Success Story Interview - Sammy Holden

An Interview with Sammy Holden (sh_pyro on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Alex Brown of Mad Woman Literary Agency.

06/26/2024

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

Sammy Holden:
My manuscript is an adult fantasy story about two estranged ex-best friends (who were almost more) that get caught up as the main suspects in a murder mystery, all tied together by feuding political factions and the strange, rotting magic plaguing the city. My main inspiration for this book was the nature-based magic system that specifically deals with rot and decay, which is a representation of chronic pain and my own experience with it.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Sammy Holden:
I have been writing for over 10 years! I started taking it seriously in 2013, which was when I had the first idea for a story that I was actually determined to finish. I had a bunch of false starts before that, but it wasn’t until I was in high school and college that I realized I could really pursue this if I wanted.

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

Sammy Holden:
I started drafting this manuscript in the Spring of 2022 and finished it in the Fall of 2023.

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

Sammy Holden:
Querying is such a rollercoaster that I often went from feeling on top of the world to completely doubting myself in the span of a day. I really credit my writer friends for keeping me stable!! Just having a few people who truly believe in your story will help you stay the course and keep going.

QT: Is this your first book?

Sammy Holden:
Nope! I wrote and queried two books before this one, and shelved them both (including one that I wrote, fully revamped, queried again, and then shelved again). I’ve been querying projects since 2018.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Sammy Holden:
I took a few creative writing classes in college that helped me hone my craft, but otherwise, no. I’ve found reading craft books and reading in my genre(s) have helped me immeasurably.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Sammy Holden:
I have a full time job, so I like to set at least one day aside on the weekend to really focus on my work and write/plot/brainstorm for at least 4-5 hours. Other than that, I will write at night after work. When I’m in drafting mode I try to write at least 2-3 weeknights, and then one full day on the weekend. I’m not much of a “write every day” person because it leads me to burnout.

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

Sammy Holden:
I did two revisions! I tried to take my time with the first draft to flesh out the world and characters so I wouldn’t have to completely re-write the book, and I’m happy to say it worked. I did one general revision, then I did another pass to try and trim the manuscript down as much as possible, and cut it from 130k to 119k.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Sammy Holden:
I had three critique partners!! I did have a few beta readers for my query as well.

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

Sammy Holden:
I do a vague outline first to give myself a general roadmap, start writing, then continue to flesh out my outline and draft as I go.

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

Sammy Holden:
I queried this book for about six months. My first book I queried for three months, pulled it because I realized it wasn’t ready, then after a full rewrite I queried again for another four months or so, then shelved it again. My second book I queried for about a year and a half continuously before I shelved it.

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

Sammy Holden:
I sent out 58 query letters!

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

Sammy Holden:
Usually I didn’t, and I found it didn’t really make a difference either way. However, a lot of my queries came from pitch events, and I would link the pitch the agent liked at the top of the query so they would see it first thing. I got my agent from a pitch event!

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

Sammy Holden:
Please don’t give up if you don’t get an agent on your first, second, third, etc book!! Publishing is a marathon, not a sprint. If I had stopped querying when I didn’t get an agent after my first 50, 100, 150 queries, I wouldn’t be signed today – but here I am!!