Let me start off by saying it feel surreal to write this post, even now, a full week after I announced that I signed with my incredible agent Bethany. But let me start at the beginning. (If you’re uninterested in this journey skip to the end that’s where the query stats will be.)

Chapter One: Writing My First Novel

I finished my first book in 2020 and boy did I think I was all that. I was confident this was the book. I was going to be a huge success, a master in the literary world, and someone people aspired to be. Fast forward a few months and I found that I was not in fact a huge success, a master, or an aspiration, which let’s be honest made perfect sense. I didn’t know what a craft book was, not a single soul had read my book, and I threw it out into the world like I knew what I was doing (reader, I did not in fact know what I was doing).

So, I applied to mentorship programs and didn’t hear a peep. I sent a few queries and form rejection after form rejections (and let’s be real honest, that was valid, right? I didn’t even know what an alpha or beta reader was). So, I set that book aside and began again.

Chapter Two: Let’s Try That Again

In 2021 I finished my second book. I bought my first craft book and began to dip my toe in the crafting pool. I learned what deep POV was (although I couldn’t quite manage it for that book), I found crafting resources that helped me learn what made a good manuscript, and then I found people who wanted to read my book, who would give me feedback! So I thought yes, this is it! I will do it this time, but as I sent out a few queries I found myself getting form rejections yet again.

My beta readers were kind, but in my book there were plot holes a plenty, chapters without purpose, and prose that needed work. So I paused. I took a step back and I thought how do people do this? I thought maybe I needed help. So, I applied for more mentorships and this time I heard back, but wasn’t chosen. I was pretty devastated because I had taken one step forward, but I thought I’d be leaping by now. Since I wasn’t in fact leaping I set that book aside and (you guess it) began again.

Chapter Three: A Turning Point

The summer of 2021 something changed for me. I realized writing a book without any sort of outline is actually quite hard. (I bow down to the authors who go in without any sort of plan. You are amazing). I had tried that two times before and found that just wasn’t working for me, so I tried to outline. I got a notebook, looked up outlining techniques, and began. I went to coffee shops, found cozy little corners, and planed out my next story.

By the fall of 2021 I had a plan. I knew where this next story would go and I was ready. I was going to write this book and it was going to be glorious.

And the wild part was the book flowed out of me. It’s like I was meant to write it (cliché I know), but I wrote almost 83,000 words in a single month.

And this time, I felt the difference. This was the book.

Chapter Four: Turns Out Writing Is A Team Sport

I did my first round of edits then sent this book to my wonderful beta readers. While I was waiting to hear back, I researched. At this point in my writing endeavors I learned what made a good query letter (shout out to Query 101 for all the incredible resources it provides), I looked into mentorships, and I read other author success blogs, trying to pinpoint the exact moment when they were “ready” enough to begin querying.

But before I jumped into querying this time, I applied for two different mentorships. I thought either of these programs would surely help bring me to a new level.

So while I waited I decided to write another book. I had an idea swirling around in my head, so I outlined again and wrote it during camp NaNoWriMo in April. This helped my mental health so much because it saved me from obsessing over whether or not I would get into the mentorships I applied to.

And in no time, Rev Pit Announcements were upon us. I opened my phone to see if I made it, butterflies swirling in my stomach, and… defeat. I wasn’t chosen. And boy let me tell you, I had a great cry that day. But when I dried my eyes and opened my email, I found an unread message from a Rev Pit Editor. She wanted to set up a zoom. She wanted to talk to me. And so we did. And she encouraged me. And her kindness reminded me that my stories are worth something, that even though I didn’t have the outcome I wanted here, it didn’t mean I was failing.

Her encouragement helped me prepare for the WriteMentor announcements. I told myself I wasn’t going to cry, if I wasn’t chosen that was ok. I’d be ok.

But then I opened my email and there it was. Subject line: Congratulations!

I dropped my phone. This wasn’t real, was it? I opened the email and found my name, my book. S. Kaeth had chosen to work with me. I couldn’t believe it!

So we worked. I started outlining each of my characters strengths and weaknesses. This helped me determine if each of the character arcs made sense and what else they needed to show their growth over the book. I also dove head first into world building. What inspirations could I use to really make this world believable? What could I bring to the story to make it mine? For the first week I dreamt. I stewed in my world, writing down ideas, thinking about what I could do to make it better, and finding answers to questions my mentor proposed. And I found dreaming is such an important part of this process.

I then began to edit. That whole summer I spent draft after draft trying to perfect my manuscript, reading craft book after craft book, and book recommendations by my mentor, trying to study how each author put words on the page. I found in editing, I may not be perfect the first time around, but it’s ok to have multiple attempts at a scene. There’s no need to get it right the first time. If it’s not working right away that’s ok. Take a break, go for a walk, talk it through with a trusted friend, let your mind wander, and in the end a solution will come. I found that helped.

