Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Tracy Bilen

Success Story Interview - Tracy Bilen

An Interview with Tracy Bilen (bluedog on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.

08/19/2012

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Tracy Bilen:
In WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND, a young adult thriller, Sara’s mom disappears – and her dad is the most likely suspect. WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND sold to Simon Pulse / Simon & Schuster and was published in May 2012. I was inspired to write it by an image in my mind: of girl, a suitcase, and a gun.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Tracy Bilen:
I’ve loved writing since I was in elementary school, but I started to write novels soon after graduating from college.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Tracy Bilen:
I spent about a year and a half writing and revising WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Tracy Bilen:
Yes, I tried to “give up” writing several times, but I could never stay away for long. I would get this nagging feeling like there was something I was supposed to be doing!
QT: Is this your first book?: Tracy Bilen:
WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND was the third manuscript that I’d finished.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Tracy Bilen:
I took the Novel and Advanced Novel courses from Writer’s Digest University and I was the winner of the 2009 SCBWI Michigan mentorship competition. My prize was a year-long mentorship with a Michigan author.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Tracy Bilen:
I give myself a daily word count goal and keep track of my progress in a notebook. I usually write late at night, but when I have the opportunity I also enjoy writing in the morning (just not too early!)
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Tracy Bilen:
There were at least seven drafts.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Tracy Bilen:
Yes, I worked chapter by chapter with a fantastic critique group and also swapped complete manuscripts with other author friends.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Tracy Bilen:
I wrote the first draft of this book without an outline and didn’t understand people who could write outlines. But as I move forward to other projects, I’ve actually been able to outline and have to admit that I kind of like it.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Tracy Bilen:
I queried WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND for about eight months. I did query another book briefly before that, but stopped when I realized that WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND was going to be a stronger manuscript.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Tracy Bilen:
Around 50.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Tracy Bilen:
I used query tracker to identify agents that were interested in YA. I also looked on the acknowledgment page of books that I loved for ideas.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Tracy Bilen:
If I had heard the person speak or if I admired an author they represented I mentioned it.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Tracy Bilen:
Once you start querying your book, do your best to start working on another one right away. That’s how I ended up writing WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND! Also, I queried in batches of about 5-10, sending out new queries as I received rejections.

Success Story Interview - Tracy Bilen

Query Letter: