Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Callie Fowler

Success Story Interview - Callie Fowler

An Interview with Callie Fowler (calliefowler on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Alex Gehringer of The Bright Agency.

04/03/2026

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Callie Fowler:
As a corrupt empire exterminates its magic-born, Aylee Ashbourne, an apprentice healer with newly discovered powers, must infiltrate the capital under the guise of a fake marriage to a dangerous rebel to assassinate the High Chancellor before his murderous campaign consumes the continent. WITH BALM AND BLADE is a romantic fantasy and my debut novel. I drew a lot of inspiration for Aylee’s healing craft and ethical struggles from my own work as an emergency and trauma nurse.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Callie Fowler:
My entire life. I loved creative writing in middle school and high school. I was the editor of my high school newspaper and interned with our local community news in college. After graduation, I worked in marketing and copywriting. Writing for other people paid the bills, but I lost the joy in writing for myself. WITH BALM AND BLADE is my first creative project in almost a decade.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Callie Fowler:
I started writing WITH BALM AND BLADE in June 2025. I completed the manuscript and started revisions in December 2025, then began querying in February 2026.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Callie Fowler:
Definitely. There were some days when the rejection emails hit harder than others. I often had to close the laptop and focus on other things. It was important to celebrate the wins—even if they felt small. Those boosts are so necessary. And finally, I had to remind myself to trust the process. Right as I was ready to press pause and rework my manuscript, the offer for representation came through.
QT: Is this your first book?: Callie Fowler:
WITH BALM AND BLADE is my debut novel! I have plenty of partial manuscripts and short stories that I wrote in high school, but those will stay locked in the closet where they belong.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Callie Fowler:
My first degree was in journalism and I took a few creative writing classes in college. But honestly? The best training came from reading—both craft books and books in my genre.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Callie Fowler:
Nope! I work full-time as an emergency nurse and 12-hour shifts make routines really tricky. I write in whatever pockets I can find—including every lunch break spent in the hospital cafeteria
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Callie Fowler:
At least five different drafts. And that doesn’t count the revisions I’m working with my agent on now! It’s such a process, but I loved watching new ideas click and spark with each version.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Callie Fowler:
Yes! Beta readers were such an important part of my revisions. I had eight different beta readers who were a mix of critique partners, plus friends and co-workers who were big readers in the fantasy space.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Callie Fowler:
A little of both. My first draft was messy, meandering, and oh so self-indulgent. I did my heavy outlining for the second draft, which is where the story really took on its shape and direction.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Callie Fowler:
About six weeks in the query trenches before getting my first offer for representation.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Callie Fowler:
I queried 62 different agents, with 14 full manuscript requests and three offers for representation.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Callie Fowler:
Genre and audience, first and foremost. I was always hunting for agents who were open to romantic fantasy for adult readers. I did a lot of research across their manuscript wishlists, QueryTracker, and Publisher’s Marketplace. Plus, a fair amount of social media stalking just to understand what sort of human they were. I tracked all my targets in a spreadsheet with a column just for notes about why they were a fit. Sometimes, all I wrote there was “VIBES.” Alex definitely had that note next to her name.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Callie Fowler:
I sure did! It was time-consuming, but I wanted to show that I was doing my homework. I always tried to reference direct language from the agent’s MSWL, pointing out exactly WHY I thought this project would resonate.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Callie Fowler:
Find your support group. The query trenches are rough, whether you’re in them for a week or years. Having writing friends to reach out to on the good days and the bad made it so much more survivable. Also, do your homework, take notes, and track your progress. Sending out queries in “rounds” helped me understand which parts of my query package were working and which components needed further tinkering. Finally, I highly recommend checking out live pitch events. I made so many great connections through these events and felt so much more confident talking about my book as a result.

Success Story Interview - Callie Fowler

Query Letter: