Jaime Boust has recently signed with agent Victoria Sanders of Victoria Sanders & Associates. Jaime, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Congratulations and good luck.

QueryTracker: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you’ve found representation? What inspired you to write it?

Jaime Boust: My book is about a secret society that operates underneath San Francisco's Chinatown. When I learned there were ships from the Gold Rush buried beneath the city, I knew I wanted to write about it.



QT: How long have you been writing?

JB: I've been serious about writing fiction for the past eight years.



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

JB: I spent the last two years writing full time.



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

JB: I never felt like giving up. I was given this incredible support by my husband to quit my job and write a book, so that certainly helped motivate me to see it through. But there was certainly doubt. One day I'd feel brilliant, and the next day incapable. But if you know you're onto something, you have to write through the doubt and get it done.



QT: Is this your first book?

JB: Yes.



QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

JB: No. There were many peer writing groups and creative writing courses taught in living rooms, but nothing formal.



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

JB: I had a six-page daily minimum. I often wrote more, but very seldom wrote less. When I didn't meet my minimum, I had to make up those pages the next day.



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

JB: Around five or six. The completed manuscript is very different from the first draft. It took me at least three full drafts to find the story.



QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

JB: As I was writing, I had one very honest but greatly supportive beta-reader. After it was finished, and I was happy with it, I shared it with more people.



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

JB: I outlined extensively and then didn't stick to it.



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

JB: It was a little over three months, from first query to offer of representation.



QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?

JB: 40.



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

JB: I looked at the authors they represent, but mostly I read their bios and interviews they had given to get a sense of who they were and what they wanted.



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

JB: Not really. If there was a book/author the agent represented that really meant something to me, then I would say something, but the vast majority received my standard query letter.



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

JB: Finish your book to the best of your ability and aspiration. Take the time to research agents. Cast a wide net. Follow submission guidelines faithfully. Be meticulous in your communication.