Success Story Interview - Faith Gladwin

An Interview with Faith Gladwin (cliocat23 on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Rachel Neely of Mushens Entertainment.

02/21/2025

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

Faith Gladwin:
RÉVÉRENCE is a gothic-tinged adult speculative horror novel, with sapphic romance and chronic illness representation, pitched as BLACK SWAN meets THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE. It follows a group of elite ballerinas competing for the lead role with a prestigious company, on a retreat to a secluded manor. But the competition turns deadly as a string of freak accidents cuts through the dancers.
My main character’s experiences are closely drawn from my experience growing up chronically ill, and I combined that lens with a fascination with ballet and how it acts as a natural vehicle for body horror. Brainstorming took place over a few months, until I got a proper outline.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Faith Gladwin:
Pretty much always, even as a little kid. I started taking it more seriously during lockdown, at home from university. I wrote a couple novels without even thinking about publishing, then in 2023 focused on writing with the intent to query.

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

Faith Gladwin:
I started drafting it in March, finished in August, and spent a few months revising it on-and-off, then I sent it to beta readers in December!

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

Faith Gladwin:
No, actually! I think working on other books as I queried and working with the mindset of “if this doesn’t land me an agent, I’ll move onto the next one” gave me a clear next step in my plan and something to look forward to.

QT: Is this your first book?

Faith Gladwin:
No, I’ve got three finished manuscripts that I would consider ‘practice books’ looking back, and I queried an adult thriller in late 2023-mid 2024, before ultimately shelving it.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Faith Gladwin:
Not for creative writing, but I do have a lot of practice in academic writing.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Faith Gladwin:
Not really! I try to write every day, and I always find it easier late at night, but nothing too specific.

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

Faith Gladwin:
I lovingly called this the book of a million rewrites. I had about three significantly-changed drafts, but multiple sections, especially my first five chapters, were rewritten many, many more times.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Faith Gladwin:
Yes. I had one alpha reader who read my very rough first draft, then a small handful of beta readers.

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

Faith Gladwin:
I’m a big outliner! If I don’t have a plan, I get stuck quickly.

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

Faith Gladwin:
I queried this book for 8 days before I got my first offer of representation—I actually got two emails requesting to set up calls on the same day! I was lucky enough to have a fair bit of interest in this book before I even started querying, both from editors and agents. I queried my last book for about 7 months.

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

Faith Gladwin:
I sent 49 queries.

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

Faith Gladwin:
A strong sales record or good mentorship if they were a new agent, alongside reputation of the agency at large; whether they represented the multiple genres I would like to write in; and if they had a history of working with diverse authors.

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

Faith Gladwin:
Sometimes. A lot of my queries were to agents who had either liked pitches online or reached out to me, so I always mentioned that. Other than that, I only personalized queries if they had something specific on their MSWL that matched my manuscript, like queer horror or haunted house stories.

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

Faith Gladwin:
Get a group chat! Your writing community will keep you sane, and they’re a wonderful resource for beta readers, to help workshop a query letter, and guide you through the sea of publishing. And work on another project while you query.

QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?

Faith Gladwin:
Sure!

Query Letter:

Dear (agent),

I’m excited to share RÉVÉRENCE (*I’ve changed my title since querying, and for the sake of simplicity, I'll use my new one here!), a 96,000-word adult horror novel, with #OwnVoices sapphic romance and disability representation. The vicious ballerinas in I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea meet the haunted halls and buried secrets of It Will Only Hurt for a Moment by Delilah S. Dawson in RÉVÉRENCE. 4 editors have expressed interest in seeing this manuscript once it is on submission. I’ve included the full list below.

This audition is worth killing for—and Eden is willing to die for it.

Two years after a freak accident destroyed her career, legendary ex-ballerina Leanora Karagianni has returned to the dance world. Choreographing an entirely new ballet, she needs a new face to star in it. Rookie ballerina Eden, who’s been nursing an obsession-crush on Leanora for years, seizes the opportunity and advances to the final round of auditions, which take place in a secluded mountain manor. Caught up in wanting Leanora and wanting to be her, Eden is all too thrilled to embark on the month-long retreat into the isolated snowy mountains.

Eden is desperate to prove herself and win the lead, but her traitorous, chronically ill body can’t keep up with her ambition. But her grueling efforts pay off, winning Leanora’s approval anyway, and she offers Eden private lessons. Entranced by the possibility of getting both things she wants at once, Eden accepts. As Eden gets swept up in Leanora’s charm, the other dancers competing seem caught in something darker. Freak accidents occur in the manor's twisting halls, with each girl's death an eerie echo of Leanora's shadowed past.

Ten years ago, Leanora herself was a student auditioning at the manor—before it closed under mysterious circumstances. Eden searches for answers, but finds only whispered rumours, each bloodier than the last. The manor, the audition, and even Leanora might not be what they seem. As the competition intensifies, the body count rises. But Eden’s resilient. She’s always had to be. Eden will claim that solo—if the manor, and Leanora, don’t claim her first.

Thank you for your consideration,
Faith Gladwin