Success Story Interview - Katrina Carruth

An Interview with Katrina Carruth (Katrina_Carruth on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Naomi Eisenbeiss of InkWell Management.

10/24/2024

QT: How long have you been writing?

Katrina Carruth:
I’ve always loved writing and telling stories. Even as a little kid I would come up with stories to tell at talent shows. But I’ve been seriously/regularly writing since about 2017 and really started hustling after I had my kid in 2021. I'll admit I was absolutely terrified to lose momentum as a new mom.

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

Katrina Carruth:
For about two years. It’s evolved quite a bit from its initial concept and I’m really happy with the story it’s become. (I definitely owe my agent a big thanks for that)

QT: Is this your first book?

Katrina Carruth:
This is the sixth book I’ve written, but it’s the first book I’ve queried. It took me a while to get the hang of finishing, polishing, and finding the courage to put it out there. Writing/submitting short stories and slush reading helped.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Katrina Carruth:
None! I didn’t graduate high school or college, but I’ve been an avid reader of all genres my whole life. I spent a few years after culinary school working as a chef so I didn’t have as much time to read or write during that time. I felt really insecure about my lack of formal education for several years, which kept me from feeling I could/should seriously pursue writing, and I’m glad I’ve overcome those insecurities.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Katrina Carruth:
My routine is fueled by pure chaos. I try to get as much done on the weekends as possible, but while my husband works during the week I’m with our child full time, so I try to write first thing in the morning before the day gets too crazy. But I also keep my laptop open all day on the kitchen counter and sprint whenever I have a second.

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

Katrina Carruth:
My agent offer was a result of a revise and resubmit opportunity, so if I include that (which was the most drastic revision), I think the book went through four drafts.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Katrina Carruth:
I did! I had beta readers for the draft that I queried and a few for the revision I sent to my agent and I am soooooo grateful for their help.

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

Katrina Carruth:
I kind of do both. I usually start with an “outline” which is just a bullet point list of things I know I want to have happen in the story and go from there. But if I try to write a legitimate outline, it’s usually out the window by chapter three. So, I wing it on my first draft and usually make more concrete plans for the second draft.

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

Katrina Carruth:
I started querying in February of 2024 and this is the only book I’ve queried.

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

Katrina Carruth:
I only sent out 34 queries by the time I got the chance to revise and resubmit in March. I’d planned to send several others (I think I had 80+ agents on my list), but I felt the direction I was planning to take my revision made the book a lot stronger, so I quit querying while I revised this draft.

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

Katrina Carruth:
I did! I usually included something they mentioned in their wish list that I felt matched an aspect of my story. I really only queried agents based on their wish lists.

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

Katrina Carruth:
I don’t know if this will be helpful for everyone, but I got to work on my next novel as soon as I started querying. Diving right into the next thing, falling in love with it and being excited to work on it instead of agonizing over my queries really helped me. I paced myself with my queries and didn’t let myself obsess too much over any particular outcome, and I think it really helped to stay busy. I also would recommend finding other folks who are querying. Reach out and see if anyone is interested in having a query buddy. I’ve made a few new friends who became such a wonderful support system for me through an isolating and stressful process.