I'm so glad that Joana Pastro was able to answer these interview questions this month.  Joana and her agent, Natascha Morris, were both kind enough to participate in the “How to Query Agents” mini-class that I'm putting together for Storyteller Academy.

I'm giving away a copy of Joana's debut picture book, LILLYBELLE, A DAMSEL NOT IN DISTRESS, at the end of this post, so let's dive get started!

Myrna: What is your background? 

Joana: I was born in Brazil and moved to the US shortly after graduating in Architecture and Urban Design. I worked as an Assistant Architect for about five years and stopped when my second child was born. By the time he started day care, I realized I wanted to do something else with my life and dropped the idea of going back to architecture.

Myrna: What made you want to start writing picture books?

Joana: I began wondering about it when I started reading all those wonderful books to my first child. At first, it was more of a profound admiration for picture book authors and illustrators, and I didn’t think I could do it. I didn’t understand how it was done, or how the collaboration worked. I really had no idea where to start. A lot of people think it’s easy writing picture books, but I never had that misconception. I wrote down story ideas for about seven years before I finally started writing. At first, I wrote only in Portuguese, then one day, out of nowhere, I began writing a middle grade novel in English. It took me another five years to start writing picture books. 

Myrna:  Wow. Writing that middle grade novel in another language couldn’t have been easy. And now you have two picture books under contract, right? Could you tell us about them? 

Joana: Yes, of course. My debut book, LILLYBELLE, A DAMSEL NOT IN DISTRESS (BMK 09/2020), is about a girl who attends a school for damsels and loves everything about it, until she finds out that damsels are supposed to be in danger and, even worse, wait for rescue. So, when the time comes, she proves that a damsel is capable of saving herself by using her awesome damsel-y skills.

My second book is BISA’S CARNAVAL (Scholastic Fall/2021). It’s about a girl and her Bisa (great-grandmother) getting ready to celebrate Carnaval in Brazil, with all its sounds, scents and scenery, and their immense love for each other!

Myrna: Did the BMK merger affect your first book?

Joana: LILLYBELLE was acquired by Kane Press, about eight months before the merger. By then my edits had been finalized, so I wasn’t communicating as frequently with my editor. I learned about the merger from a friend who had a book coming out with Boyds Mill. I honestly, can’t say it how it affected my book, but I hope it was in a positive way!

Myrna: How and when did you sign with your literary agent? Did she sell both of your picture books?

Joana: I signed with Natascha Morris (BookEnds Literary Agency) in September 2017, after one of my pitches caught her eye on #PBPitch. She sold both of my picture books and has done a fantastic job advocating for me and my work.

Myrna: When did you start taking Storyteller Academy classes?

Joana: I took my first class in 2017. That’s when I really dove into learning all I could about picture books and focusing on writing them. 

Myrna: Did Arree’s class change the way you approached writing picture books?

Joana: Of course! My approach became a lot more visual. I’ve always considered myself a visual person, but when I wrote it was all about the words. After taking his class, I began using storyboards, learned how to use page turns, and all that good stuff. Post-it and index cards became a must at my house!

Myrna: I noticed that you joined a debut group. How has joining the Soaring 20s helped you so far? Do you recommend it?

Joana: First of all, I’ve made wonderful friends and become part of an amazing support group. I’m learning about all sorts of marketing strategies from all of them, but especially the creators who are publishing before me. They share their experiences, what works and what doesn’t, and we all cheer each other along the way! Also, I’m working on the group’s Instagram page. That forced me to dive into Instagram and learn how to use it. Truth be told, I’m still learning. I highly recommend joining a debut group, because I can’t imagine being on this journey without it.

Myrna: I'm so glad it's been a good experience. Do you have any advice for our readers?

Joana: Patience. Publishing takes time. There’s a lot to learn, so keep learning as much as you can. Read craft books and all the picture books you can. Read the classics because, well, they’re classics, but study the recent ones to understand what makes them stand out in today’s market. Pay attention to the world around you. Be well informed! Write as much as you can, write often. And, as an extra challenge, try to come up with one idea per day. Doing all of this keeps us going and helps with all the waiting!

Myrna: Seconded! That's great advice. What's next for you?

Joana: Assuming the pandemic won’t affect my debut, I have to start planning for the book launch on September 8. I have several picture books in the works, and I just started venturing into the chapter book world. We’ll see where that takes me.

Myrna: I really hope the pandemic is over by September, and I wish you (and Lillybelle) the best. Where can we find you on the Internet?

Joana: At www.joanapastro.com you can find everything about me and my books, latest news, my critique services, and (once my debut is released) school visits.

Social Media:

• Twitter: @jopastro
• Instagram: @joanapastro

Myrna: Where can we buy your book? 

Joana: At your favorite bookstores! You can find some links on my website: http://www.joanapastro.com/lillybelle-a-damsel-not-in-distress.html