And after three drafts, with weeks before the showcase, I was ready to start looking at the query letter. The thing I kept in mind here was a formula I had heard many times, what are the MC’s desires, obstacles, and stakes? I focused on that and tried to ensure I had each piece.

Then in September of 2022, we had our showcase.

I thought this was it! I was going to have so many requests, but then reality hit. I didn’t have requests, I didn’t get the magical call. But that didn’t negate the work I put in, the morning and nights I spent with my characters. So, I picked myself up and started querying.

Chapter Five: Querying

If you’ve made it this far I commend you. Thanks for taking that long journey with me, only to find yourself at the place you actually came here to read about: my querying journey.

Now my journey was a tad bit different than others. I really took my time and I queried quite slowly.

I used websites like QueryTracker, Association of American Literary Agents, Manuscript Wish List, and more to find who I wanted to send my work to.

I researched the heck out of query letters, sought advice from others, and rewrote my letter probably six or seven times, always keeping in mind, the MC’s desires, obstacles, and stakes. But as I queried I found that even with the desires, obstacles, and stakes, I was still be missing something from my query and the thing that was missing was specificity. I knew my world. I knew my characters, but I had forgotten that agents didn’t have the knowledge I did. This is the first time they were picking my book up. When I spoke about a magical mortician, I knew what that was, I knew their job, I knew the ins and outs of their life, but an agent reading this for the first time? Well, they surely didn’t.

So I began to explain these things (briefly in my query) so they’d know what I knew, so I didn’t throw terms at them which they had no background for. That’s what really made the difference in my query: specificity. Once I had the MC’s desires, obstacles, stakes, and the ever important specificity, I started to see more and more requests.

And while I waited, I wrote. I finished another book, I edited that book, and started again. This was SO helpful for me because it kept me from refreshing my inbox three times a day. It allowed me to find joy in a different world. It kept me from becoming so hyper focused on the wait.

I queried in small batches, testing the waters to see if this package was the one that would get me requests and it did! I was so elated to finally have some agents wanting to read my full book! But as months went on I found that the fulls weren’t exactly hitting, something was quite connecting with agents, and I knew something needed to change.

So I pulled my work. I asked the agents that had my full if they would consider a revision and to my delight so many did (including my now wonderful agent).

I spent a month revising. I bought two cork boards and spelled out the entire book. I looked for plot holes, I tried to see if events made sense in the order they were in, and consulted beat sheets like Save the Cat. I used sticky notes to move things around, see what needed to change, and after a month of intensive revisions I was ready to send my book back out.

I was nervous about sending it back out, worried I hadn’t done enough, but I went for it because I knew my revisions had made it better. And then a week later a received and email asking me if we could set up THE CALL.

Two days later, Bethany and I talked, and we hit it off immediately. This call felt like a conversation, two partners working on a shared vision rather than an interview or something of the like. I also got to talk about my future writing and what I hoped to accomplish in my career. The call wasn’t just about my queried manuscript it was about me, my writing, and my goals. As soon as I got off the call with Bethany I knew she’d be the perfect fit and not only that, but I was inspired, excited, and motivated.

I then sent nudges to other agents and waited for three week (the industry standard is around two) to see if any others would also be interested in my work and during that time I was such a bundle of nerves and excitement.

Before those three weeks were up, I received (a) some incredibly kind rejections, and (b) passes from agents who weren’t able to read the manuscript by the deadline, but that was totally ok because I knew Bethany would be the one for me.

I accepted Bethany’s offer and I couldn’t be happier with the decision I made. This has been a dream of mine since I was little and I’m so grateful I get to pursue this, have an agent who believes in me and my work, and have found an inspiring and incredible community among my fellow authors! It’s truly a dream come true. Also, I’m so thankful to everyone who read my work from my beta readers, family, friends, and agents.

Querying stats:

• 119 queries sent
• 3 partial request
• 18 full requests
• 21 closed no responses
• 1 offer of rep

Chapter Six: To Close

The thing I’ve found through this whole process is everyone’s journey is different and it’s important to keep your eyes on your own paper. Writing is hard, querying is hard, but please be gentle with yourself. Writing isn’t a race. It isn’t a competition. We can only control our own work. So celebrate EVERY milestone. Find joy in finishing that draft, in sending that query, and in editing your book. You DID it! You created something so important. This process isn’t easy but you deserve to be joyful about creating, because it really is something special.

I’m always cheering you on.

-Megan