Success Story Interview - Alison Bertuna

An Interview with Alison Bertuna (alibertuna on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Jess Taylor of Martin-Newens Literary Management.

06/19/2026

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

Alison Bertuna:
My debut novel, THE FULL BLOOM BAKESHOP, is an adult cozy fantasy romance. It has witches, magical investigators, mystery, and–of course–pastries. I’m a baker who lives in a seaside town, so this book really came from the heart.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Alison Bertuna:
I started seriously writing novels after I had my second child in January 2025. An idea for a book came to me while on a walk, and I haven’t stopped since.

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

Alison Bertuna:
This book poured out of me. I started writing it in July 2025 and finished the first draft by September. Then, I edited until December, and started querying in January 2026.

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

Alison Bertuna:
I get bouts of imposter syndrome every now and then. I started a running document of all the lovely feedback from agents' rejections that I revisit when I need a pick-me-up.

QT: Is this your first book?

Alison Bertuna:
This is the first book I’ve completed.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Alison Bertuna:
Nope! I have a Bachelor of Science, but took some creative writing classes in college which definitely helped.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Alison Bertuna:
Ideally, I like to write at night and edit in the morning. But since I have little kids, there’s not really a true “routine”.

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

Alison Bertuna:
I’ve kept coming back and tweaking this manuscript, but there were 3 different drafts overall.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Alison Bertuna:
A few trusted friends!

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

Alison Bertuna:
I’m definitely a plotter. I plan, plot, and outline until I start writing down snippets of dialogue and scenes. Then I’m like, maybe I should just write the thing!

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

Alison Bertuna:
This is the first book I’ve queried and it took about 6 months until I received an offer.

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

Alison Bertuna:
I sent about 100 queries for this novel.

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

Alison Bertuna:
I didn’t. I went down the rabbit hole on this and found the discussion around tailoring was split about 50/50. I don’t think it can hurt! I just didn’t want to waste the word count on something that could be inferred from my query

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

Alison Bertuna:
Polish your query letter and beginning pages. Then go polish some more. The Sh*t No One Tells You About Writing podcast has a lovely segment where they dissect queries and opening pages–this helped me immensely. Even if the rest of your book is amazing, an agent won’t keep reading if your first few pages fall flat!