Success Story Interview - Steven Gellman

An Interview with Steven Gellman (hiddenpoetmusic on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Elisa Saphier of MacGregor & Luedeke Literary.

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?

Steven Gellman:
I am a singer-songwriter for a living. When Covid hit, I lost all my work. I used this time to write my first novel Somewhere In Nowhere. I was also dealing with intense anxiety and panic attacks at the time. I wanted to write a queer coming of age novel about a kid dealing with anxiety & a panic disorder. I put what I was going through right on the page. So while the book is a work of fiction, what the protagonist goes through is very real.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Steven Gellman:
As an Americana/Folk singer, I've written stories through songs across ten album releases. But novel-length fiction writing is brand new to me. This is my first foray into creative writing outside of songwriting.

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

Steven Gellman:
I wrote the initial draft of the book over a span of six to eight months. After it was finished, I didn't know what to do next so I sat on it for quite a while. My music work returned and life went back to (mostly) normal. But I couldn't stop thinking about the novel I wrote so I started doing research about what to do after you write a book. This was a huge learning curve and it took awhile but after much learning and three revisions I landed where I am now.

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

Steven Gellman:
SO MANY TIMES! In fact, I did give up on it for a while, but the book kept occupying my thoughts so I dusted off my wounds and got back at it. Honestly, what brought me back to it was just believing in the story I wrote. I was proud of what I had written and I knew that this book will help some queer kid with anxiety out there somewhere.

QT: Is this your first book?

Steven Gellman:
Yes

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Steven Gellman:
No

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Steven Gellman:
While I was writing Somewhere in Nowhere I did. I got up everyday, made a cup of tea, and wrote. Now that I'm back to performing, I write when I have a window of time. I am working on my second novel now.

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

Steven Gellman:
My manuscript has gone through three rounds of revisions. For the first round, I worked with a developmental editor for guidance. As I mentioned, this is my first project and I don't have formal writing training, so this experience was invaluable.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Steven Gellman:
Yes. My first beta readers were acquaintances and that didn't give me the feedback I needed. Over time, I was able to find other readers, including a fellow author, who gave my manuscript a serious read and provided helpful feedback.

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

Steven Gellman:
Both. I had a loose outline I followed for hitting the main story arcs. Everything else was from the hip.

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

Steven Gellman:
I did my homework. I researched agents to find those who were specifically interested in YA and/or queer stories.

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

Steven Gellman:
At first, I did this for every agent I queried. I spent a LOT of time researching agents, listening to podcasts they appeared on, etc. looking for nuggets to help with personalization, Unfortunately, I didn't find that any of that work helped me get noticed in the query pile so I stopped fairly quickly. However, when an agent expressly indicated they prefered personalized queries, I personalized. And I always personalized when I had a connection with an agent from pitching to them at a conference.

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

Steven Gellman:
Connections are everything. Go to writers conferences. Meet with agents face to face. Be gracious, even in the face of rejection. That's how I made a personal connection with my agent and also other agents who I am still in contact with. In fact, due to the connections I made and nurtured, I was able to ask another agent who I connected with to help vet my contract with the agent I ultimately chose to represent me.

Query Letter:

I am seeking representation for SOMEWHERE IN NOWHERE – a 74,000-word contemporary young adult novel featuring a young, Jewish protagonist, a cast of LGBTQ+ characters, and a focus on mental health. At its heart, SOMEWHERE IN NOWHERE is a classic meet cute set at the intersection of the real life challenges of anxiety and trauma – it’s light meets dark. My novel has undertones of Stephen Chbosky’s PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER and vibes with the close-knit friendships of Jeff Zentner’s SERPENT KING and young queer love à la Alice Oseman’s HEARTSTOPPER.

Coming out is hard, especially when you have two gay moms. At least it is for Simon Bugg. He doesn’t want the world to think that having gay parents has turned him gay. And he certainly doesn’t want anyone to know about the anxiety that feels like an alien is clawing its way out of his stomach to kill him.

It’s Simon’s senior year and his world just turned upside down. When his mom lands a dream job, Simon finds himself at a new school in a strange town away from the only friends he has ever known. Now, his mom is overworked and chronically stressed, and his deadbeat dad is back on the scene. Navigating a new school and new friends is a challenge for a neurotic overthinker, and Simon finds himself turning to his rescue cat, and a handsome young barista, for support. But when Simon meets the dashing PJ in drama class, he immediately agrees to a bubble tea date that he derails in spectacular fashion.

With help from his band of misfit friends, Simon finds his way back to PJ. But how can he have a relationship with the boy of his dreams when he’s convinced he’s going to die? No one knows about the nightly panic attacks at 11:22. Why then, and why do they keep getting worse? Simon must face a traumatic incident from his past or lose his chance with the boy he loves.

Though this is my first novel, it is hardly my first story. As an award-winning songwriter, I have crafted stories through song across ten albums. I use songwriting to center issues of identity, shed light on mental health, and tell authentic stories. I’ve had a blog post published with the Anxiety & Depression Association of America. I take classes with the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, MD and I am a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators.