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An Interview with Ashley Knowlton
(A QueryTracker Success Story)

QueryTracker: How long have you been writing?

Ashley Knowlton: Seriously writing, well...since I was five. It's been a long journey. I started trying to get an agent/publisher about four years ago.

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

AK: All the time. I'd get another rejection, get frustrated, and vow never to touch my Word documents again. Eventually, my boyfriend's, my friends', and my family's faith in me convinced me that perhaps I wasn't completely crap and that it would be worth at least one more go.

QT: Is this your first book?

AK: Nope. This one was originally a bloated historical novel (again, a long journey). I've written two others besides.

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

AK: About two years, not including the several-month-long breaks I took between revisions nor when it used to be a historical.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

AK: I'm currently working on my BA in Creative Writing, so sort of, I guess.

QT: Do you follow a writing "routine" or schedule?

AK: Again, no. I feel like the laziest person in the world answering these questions. But the truth is, I work when I'm inspired. When I'm not, I find the time and the motivation to sit down and I force myself to write. It's never a pretty result, but it works. Now that I'm agented, though, I think I need to change my habits. I'm insanely jealous of other writers who can plug out a book in less than a month. I can't even imagine doing that.

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

AK: I completely re-wrote it once (blank slate, etc.), and revised it countless times. I will most likely continue to revise it countless times before it makes it into print. I do my best work in revision.

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

AK: I always do rough outlines for all my books, but the end product always ends up being very different from the original plan, and I'm always much happier with it.

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

AK: I've done patches of querying for about a year, with a long break in between when I was busy at school. After that long break, I edited my query (and my manuscript) and was a lot more successful.

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

AK: I looked at the genres they liked, the books they were reading and enjoyed, and who they represented.

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

AK: Always be willing to delete (whether it comes to words, sentences, chapters, or rejections). Be thick-skinned but not stubborn. And the old stand-by, never give up, but always seek an opportunity to improve.

QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?

AK: Sure thing:

Dear (Agent),

I am seeking representation for my young adult paranormal mystery, Hijacked. It is complete at 70,000 words and works as a stand-alone novel, though it is the first book in a planned series. Hijacked is a mix of romance, mystery, and post-high-school jitters that will appeal to fans of Twilight and A Great and Terrible Beauty, but unlike Bella and Gemma, my main character isn't so eager to embrace the paranormal lifestyle, or, really, any lifestyle at all.

Instead, high-school dropout Ivy Morier has resigned herself to an inherited life of uninspiring drudgework and mediocrity, a standard of living passed from mother to daughter for five generations. Housekeeping for Katherine White, the richest and unhappiest of New England's heiresses, doesn't exactly motivate her to reach for fame and fortune, either.

But what Ivy isn't expecting is another inheritance: a penchant for occasional possessions by the dead. When Katherine is suddenly drugged then drowned, she's the first to take advantage of Ivy's talent, taking over her body to solve the mystery of her own death. Suddenly everyone seems to be interested in Ivy, from Katherine's hot, Shakespeare-spouting younger brother to a reclusive local author, all who seem to see potential for greatness in Ivy, and all who have motives for murder. Surrounded by suspects and struggling with new expectations for her future, Ivy must piece together the clues that Katherine is leaving behind and solve the mystery before the increasingly self-destructive ghost makes sure that Ivy doesn't have a future at all.

As a 21-year-old, I'm not too far removed from the age of the intended audience. I have studied creative writing at universities in the United States as well as England and have been writing, mostly young adult fiction, for a number of years. I have also received the (withheld) Memorial Scholarship for work in short fiction.

As per your guidelines, I've included the first three chapters as a word attachment to this e-mail. I'd be glad to send you the full manuscript upon your request, and I thank you for your consideration.

Best wishes,

QT: Here is your chance to plug your book. Tell us a little about it.

AK: I guess I've covered a lot of that in the query, but I'm really excited to get my name into the wildly expanding Young Adult genre. There's a lot of good stuff coming out for teens, and I'm hoping Ivy will find her place amongst it.

Thank you Ashley for sharing your experience with us.