Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Sophia K Brinton

Success Story Interview - Sophia K Brinton

An Interview with Sophia K Brinton (sophiakate on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Leah Moss of Steven Literary.

02/08/2024

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Sophia K Brinton:
This book was inspired by the sibling story in Practical Magic: How two siblings can have the same powers but view them so differently.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Sophia K Brinton:
I've been writing here and there for my whole life, but I wrote my first full length novel in 2017, and have been writing daily since 2019.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Sophia K Brinton:
I wrote it in 2021 and started querying it in 2022 (22 months)
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Sophia K Brinton:
No. I was always determined to get published one way or another. An agent seems like the best way, but small presses are also a great option.
QT: Is this your first book?: Sophia K Brinton:
This is the 8th book I've written and the 3rd book I've queried.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Sophia K Brinton:
Nope.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Sophia K Brinton:
Yes, I write first thing in the morning every day, around 545, until 640 when my kids get up.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Sophia K Brinton:
Omg how many times? I can't remember. I had two massive revisions during the 22 months of querying. Before that, I think I had at least 8 drafts, with beta readers in between, along with reading it out loud, listening to it, reading it on kindle, etc. All the things we do to try to perfect a book.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Sophia K Brinton:
Yes, at many different stages.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Sophia K Brinton:
I used the Save the Cat Writes a Novel beats to roughly outline the shape of this book.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Sophia K Brinton:
22 months for this book. I started querying my first book in early 2020, and in 2021 queried my second. I signed that one with an agent but she quit the business so in spring 2022 I began querying this book.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Sophia K Brinton:
194 queries sent, per my QT dashboard. 23 requests.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Sophia K Brinton:
I wanted agents who accepted YA fantasy, who were LGBTQIA+ friendly, who had made a sale or who worked at an agency with good support, who had a friendly online presence, who had a good reputation, who I'd interacted with in the past.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Sophia K Brinton:
No. Mostly I did not. Only if i knew one of their clients or had something specific to say.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Sophia K Brinton:
Stick with it. Send one out for every rejection. Keep writing the new book.

Success Story Interview - Sophia K Brinton

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