Talia Vance recently signed with agent Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary Agency. Thank you Talia for agreeing to this interview, and good luck with your book.

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

Talia Vance: The book is a YA paranormal romance called WOLFSBANE. It started out as a fictional account of how I met my husband, but with better looking people and magic.



QT: How long have you been writing?

TV: I've been writing all my life in one form or another, but this is my first novel.



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

TV: 1-2 years.



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

TV: Many times. For years, I gave up before I even started. But once I started the book, I was committed. I fed my family members chapters as they were completed, and they encouraged me to keep going.



QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

TV: I took a few writing classes in college, but most of my training for this book came from reading and then going back and analyzing what I loved or didn't love about a given book.



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

TV: I work full time, so I mostly write on the weekends.



QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

TV: Yes, several. I think it's important to see if there are common criticisms.



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

TV: I wrote from the hip, but the result was way too many plot threads. Now I'm revising for my agent, and we worked together on an outline before I started the revision. I think I might be a convert!



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

TV: I queried this book for four months.



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

TV: 47, plus a few additional contest pitches that went nowhere.



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

TV: First, whether they represented my genre. Then, I looked at their interests, sales history, background. I read a lot of blogs and lurked on some writer forums to get the "buzz" on a particular agent.



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

TV: Sometimes, but not always. If I had some connection to the agent through a conference, blog or contest, I would mention it. If I loved a book by an author the agent represented, I would mention that. If it sounded like they might be interested in my book, I might mention something they said in an interview. But for many, I didn't personalize the query beyond the agent's name.



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

TV: Make sure your pages are polished and your manuscript is ready to send. Most agents will ask for a few sample pages, and those pages will usually get at least a cursory look. The query can be flawed, those first few pages can't be. That said, a "perfect" manuscript isn't required either. Most agents expect that there will be revisions. Get your story as good as you can make it, than trust the process.