Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Abigail McIntosh

Success Story Interview - Abigail McIntosh

An Interview with Abigail McIntosh (abymack on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Dorian Maffei of Looking Glass Literary & Media.

09/14/2026

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Abigail McIntosh:
She Who Holds the Sea is a story about a goddess-touched island princess captured by pirates and the tortured guard who sails the seas to save her.

It’s inspired by pre-colonial Jamaica and I drew a lot of inspiration from my Caribbean roots. I really wanted to bring a new take on the pirate story, whilst also touching on the price of imperialism and anti-colonial themes.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Abigail McIntosh:
For around 14 years, on and off. I’ve completed 5 books during this time with 2 drafted.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Abigail McIntosh:
For around 14 years, on and off. I completed my first draft when I was 15 years old, took a 9 year hiatus, revisited it at 24 and that’s when the book (and my writing) significantly improved.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Abigail McIntosh:
Yes, I actually took a 9 year hiatus after I finished the first draft. It was mainly because I started university, but I kept dreaming about this story and decided to get back to it. I was very passionate about my characters, Chani and Kaien and the story as a whole, and that passion is what propelled me forward.
QT: Is this your first book?: Abigail McIntosh:
Yes. Originally, this was a Pirates of the Caribbean fan fiction I wrote on Wattpad when I was 15. But then I revised it and drew inspiration from my country of birth and then it became something else entirely.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Abigail McIntosh:
No, but I do have a BSc, MSc and am currently doing my PhD.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Abigail McIntosh:
Not really. I just write when inspiration sparks and I can be very passionate when I have an idea so it’s easy for it to flow. That being said I also experience a lot of burnout because I push myself so hard, that’s when I’d try and do my best to ‘visualise’ and ‘set the tone’ to write by listening to a curated playlist for She Who Holds the Sea, watching movies or reading books inspired by and trying to ‘coax’ my brain into behaving.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Abigail McIntosh:
At this current moment, I am on draft 20. Before I signed with my agent I was on draft 15. But that’s because I wrote this when I was 15 and my writing style was very very different at that time. Also, I revised my manuscript around 3 times whilst I was querying (specifically the middle because that was where the pacing dragged) according to feedback I got from agents.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Abigail McIntosh:
I did, which helped immensely. I highly recommend beta readers and a writers critique group for the process.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Abigail McIntosh:
I do a bit of both. I will usually think of my book like a movie and dream up all the big sequences, write those down, and then usually in revisions I will add in the other nuances that are very important and other chapters that I may have neglected during the ‘movie’ portion of my outlining.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Abigail McIntosh:
This is the first book I queried. I started in the end of September 2025 and signed with my agent early March 2026. So around 5 months.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Abigail McIntosh:
I sent out 160 queries. Received 17 full requests, 1 R&R (which I credit for me receiving an offer) and numerous offers of rep.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Abigail McIntosh:
Fantasy and having a diverse client list were the biggest criterion. I wanted to work with an agent who’d be a great advocate for my work as it’s a BIPOC and non-western setting. My agent has gone above and beyond and I’m so very grateful that she was just as passionate about my story, sometimes more so than me.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Abigail McIntosh:
Not really. Sometimes if I felt their #MSWL was closely aligned with my story, I would mention it. Many stated they didn’t expect it as they knew writers were sending it off to multiple people. Those are the agents I’m grateful for as they were very understanding!
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Abigail McIntosh:
Keep going! Nearing the end it definitely felt demoralising and just exhausting, but when my agent offered everything happened so quickly. Just keep revising your query letter and synopsis, but above all else make sure your manuscript has been read by beta readers and it’s the best you can ever make it. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but just really focus on pacing.

Success Story Interview - Abigail McIntosh

Query Letter: