Success Story Interview - Austin Rhea

An Interview with Austin Rhea (austingrhea on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Maggie Cooper of Aevitas Creative Management.

09/28/2026

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

Austin Rhea:
HOW TO COME HOME is a historical/romance novel about a former Prohibition-era fixer, newly released from prison after turning informant on his family's criminal empire, whose plans of living a penitent life are upended when he takes a job with a handsome disabled shopkeeper in small-town Kansas. As someone with a background in both genre studies and history, as well as being a queer creative myself, I wanted to write a book that challenges assumptions about historical queerness and the possibilities queer stories can provide, as well as giving readers the happy ending so many queer figures are unable to have.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Austin Rhea:
In short, forever! I was one of those rare people who always knew what they wanted to do when they grew up, and being an author is truly what I've been working my entire life to accomplish.

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

Austin Rhea:
I started the first draft in February 2024 and finished the first draft in late August 2024, and since then it's been revising/querying to produce its latest form.

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

Austin Rhea:
There were times I felt like giving up (or at least shelving) this specific book, but the larger goal of pursuing writing professionally has never faded. Decoupling the idea of success from one specific work was something I had to internalize in real time going through the querying process--having faith in myself as a writer and creator while also recognizing that one manuscript wouldn't make or break me was an important mindset to have, but it definitely didn't happen overnight.

QT: Is this your first book?

Austin Rhea:
This is the first book I've formally finished, but far from the first project I've set out on. Sorry to all the fully written outlines languishing on my computer--I hope to get to you all soon!

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Austin Rhea:
Yes! I have an undergraduate degree in English with a concentration in creative writing, and my master's thesis was closely focused on examining how genre impacts storytelling.

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

Austin Rhea:
After finishing the first horribly overwritten draft in late 2024, I did two substantive rewrites during the first six months of 2025, and one last word-cutting session at the end of that year to produce the version my agent ended up reading.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Austin Rhea:
Yes! I'm incredibly lucky to have three longtime friends who have read initial iterations of all the major projects I've worked on, and the process of writing HTCH also brought me further into the writing community on social media, where I was fortunate enough to meet other writers who subsequently became beta readers. Outside feedback is absolutely crucial, and having readers who know me primarily as Austin-the-person and others who know me primarily as Austin-the-writer was a huge help.

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

Austin Rhea:
I tend to have a handful of standout scenes that come to me first, but I eventually compile everything into an outline for reference. I often alter the outline as I write when elements change/evolve during the writing itself, but having a concrete plan/narrative is essential to keeping me on track.

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

Austin Rhea:
I sent my first query for HTCH in late May 2025 and my last one in early July 2026. This is the first book I've queried.

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

Austin Rhea:
Just over 100!

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

Austin Rhea:
As I mentioned before, have faith in yourself as a creative above any particular work. You are not meant to only tell one story, and prioritizing your craft as an artist is worth more than staking your hopes to a specific manuscript. Have fun, make sure you have a solid support system, and be open to opportunities coming when they will--I was readying myself to shelve HTCH when my agent requested my full manuscript, and I'd been writing for a good 20 years before the idea for HTCH came to me and demanded to be the first book I wrote cover-to-cover. So much of this life and process is unpredictable, and that's the beauty of it.

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

Austin Rhea:
Yep! Here's the version that ended up leading to my offer:

Query Letter:

Dear X,

I'm thrilled to present HOW TO COME HOME, a 96,000-word romantic historical novel that combines the queer domesticity of WE COULD BE SO GOOD with the Americana setting of THE FOUR WINDS and the complex family dynamics and interrogations of criminality in PEAKY BLINDERS.


1937. Ten years ago, Nathan Gilliard stole and buried $100,000 in gold from his family's safe before damning his brothers to prison, turning informant on their Prohibition-era criminal empire after their dealings led to the death of his little sister. All he wants from his new freedom is to get back to his money and live a quiet, penitent life, but all he can afford with his meager prison earnings is a train ticket to a town hours away from his stash. Taking a job in the town's local general store seems the best way to get back on his feet and closer to his future of atoning for his sins—even if the shop owner and his daughter pull at a curiosity he thought he'd left behind bars.


Single father Lawrence Freburg will do anything to support the daughter and the floundering business his late sister left behind. When his lifelong visual disabilities take a turn for the worse, bringing on the mysterious Nathan to work in the store provides a panacea for his personal and professional worries. As the two live and work together, business compatibility turns to companionship, and then an intimacy neither expected—a bond that makes Nathan question his pursuit of a solitary life over one lived in partnership. A life where he can leave blood money in the ground.


When Nathan's brothers break out of jail to recover the stolen gold and enact their own violent revenge, they threaten not only the peace he and Lawrence have begun to build but their very lives. But Nathan knows his brothers would rather see him dead than rich, and he'd rather leave the gold six feet under than see his family use it for ill—or see them use his new loved ones as leverage to get to it. Desperate to truly protect those he's come to love—Lawrence most of all—he must determine what he's willing to do to end a decade of grudges for good—and whether he can survive the wreckage of his former life.


After earning bachelor's degrees in history and creative writing as well as a master's in English, writing HOW TO COME HOME has encapsulated my academic interests, my own queer identity, and my desire to champion queer stories, particularly nuanced portrayals of queerness and masculinity. I was shortlisted for the 2025 Revise & Resub (#RevPit) annual contest and am a two-time recipient of a #10Queries critique, and I am extremely eager to continue to hone my craft and produce thoroughly researched and emotionally resonant work.


Thank you for your consideration, and I hope to hear from you!