Success Story Interview - Amy Wolf

An Interview with Amy Wolf (amywolfie on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Claire Gerus of Claire Gerus Literary Agency.

02/13/2012

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

Amy Wolf:
It's a memoir called Don't Let Me Die In A Motel 6: Or How I Beat The Great Recession. It charts my life over the past two years, when I went from making $80k/year to applying for food stamps.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Amy Wolf:
My whole life.

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

Amy Wolf:
Three months.

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

Amy Wolf:
Yes, in fact I did give up, for 15 years. It was having something compelling to say that brought me back.

QT: Is this your first book?

Amy Wolf:
No.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Amy Wolf:
Yes, I was part of the Clarion West Writer's Workshop program in Seattle.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Amy Wolf:
Yes. I did the NaNoWriMo, and wrote 1600 words a day for a month.

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

Amy Wolf:
Many, over a two-month period.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Amy Wolf:
Nope.

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

Amy Wolf:
I followed the trajectory of my life.

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

Amy Wolf:
One week.

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

Amy Wolf:
About 20.

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

Amy Wolf:
I looked for those who represented similar writers, or who expressed interest in seeing memoirs.

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

Amy Wolf:
Sometimes. I would add a few lines addressing that specific agent's needs/interests.

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

Amy Wolf:
NEVER GIVE UP!!!