Dorothy Winsor has recently signed with agent Sarah Yake of Frances Collin Literary Agency. Thank you Dorothy for agreeing to this interview, and we all wish you the best of luck with this and future books. 


QueryTracker: How long have you been writing?

Dorothy Winsor: About six years, though seriously only for the last three. Before that, I had a good time and learned a lot while playing around with Tolkien fanfiction. Then one day, a site I posted on reminded me that I'd written over a million words of fanfic. I recalled the adage that you have to write a million words of junk before you're ready to write well, and I decided it was time to try my hand at original work.

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

DW: I was pretty discouraged when my first novel didn't find an agent. Starting a new book helped tremendously because it allowed me to detach from the first one and get excited again. Also, I had some minor successes that kept me going, things like being accepted to a workshop that billed itself as "advanced" and for which I had to qualify.

QT: Is this your first book?

DW: It's my second novel.

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

DW: The first draft took me about three months, then it took me six more to revise, get feedback, let it sit, revise some more, and get to what looked like a final draft to me.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

DW: This is harder to answer than it should be! I'm an English professor, and my dissertation was on the novel, so I have lots of training in what makes a good story, what the techniques of fiction are, and how English works. However, I never took a class in creative writing until I went to my first workshop last year. Instead, I learned from feedback by good beta readers, from reading books on writing, and from analyzing other people's writing.

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

DW: Yes. Writing regularly at the same time keeps me on course and lets my muse know when to show up. I have a terrible time resisting the temptation to surf the internet, so I go to the library and write by hand for two hours.

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

DW: Oh geez. Maybe four times? After I finished the first draft, I let it sit and then revised before I sent it to beta readers. That was for consistency, pacing, and lively language. The second revision was after the beta readers gave me feedback, and again that was mostly consistency and pacing. I did the third revision after I workshopped it at the Taos Toolbox. That time I added two new chapters (including a brand new chapter 1) and worked on making events more causally connected. And I revised a fourth time after feedback from an agent who turned me down on a full. That was for voice, and that seemed to be the key that finally made the difference.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

DW: You better believe it. I can't imagine doing this without betas. Beta readers push me to be better than I think I can be.

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

DW: I outline. I also do a lot of character and world building ahead of time. Of course, plot, character, and world can all change once I get started, but I need to know where I'm going if I ever hope to get there.

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

DW: I queried this book for about nine months before I got an agent. I queried my first book for about the same amount of time before I gave up.

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

DW: They had to represent my genre and either be a member of AAR or follow AAR standards.

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

DW: No, I didn't.

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

DW: Learn the basics of how to query and follow the guidelines each agent gives. Beyond that, treat querying as a business practice and try not to think about it too much. You'll be happier if you concentrate instead on writing new material that's even better than what you're querying. I finished a book doing that, and my agent has now decided to submit it to publishers before she sends the one that led her to offer me representation.


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

DW: My letter is below. For this interview, I asked my agent what worked for her in my letter, and her answer follows the query.

Dear Ms. Yake:
 
Did you know that in the early middle ages, almost all brewing was done by women?  That unexpected fact lies behind my young adult fantasy, Brewster's Magic, complete at 55,000 words.  I know from QueryTracker.net that you represent fantasy writers.  Would you be interested in representing Brewster's Magic?

When a brewster from the biggest town in the province offers to teach Carra the women's trade of making ale, she can't accept fast enough.  Here's her chance to escape being married off to an elderly neighbor.  What's more, to sixteen-year-old Carra, life in town hums with excitement and the possibility of romance and independence.

But when war breaks out, the resulting chaos damages the brewster's trade.  Desperate to avoid returning home, Carra takes on extra work.  She even tries her hand at the illegal practice of alchemy.  Her efforts lead to disaster when the local innkeeper dies after drinking ale Carra brewed.  Carra believes she didn't kill anyone, but it's up to her to uncover the truth.  Through a series of terrifying events, she discovers the Town Master's greed has led him to treason and murder—and he needs a brewster and alchemist to help him.  Carra's sole chance for escape means risking not only her own life, but also the lives of people she loves.

I'm an English professor who's published two non-fiction books and been editor of an academic journal.  I workshopped this novel at the Taos Toolbox workshop this summer and attended Viable Paradise in October. I've pasted the first five pages in below. Thank you for your consideration.

Sarah Yake's comments:

The first thing that attracted me to your query was the promise of a unique character, female brewster-in-training Carra.  However, a quirky character or plot line alone is not enough to garner a request for a partial manuscript--the query letter itself must be well written and compelling and follow the guidelines set forth by the agency.  The quality of your letter, the clarity and the flow of ideas, indicated that your manuscript would exhibit the same careful craftsmanship. Though I knew I wanted to see this novel before I reached the end of your letter, the final paragraph enumerating your teaching, publishing and editorial experiences and stating that the manuscript had been workshopped, which shows a willingness to revise the work, cemented my decision to request a sample.