Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Amanda Linnemeyer

Success Story Interview - Amanda Linnemeyer

An Interview with Amanda Linnemeyer (amanda_linnemeyer on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Jess Taylor of Martin Literary Management.

04/08/2026

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
The book that I queried Jess with is an NA female, morally-gray Robin Hood reimagining (with a heavy emphasis on the reimagining part) called All That Glitters. The idea, as with most of the books I've written, sprouted from a small bit of a dream I had. It stuck with me throughout the day, eventually unfolding into a full book idea. In this case, the dream pertained to what is the eventual twist, and the villain's backstory/lore is the first thing I came up with.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
I wrote my first book back in 2019, then took a break for a while after getting pregnant with my second child. ( I was too sick to look at screens for a long while, and that broke me of my writing habit). A very weird series of events that would take too long to describe here led me to return to writing in 2023, I believe. And now I've just started working on my 11th book!
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
I wrote this book over a span of about 3 months, went through edits with my amazing CP, then started querying. It was heavily requested, but ohhhhhh my goodness did agents have VERY varied opinions on the direction it should go. After a few rewrites it got me my first agent (Short version: she eventually ghosted me and is no longer an agent). I'd written two other books during that time, but decided to requery this one along with the others (as well as another I wrote during the time I was waiting to hear back on queries. I'm sortof crazy and I don't recommend querying four projects at once to anyone lol). This book, once again, did well in the trenches. Jess offered me an R&R and I loved her suggested edits, and I'm thrilled to be working with her now!
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
I don't know how to quit. Seriously. I'm not as severe of a perfectionist as I was as a kid, but I don't give up when things get hard. I know I'm a good writer, and writing makes me happy. It keeps me sane. I'm in this for the long haul, and I'm determined to make it in this crazy industry.
QT: Is this your first book?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
Oh goodness, no. Technically this was my 5th book, but it's had several major overhauls since "finishing" it
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
I have a BA in English from BYU with an emphasis in creative writing, but I feel like most of what I've learned has simply come from writing on a consistent basis. I've gotten better with each book I've done.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
Right now I've still got younger kids, so the majority of my writing time is during the afternoon when I can convince my youngest to have some "quiet time" in her room for an hour or so (if I'm lucky). However, she starts school this fall, so I'll finally have more time to write during the day! I already write quickly, but I'll appreciate having the extra time to give to beta reading and doing edits as I (hopefully) find homes for more of my books
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
I believe I did four or five major edits, the last of which being the R&R that got me my offer!
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
I've had a very hard time finding reliable beta readers in the past (though that has finally changed), so this one only had feedback from my CP
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
I'm a "plantser." I usually come up with the concept first, then write a loose outline, then I start writing the scenes in whatever order they come to mind, letting the characters I've created dictate how they'll react in each situation, and fill in the gaps in the story later. This helps keep me from getting writers block.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
My Querytracker says 124, but it was probably more than that since there are at least a couple agents I queried who aren't on QT (one of whom actually also offered). This was, of course, over an extended period of time since I had to return to querying after parting with my former agent
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
The range of what I write is a little all over the place. I do YA, NA, and some adult books. My first published book is a YA fantasy/dystopian horror. My next book that comes out with a small press this year (Hollow Daggers) is an adult speculative thriller with spy vibes. The MS that got me my agent is an NA romantasy. I've also done an adult romantasy, YA romantasy, YA magical realism novel, NA speculative thriller that comps to YOU and Phantom of the Opera, etc. And my next book is a YA folklore-esque horror. All that being said, I was looking for an agent that loves fantasy, but would be fine repping the other projects I branch out into. I'm keen to promote myself as a brand, not just my individual books, like Brandon Sanderson has done.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
Only when I had a specific reason to do so. For instance, if their MSWL mentioned fairy tale retellings, or if they'd previously requested any material from me. Other that that, I've found that most agents really don't care if it's personalized (especially if it's not genuine)
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
Be persistent. Over the past year I got an agent, had my first book come out with a small press, had to part with my agent when she stopped responding, had the press that published my book decide to close unexpectedly, found a new press for said book, and now got another agent. It has been a wild ride, to say the least. But I never gave up. I jumped back into querying with both feet, and (THIS IS IMPORTANT!) always kept writing something new. Working on new material kept me sane while I was waiting to hear back from agents. Publishing generally works at a glacial pace, so you need to find a way to push forward during all the down time.
QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?: Amanda Linnemeyer:
Sure! Here's a generalized version I can share.

Success Story Interview - Amanda Linnemeyer

Query Letter: