Success Story Interview - Argelia E. Mann

An Interview with Argelia E. Mann (revolita on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Ciara Smith of Spencerhill Associates.

12/19/2025

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

Argelia E. Mann:
Absolutely! The book that I found representation with is called TO BECOME THE MOON, and it's a queer adult romantasy set in precolonial Central America that reimagines Nahua gods. I'm Salvadoran-Canadian, and my family has always been very proud of our Nahua (Pipil) heritage. I've always loved learning about our ancestry, and I wanted to share that love with those who would be otherwise unfamiliar with or entirely unaware of the culture.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Argelia E. Mann:
I started writing extremely young, around the age of 10! I still have files from 2012, when I first participated in that November writing event we no longer discuss. I did take some lengthy breaks to focus on college and work, but I'd say that I've written sporadically for the past 16 years, and seriously (with the intention of pursuing traditional publishing) for the past 4–5 years.

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

Argelia E. Mann:
This idea first struck me in 2023, but I didn't start truly brainstorming until early 2025. I started the first draft in March of 2025 and began querying it in August 2025.

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

Argelia E. Mann:
More than once! Querying can do a number on your mental health. After my very first project did poorly in the trenches, I could barely write; I was so focused on how my first query attempt had failed so spectacularly. The best advice I can give is to start drafting the next thing. I always inevitably fall in love with whichever project is the most recent, and that passion takes so much pressure off of whatever project is in the trenches at the time. It's also amazing to see yourself improve. I told myself, "if not this one, the next one is even stronger" and that helped me keep going, even when it felt hopeless.

QT: Is this your first book?

Argelia E. Mann:
Not at all! Unfinished and unrevised drafts aside, I have 2 manuscripts I completed and queried before TBTM, one of which I did a full rewrite of in a different genre.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Argelia E. Mann:
Nope! I just have a lot of passion.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Argelia E. Mann:
I do! I work full-time and I'm about a third through an accelerated bachelor's degree, so writing time can be very limited. I wake up at 5:30 each morning to write for about 2 hours before work, and I often try to sneak in another hour or so after dinner on school/work days, homework-depending. I try to reserve my weekends for writing (and relaxing!), so I'm able to make progress then, as well!

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

Argelia E. Mann:
I think this project got about 9 drafts with 4 of those being pretty substantial developmental edits. I was so unhappy with the second half of it that I rewrote the back 40% from scratch on my first revision pass, and the story is much stronger because of it!

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Argelia E. Mann:
I did! I had a weekly critique group, and I also had about 4 beta readers. Two of the betas read drafts four and five respectively, and the last two betas read the version I queried.

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

Argelia E. Mann:
Funnily enough, this was the project that made me realize I'm much more suited to being a pantser. I'd always made these elaborate outlines that made sense in theory, but once written, the plot felt very stilted. I am also someone who always falls off my outlines and goes a completely different direction. At the 20% mark of this book, I took a turn that meant completely abandoning the outline I'd made, and I decided to give pantsing a try as an experiment. It worked out!

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

Argelia E. Mann:
I sent the first query for TBTM on August 3rd, 2025, and I received my first offer of representation on December 3rd, 2025, so it was in the trenches for exactly 4 months. I've also had two projects die in the trenches; I queried my first book and its complete rewrite in 2023/early 2024 and my second book in late 2024/early 2025.

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

Argelia E. Mann:
I sent 30 queries for TO BECOME THE MOON.

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

Argelia E. Mann:
Genre was the most important criteria, but I also looked for agents who uplifted historically marginalized authors, because that's something very important to me. I also wanted to make sure that they'd be open to other projects I might work on in the future, so I compared their MSWLs to both TBTM and my WIPs/future ideas. I also checked that they were reputable agents at reputable agencies.

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

Argelia E. Mann:
I did adjust the wording of my genre depending on what the agent was most hungry for based on the MSWL. TBTM has a lot of unique features; it's queer, historical, a reimagining, mythology-based, set in precolonial Central America, and also of course romantasy. I sometimes called it a "queer romantasy" or a "historical romantasy", etc., to show the agent why it would appeal to them. I was also lucky to receive a lot of likes from pitch events, so I made sure to note the post that had caused the agent to solicit the query or full, when applicable.

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

Argelia E. Mann:
I would say: Don't give up, find a community, and start writing the next thing! Having others who understand what it's like to query is so, so important for mental health, and I've made some amazing friends in the writing community. As well, like I said before, starting a new project is the best way I found to reduce some of the stress. It reached the point where I was actually excited to query my next WIPs, and that's the best mentality I think you can have.

QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?

Argelia E. Mann:
Absolutely! I have pasted it below, with some bio details redacted for privacy:

Query Letter:

Dear Agent,

TO BECOME THE MOON is an adult romantasy, complete at 90,000 words. Steeped in Nahua (Pipil) culture and set against the lush backdrop of precolonial Central America, it blends the bargains and tethered love interests in Alysha Rameera’s Her Soul for a Crown, the non-Western mythology in Kritika H. Rao’s The Legend of Meneka, and the linked enemies-to-lovers in Maiga Doocy’s Sorcery and Small Magics.

Itotia, a healer’s apprentice struggling to meet her mentor’s expectations, sees visions when she touches others. She believes it’s a sign of possession—an omen warranting exile or death—until her attempted banishment ritual truly binds her to the god she calls on. But the moon deity, Metztli, is self-serving and nothing like who Itotia thought she worshipped. If she can't unbraid them from her essence before her clan grows suspicious, she’ll not only forfeit her chance to prove her worth by becoming a healer but risk becoming as immoral as the deity.

Metztli, the exiled moon deity, has been confined to the human realm for showing humanity. They despise prayer, and the bond with mortal Itotia means they’ll die when she does. But the gods have long needed a human with magic to interpret emotion, and the shared connection gives Metztli the leverage they need to claw themself back to divine standing. The deity bargains with the wicked gods: Metztli will deliver unknowing Itotia to the divine realm in exchange for a broken bond and their returned seat in the sky.

The two can hardly get through a conversation, let alone a tethered line of thought. Yet as Metztli struggles to prepare none-the-wiser Itotia for her fate, something more unnerving blooms in their once-immortal chest. They begin to relish how Itotia challenges them, just as Itotia starts to admire the way Metztli defines a being’s worth. Itotia’s determination to excel is engulfing, and soon, Metztli’s certainty in the irreversible bargain morphs into dread for the day Itotia discovers it.

By day, I am a psychology student at [Mexican university] and a self-employed graphic designer. I am a Salvadoran-Canadian who drew from my direct Pipil ancestry when crafting this story. Nestled in the mountains in [small town], I can be found with a cat on my shoulder and coffee in hand. Like Itotia and Metztli, I am a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.