to read her story!

Julie: How did you end up with three books coming out in the same month? Can you talk about managing all the delays and multiple book deadlines?

Reese: Good question! I still don’t fully know the answer to that myself, ha. But I’m extremely grateful for the way things worked out. I don’t think I was in the right headspace to debut [in 2020], when ETTA INVINCIBLE was originally supposed to be released, and now it’s so fun to have three books come out at the same time! And I’m excited that now I’ll get to celebrate with many of my friends and family in person, whereas in 20202 that might not have been possible.

The timeline for chapter books moves pretty fast, so there will only be around 18 months between the time I signed my contract with Scholastic and when the fourth book in the HOME FOR MEOW series releases! Managing multiple deadlines at once was pretty challenging. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to switch between drafting, revising, line edits, and copy edits. They all use different parts of your brain, and I found I always needed at least a few days of rest in between each stage. I relied a lot on check-ins and encouragement from my agent, and was lucky to have very gracious and understanding editors at both Scholastic and Simon & Schuster who were wonderful supports through the process.

Julie: What are you working on next?

Reese: I’ve recently completed the fourth book in the HOME FOR MEOW series, and the third and fourth books are available for pre-order now! It’s such a wonderful feeling knowing that the series is completed and will be read by young readers soon. I had so much fun doing a school visit with first and second graders at the end of the school year, so I’ve been working on my school visit program and looking forward to connecting with more readers.

I’m also working on a middle grade graphic novel script! I don’t know yet if it will go anywhere, but I am really enjoying the writing process. I tend to be someone who uses a lot of stream of consciousness and description in my writing, so I think the focus on dialogue and story beats in a graphic novel is challenging me and improving my craft. The story is inspired by a Boygenius song and is a sci-fi adventure about sad girls, space sloths, and hidden stars. Fingers crossed that an editor ends up loving it as much as I do!

Thanks so much for having me, this has been a great interview!

Julie: Thank YOU and congratulations!

Learn more about Reese’s books by visiting her website.

A Case Study with Author Reese Eschmann