Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews A.S. Greenleaf

Success Story Interview - A.S. Greenleaf

An Interview with A.S. Greenleaf (GalacticWyvern on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Francesca Ali of William Morris Endeavor.

05/26/2026

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: A.S. Greenleaf:
I CHOOSE THE BEAR is a queer, feminist novel that reimagines portions of the Kalevala, the mythological epic of Finland. I wanted to give my central character, Aino, a juster ending than she received in the original narrative. I was also motivated to write this book by the lack of sapphic-led stories and authentic Finnish fantasy.
QT: How long have you been writing?: A.S. Greenleaf:
I picked up a copy of The Hunger Games when I was ten, and I was immediately hooked. I’ve been writing ever since.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: A.S. Greenleaf:
The idea for I CHOOSE THE BEAR came two years ago, around the time of the ‘man or bear’ debate. After a false start and months of letting the idea brew, I picked it up in April 2025. Getting the book ready to query took half a year, but I wrote the actual first draft of the manuscript in a month and a half. (I’ve never written anything so fast before!)
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: A.S. Greenleaf:
I grew up reading YA, so I always assumed I’d write it – even after I started reading adult fiction. But months of querying I CHOOSE THE BEAR as YA resulted in almost total radio silence. I was ready to shelve the project when a friend pointed out what I’d written was too reflective to be YA. I realised she was right, and without changing anything about the manuscript itself, I repackaged the project as adult and sent out a new batch of queries.
QT: Is this your first book?: A.S. Greenleaf:
Not counting all the fragmentary manuscripts I wrote as a teenager, this is my second complete, edited novel.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: A.S. Greenleaf:
No, I don’t. I got my start in craft from Writing Fiction For Dummies as a preteen, and I later found a lot of excellent writing resources online. My passion for personality psychology and my schooling’s heavy emphasis on formal grammar have also been helpful. But my most valuable training has come from reading new authors and then experimenting with the techniques they use in my own writing.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: A.S. Greenleaf:
I’m fortunate enough to be able to write for a few hours most days. Whenever I have free time in the morning or afternoon, I’ll do something – write a few pages or even just brainstorm for one of my projects. The small things all add up, in the end.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: A.S. Greenleaf:
I wrote I CHOOSE THE BEAR long-hand and took a month off the book after finishing it. Then I typed the manuscript up on the computer, making content changes as I went along, before finally doing a line edit. (That’s three drafts in all.)
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: A.S. Greenleaf:
After I finished my self-edits, I gave the book to a trusted friend who reads my genre. She gave me valuable feedback on some technical and cultural issues.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: A.S. Greenleaf:
For I CHOOSE THE BEAR, I researched ancient Finland and my source text and wrote major character bios before moving onto the plot. For that part, I worked from a short pitch and a Save the Cat beat sheet down to a synopsis and scene list. I left the fun of discovering scene-level events till my first draft. Sketching out all the key arcs in advance made my writing much cleaner, so editing was a breeze (unlike for my first book).
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: A.S. Greenleaf:
I’ve been querying for two years. My first book only lasted through two months in the trench and a few dozen rejections before I realised the plot structure was a mess and shelved it. For I CHOOSE THE BEAR, I queried it as YA for 5 months and as adult for 1 month.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: A.S. Greenleaf:
Counting only the adult ones, I sent 52 query letters. Within a few weeks, I had a full request and then an offer. The offering agent, Francesca Ali, shared my vision for my work, so I broke with convention and withdrew my remaining queries to move forward with her.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: A.S. Greenleaf:
It’s sometimes hard for me to categorise my own work, so I cast a fairly wide net. I used QueryTracker and Absolute Write to check if the agents were reputable. Beyond that, I made sure I was querying agents who were open to the fantastical elements of my work. And if they were interested in retellings, queer themes, or my favourite authors, that was always a bonus.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: A.S. Greenleaf:
I added an extra line for a few who represented books I’d enjoyed or who I’d been drawn to by an interview. (I didn’t find it made a difference; my interest came from unpersonalised queries.) For me, the most effective strategy was to ensure my letter and opening pages reflected I CHOOSE THE BEAR’s flavour and story as accurately as possible. If my book aligned with an agent’s interests, these materials would then hopefully be enough to hook them.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: A.S. Greenleaf:
Writing is a lifelong vocation. It’s essential to enjoy the journey rather than being overly focused on the next goal. For me, that means accepting I have room to grow and change as an artist and being open to feedback and experimentation.

But most of all, remember your why. Find other books and multimedia that inspire you and try to enjoy your writing. If you do, that passion will come through on the page and engage the right readers. (If you don’t enjoy your work, who will?)

Success Story Interview - A.S. Greenleaf

Query Letter: