Success Story Interview - Danny B. Groves

An Interview with Danny B. Groves (DBGeeWrites on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Leah Pierre of Ladderbird Literary Agency.

03/11/2024

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?

Danny B. Groves:
A real-life experience inspired my young adult contemporary fantasy. Growing up, I was close with my cousin. We even took a family vacation in 2019, and he posted to social media about how much he appreciated me. However, his social media presence changed after getting deeply involved in a church during the pandemic. He began to publicly suggest that gay folk like me would be condemned to Hell.
Homophobia can be too familiar within religion, but it’s different in the Black church, and I find it ironic because this interpretation of scripture contradicts the beliefs and spirituality of our African ancestors. It was upsetting to lose a relationship with someone in my family because false prophets corrupted him.
I developed a story with a Black gay teenager who struggles with hiding both his identity and his emerging magic from his religious family. I wrote this story to achieve balance—if my cousin uses his voice to condemn, I’ll use mine to uplift. I want my book to validate the power of being Black and queer.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Danny B. Groves:
Since I could hold a pencil in my hand. I remember folding loose-leaf paper and stapling it in the middle, then cutting it to resemble a book. I wrote many books that way and used crayons to make cover art, and then I’d gift them to my mom. I might have left one on a bookshelf at Kmart as if someone might pick it up over the latest Goosebumps or Animorphs release. You couldn’t tell six-year-old Danny that he wasn’t a published author!

QT: How long have you been working on this book?

Danny B. Groves:
After the family issue, I started outlining in September 2022 and began drafting during NaNoWriMo the same year. I finished the first draft in January 2023, took a break for a few months, and then started revisions in July. I thought I finished revisions in October, but I went back a few times until January 2024.

QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?

Danny B. Groves:
You know that meme of Lois from Family Guy staring at a pill bottle? That’s how I stared at my Delete button one night—and it wasn’t very long ago. We put in so many hours and work ourselves to the bone for our stories with no promise of progress. It’s defeating. There were many times I nearly gave up. If it weren’t for my community, not just my loved ones but a found family of other Black writers whom I cherish so deeply, I don’t know if I could stomach the many awful stories my brain likes to create when I don’t feel good enough. My support system has given me a safe space to vent, process, or be silently introspective. That’s what kept me from deleting my manuscript altogether.

QT: Is this your first book?

Danny B. Groves:
I completed one book before this, but it’s shelved for now. I’ve started a few others, but they aren’t yet complete.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Danny B. Groves:
I hold no degree in creative writing, but I majored in public relations, which included writing classes of a different style. I took some creative writing classes during college and participated in a few courses at a local literary arts nonprofit.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Danny B. Groves:
I make it happen when I can because I work full-time. I have standing writing dates with a couple of friends every Wednesday, but that’s only a few hours per week. I’ve found it’s important to set a deadline to be more productive. If I work without a goal, it’ll take a lifetime to finish.

QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?

Danny B. Groves:
I revised it approximately four times. First, I cleaned up my zero draft and sent the story to beta readers. My second revision incorporated beta feedback, my third tightened the plot and character development, and my fourth cleaned up the pacing and prose.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Danny B. Groves:
I sent it to less than a dozen friends who read, friends who write, and a couple of folks who have been published. I prefer to collect individual feedback in person or on a call so the responses are less filtered. Then, I compare all of my notes to find which areas could be improved while also protecting the reader experiences betas enjoyed most.

QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?

Danny B. Groves:
I’m a plotter by nature. I used many different outlining methods when creating this story because I hadn’t yet found my preferred style. These days, I’ve merged a few methods by taking what worked for me and leaving what didn’t. It’s not my final form, but I’m closer to it than I was.

QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?

Danny B. Groves:
I sent my first query in July 2022. Leah was one of the first five agents I queried. I know now that the book was far from ready, but I was new to everything in the industry then.
I started querying this book in October 2023 but took a break in December as I began significant rewrites. I picked it up again in January 2024 and received my first offer at the beginning of February.

QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?

Danny B. Groves:
I sent approximately 70 queries for this book between Oct. 2023 and Feb. 2024.

QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?

Danny B. Groves:
I searched for agents who represented YA fantasy and then tailored my list by MSWL. I prioritized agents who were interested in urban or contemporary fantasy, especially Black and queer stories. Of course, I engaged writer friends as appropriate to understand any important considerations about the agent or agency. I wanted an agent I could trust to advocate for this story with editors, as I understand the industry can be challenging for Black gay writers who write for a Black gay main character with a Black love interest.

QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?

Danny B. Groves:
Not always. I personalized my metadata paragraph to include this information if I observed something in the MSWL I knew was represented in my book. If not, I sent a standard letter. I didn’t notice a difference in how my queries performed when personalized.

QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?

Danny B. Groves:
Hold onto the reason you started this journey, maintain a “kudos” document of encouraging feedback to reread when you’re down, and find the folks who let you go through the motions without judgment or toxic positivity. It only takes one “yes” to get where you want to be, but you’ll traverse a rocky road along the way. There isn’t enough space in this interview to demonstrate how often I hung my head and wondered if I could keep going. More frequently than not, I didn’t lift my chin on my own. Those who believed in me did that.
Y’all, querying is hard. A lot of it is luck, timing, and perseverance. Having a community around you, especially those with similar experiences to yours, might be the difference between giving up or pushing forward. Be brave enough to connect with others and be authentically invested in their journey as much as yours. When my friends win, I feel like I do, too. Your team’s come-up can be your come-up, not only if they reach back for you but also because their win proves good things can happen. Believe that.