Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Avery Timmons

Success Story Interview - Avery Timmons

An Interview with Avery Timmons (averyt8 on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Gabriella Melendez of Great Dog Literary.

03/28/2025

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Avery Timmons:
WELL PLAYED is a YA romance novel about rival high school trumpet players who come together to sabotage a new student. I played clarinet in high school and would have loved to see more stories centered around band, so I decided to write one myself!
QT: How long have you been writing?: Avery Timmons:
As long as I can remember, really! I still have handwritten stories from when I was eight years old.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Avery Timmons:
I began casually drafting it in winter 2023 but really cracked down on finishing it and getting it querying-ready throughout spring and summer of 2024.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Avery Timmons:
Not really! Writing has always been something I love to do, even when I know no one else will see the work. I had so much fun writing WELL PLAYED, and I think not thinking about querying and just focusing on my personal enjoyment in telling the story is really what kept me going.
QT: Is this your first book?: Avery Timmons:
This is my third book.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Avery Timmons:
Yes, I have a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Avery Timmons:
Sometimes. When I’m really trying to commit to finishing something, I’ll set a goal of 500 words per day. By the time I hit 500 words, I’m usually in a good groove and end up writing more.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Avery Timmons:
My most significant edits happened during the two revise-and-resubmits I received from agents while querying.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Avery Timmons:
A little mix of both. I have to have an outline of some sort before I start drafting with a solid beginning and end, but anything can happen in-between there once I start writing!
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Avery Timmons:
I began querying WELL PLAYED in July 2024, with a few breaks where I wasn’t actively sending out new queries for revisions and the holidays, before my offer in March. I queried my first book two separate times for a total of about nine months before I signed it with a small press.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Avery Timmons:
I sent 80 queries.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Avery Timmons:
The other genres they were interested in was a big factor for me. I like to write in a few different genres and would love to try writing for other age ranges outside young adult, so I wanted someone who would feel comfortable covering all those bases.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Avery Timmons:
Not every query. I only personalized the query if they had some very specific trope or other element on their MSWL that was in my novel.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Avery Timmons:
Don’t self-reject! Throughout the course of querying WELL PLAYED, I received full requests from agents I never thought would actually request my materials based on their request rate, or because my story only loosely fit their MSWL, or even because they had previously rejected another project of mine. You never know what agents are really looking for or what can happen.
QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?: Avery Timmons:
Sure!

Success Story Interview - Avery Timmons

Query Letter: