Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Sarah Pounds

Success Story Interview - Sarah Pounds

An Interview with Sarah Pounds (Daisy22 on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Morgan Hughes of FinePrint Literary Management.

01/24/2024

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Sarah Pounds:
My book is a YA rom-com set at a horse stable. I grew up riding horses and am a big fan of rival to lovers, so I thought it'd be fun to write. I also feel like there aren't enough horse books out there for teens anymore, and I hope to start the trend again.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Sarah Pounds:
My whole life, but more seriously for six years.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Sarah Pounds:
Two years. I outlined it with my previous agent, then drafted it after we parted ways.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Sarah Pounds:
YES! Every rejection, especially on fulls, often took me days to recover from. Having another project to work on helped clear my mind, and reading a really good book inspired me to keep going.
QT: Is this your first book?: Sarah Pounds:
No. This is my 8th
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Sarah Pounds:
Nope!
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Sarah Pounds:
I work from home in the mornings and then spend the afternoon writing before my kids return home from school.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Sarah Pounds:
Just one edit, but I had a really good outline to start with, which led to a solid first draft.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Sarah Pounds:
Yes!
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Sarah Pounds:
Yes, I outlined each chapter very thoroughly with my previous agent.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Sarah Pounds:
I queried this book for eight months. The previous book that I got my first agent with was queried for almost two years.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Sarah Pounds:
15
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Sarah Pounds:
I searched Twitter's/X's #MSWL and the manuscript wishlist page. I sought out agents looking for fun, lighthearted YA novels.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Sarah Pounds:
Yes, I would modify the first sentence to explain why I was querying them specifically. "Since you represent this author," or "Your bio on your agency website says that you enjoy lighthearted rom coms,"
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Sarah Pounds:
Be very specific about who you're querying. Often, I've seen authors spread their queries wide without vetting the agents and ending up with offers to shady characters or ones without enough connections or experience to help them.
QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?: Sarah Pounds:
Sure!

Success Story Interview - Sarah Pounds

Query Letter: