Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Margot Fisher

Success Story Interview - Margot Fisher

An Interview with Margot Fisher (coconutfrog on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Faye Bender of The Book Group.

07/13/2023

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Margot Fisher:
LEAVE IT ON THE TRACK is a queer YA contemporary novel about a teenager healing from trauma and PTSD through the powerful community of junior roller derby. When I started playing roller derby five years ago, it was the first time in my life I'd been surrounded by a huge, messy, powerful, positive queer community that was there for me no matter what. The league I skate for has a junior league for young athletes aged 7 - 17, and I'm constantly inspired by the junior skaters and their fearlessness and ferocity. I wanted to write a book for queer kids who need to know that there's a community out there for them, and that life will always be messy and you'll get hurt, but you'll be okay.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Margot Fisher:
Since I could physically hold a pencil, probably. But I've been writing seriously with a goal of getting published for around 6 years.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Margot Fisher:
I started LEAVE IT ON THE TRACK in late 2020 and drafted it really fast, then didn't touch it for six months. Then I spent several months intensely editing it, then ignored it again for a while. In January of 2023, I was selected as a fellow for the second iteration of Reese's Book Club's LitUp fellowship, where I was paired with a published mentor, Laurie Frankel, to revise and refine my manuscript. I revised with Laurie for about 3 months earlier this year and signed with my agent at the end of June!
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Margot Fisher:
Many, many times. Every rejection made me question whether I was actually good at this, and whether my skin was thick enough to do it. When I got really discouraged, I would put the manuscript away for a couple weeks, then come back to it with fresh eyes. This doesn't work for everybody, but I can get so bogged down in my own self-doubt that the distance was really beneficial.

I also started screenshotting every compliment on my writing I received from mentors, beta readers, etc. Anytime I feel really down about my own skill, I have an album to scroll through that proves otherwise.
QT: Is this your first book?: Margot Fisher:
I wrote a handful of very bad dystopian novels in high school, then wrote my first serious novel that I queried in 2018. It was a YA fantasy that I worked on really hard with multiple critique partners and queried a bit, but ultimately couldn't get an agent with it.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Margot Fisher:
Nope! I did an after school writing program called Power of the Pen in middle school where I learned a lot of basics about craft, but I have no degree or other formal training. I am mostly self-taught through trial and (a lot of) error.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Margot Fisher:
Not really--I have a full time desk job so I just write around that. I would love to have a more dedicated writing routine, but it's not feasible at the moment. Maybe someday!
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Margot Fisher:
After finishing my first draft, I did two big edits on my own, then gave it to a beta reader for feedback. After I was selected for the LitUp fellowship, I did two more big revisions with my mentor, then a round of smaller line edits before we started sending it to agents.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Margot Fisher:
I did have one beta reader for this book before I was accepted to the LitUp fellowship who gave me great first-round feedback. After finishing revisions with my mentor, I had a handful of friends on my roller derby team read it, but I wouldn't really consider them beta readers. They are my friends and cared about my feelings (even though I told them not to!) so there was no way for their feedback to be objective. I do think that, when you're at a late stage (i.e. close to querying or actually querying), it's not a bad idea to have some friends read your book, because they'll be excited for you and gas you up. And at that point, when you're getting steady rejections, it feels really good to hear some positive feedback, even if you know it's biased. Just don't let it get to your head and don't let yourself get defensive ("my mom read this book and said it was amazing so your critical feedback is wrong!").
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Margot Fisher:
I'm a rough outliner! I like to map out the major beats/plot points, but not every single scene. Once I have a good idea of the general shape of the story and the arc of the characters, I just draft as fast as I can, using my outline as a guide.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Margot Fisher:
I queried LEAVE IT ON THE TRACK with a handful of agents in fall 2022, before I knew I'd been selected for the LitUp fellowship. I got one full request and a slew of rejections because honestly, my query letter was not ready. My manuscript was strong at that point, but the query absolutely needed work. After I finished my mentorship period, I came back out with a much stronger manuscript and query letter and had much better luck with that round of queries.

I queried my previous YA fantasy in 2018 for three months before I shelved it. I probably could have queried it more, but I started noticing some thematic issues with it that really bothered me and I was going through a big life change at the time, so shelving it at the time made sense.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Margot Fisher:
I sent 21 queries for LEAVE IT ON THE TRACK. Most of those turned out to be rejections, and three turned into offers of representation.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Margot Fisher:
I read the acknowledgements of books that were similar to mine to find their agents' names, then researched their websites, manuscript wishlists, and Publisher's Marketplace info to craft a list that best fit what I was looking for and the things I needed. I also considered the agencies themselves and researched what other services those agencies provided. I knew I wanted an agent who was editorial, had a certain amount of experience selling in my age group and genre, and worked at a mid-sized agency that had a track record of successfully handling things like foreign and film/TV rights. The agent I ended up signing with was directly recommended by my mentor's editor.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Margot Fisher:
Yes! I kept it simple, but I wanted each agent to know why I was querying them specifically. For each agent I queried, I made a note on Query Tracker with my specific reason for querying them (they repped a comp, or had something on their MSWL that matched my MS, etc.) and I opened my query letter with one brief sentence of personalization.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Margot Fisher:
People don't post about their failures much, but they post a LOT about their successes. Being on social media sometimes makes it feel like everybody is signing with an agent or getting a book deal except you, but you're not seeing the many, many rejections those people undoubtedly received. Try not to compare yourself to those people. Everyone's journey is different! Remember that rejection is part of being a writer, and it's not a statement on you personally (even though it often feels like it). Let every rejection you receive steel you and make you stronger.

Study other peoples' query letters, especially rougher query letters. Examine why they work or don't work! I love the r/pubtips subreddit, which is mostly a forum for query critiques. Even if you don't directly participate in the critiques, it's helpful to read the queries and figure out why they're working or not and read other writers' thoughts on them.

Read outside your genre. You should obviously know your own genre like the back of your hand, but it's great practice for your brain to be exposed to new tropes and tools that authors in different genres utilize. It will make you a better writer.
QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?: Margot Fisher:
Yes! I do want to start with the caveat that, while I did receive multiple offers, the agent I ended up signing with was a referral. I'm certain this helped me get to the front of her queue, which is a huge privilege. Just want to acknowledge that.

Success Story Interview - Margot Fisher

Query Letter: