To
start on a personal note, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
It feels silly to tell myself a little about myself... But here it goes. I'm a Christian, the oldest of four girls, and I'm the cliche I've loved to write since I was a kid story. Courtesy of writing so many stories as a kid, my typing speed is 105 WPM and courtesy of my dad I'm a potato chip fanatic. Since I was eighteen I've been writing with the intent of getting published. Six years later (you can do the math to how old I am!), I'm still determined to see my novels on the shelves and to discover fanfiction about my characters. And, honestly, I don't think that dream will ever die.
What
is your “how I got my agent” story?
My story is definitely a long
one, but I’ll shorten it as much as I can! I wrote four books before I signed
with my agent and didn’t sign with her until the fifth one! In total, I had
over 250 rejections for all four books (one was a sequel).
For THESE WICKED WATERS, the
novel which got me my agent, I sent out fifty-three query letters that all
ended in rejection, one way or another—except one. In fact, I’d closed out the
query because I hadn’t heard back from the agent in over three months. Time
went by during which I was busy giving THESE WICKED WATERS a massive overhaul.
A year later, almost to the day, I got an email from literary agent Becky
LeJeune, asking to see the full of my book. And within a week, I had an agent!
It’s still hard to believe how everything worked out. The timing was perfect!
What
novel landed you your agent?
Well, I kind of gave this one
away! THESE WICKED WATERS (currently a working title until a publisher decides
otherwise!) is the novel that landed me my agent. TWW is a mix of different
genres, but I suppose it could be classified as a Young Adult Paranormal
Thriller. I won’t give too much away, but it involves an island resort, a
centuries-old vendetta, and vicious sirens.
Tell
us about the much anticipated and nerve-wracking “Call” with your now agent.
I did tons of research
beforehand. I wanted to know exactly what to expect. But of course, you can
only do so much research! I will share a few facts for the Call that I found
helpful:
- Make sure you write down all of your questions beforehand. Nerves will make you forget what you wanted to ask!
- Just because an agent is interested in your book, doesn’t mean they’re the perfect fit for you. Don’t let the allure of “literary agent” tempt you to choose a relationship that isn’t right for you or your book!
- Take lots of deep breaths. Pacing in circles also helps!
Have
you written/queried other books before?
Yes! I’ve queried three other
books. Books that I will never let see the light of day again! The books were:
ELEMENTALS: a story about a
college student who finds an evil locket and also discovers she can control all
four elements and also happened to be stolen away as a child into the human
realm. (Yeah, way too much was going on in this book!)
BOUND: a time-travel romance
where a sixteen-year-old and her bad-boy classmate are thrown back in time, their
only way back home is for them to stop a murder.
AFTER ALICE & SHATTERED: a
darker, steampunk reimagining of Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland.
What
is the hardest part about being on submission?
Realizing that there’s more
waiting ahead. I thought that as soon as I got an agent, the hard part of
getting my book published. When, in fact, getting an agent was just the
beginning of a long (and sometimes discouraging process). But slugging through
the querying slush was great preparation for being on submission!
What
is the best part about having an agent?
Having someone who believes in
your book as much as you do. That, and a buffer for when the rejections come
in!
How
do you cope with waiting to hear back from publishers?
I’m supposed to be plotting a new trilogy, but it’s hard to get geared
up to write knowing another project is out in limbo. Other than trying to
write, I’ve been building up my author platform—which is more work than you’d
think!
Do
you have any tips for writers who are querying?
Make sure your query letter is
the absolute best it can be. And don’t get discouraged with rejections. Though
it might not be what you want to hear, sometimes the first book you write isn’t
The One. Keep learning and keep imagining!
Finally,
how will you celebrate when you eventually get your book deal?
I have a certain cookie recipe
that I’ve been waiting to make since I got the idea for my book. You can bet
that I’ll be baking and singing and dancing and probably crying.
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