Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Deborah Yelle

Success Story Interview - Deborah Yelle

An Interview with Deborah Yelle (DeborahYelle on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Danielle Burby of Mad Woman Literary Agency.

06/28/2024

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Deborah Yelle:
My book is a YA Gothic fantasy Annabel Lee retelling. It has dark fairytale imagery, a seaside atmosphere, a crumbling castle, light horror elements, and two sisters with supernatural abilities attending their weeklong ball.
I was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee,” which is my favorite poem not only by Edgar Allan Poe but of all time. Something about the poem’s imagery just stuck with me and I really wanted to make a story with those same elements. I was also inspired by the concept of grief and loss, which both Evermore girls must deal with in my story.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Deborah Yelle:
Honestly, I’ve been writing practically my whole life! When I was nine years old, I participated in this Young Authors contest and wrote this story called “The Best Dragon.” I still have it today, and technically, I guess it’s my first book! I was only eight years old, so the story isn’t the best, but clearly writing has been my passion for nearly my whole life, it just took me a while to realize it! I started writing with the intent of getting published four and a half years ago.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Deborah Yelle:
Technically, since 2020. It was the second book I ever wrote, but that book, while having the same characters and the same themes, is completely different from the book that got me my agent. For one, it didn’t have a weeklong ball or ghosts or ancient gods or supernatural abilities. Those are elements I added last year, after almost completely rewriting the story. Before my rewrite, I had edited the story countless times, but I never queried it. I think it’s because deep down, I knew it wasn’t ready, and I am so glad I listened to my gut and did not query it back then. While I loved the first version of that story, I do believe the story I have since written is the story it is meant to be.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Deborah Yelle:
Yes and no. I knew I would never give up because I am not the type to give up on something I really want, and I would have written and queried dozens more books if that’s what it would have taken to eventually get an agent. But it was also hard, for numerous reasons. Querying is not for the faint of heart, especially when it’s full of rejections. It’s even harder when you’re dealing with hardships and stresses outside of querying. There were definitely times when I questioned whether this was all for naught, but those moments never lasted for long, and I’m sure most authors go through these doubts at some point, especially during the querying process.
It helped me to keep the mindset that everything I did—working on a new story, querying an agent, reworking the opening chapters, absorbing critique, fixing what I could, marketing myself on Twitter/X, participating in pitch events—was bringing me one step closer to my end goal and one step closer to achieving my dream. Even when I couldn’t see the finishing line, I had to believe every step was bringing me closer to it. Even when the road is long and shadowy, you have to believe you will eventually reach the end of it. I am going to keep that mindset now that I finally have my dream agent. It is both a finishing line, and another starting line. Another road I must take one step at a time, believing I will eventually make it to the next goalpost (publishing a book this time).
It also helped that I had my husband cheering me on from the sideline, and my cats, who inspire me every day because of my love for them, as well as my desire to make a better life for all of us, something I hope to accomplish with my author career.
I must also give props to the writing community on Twitter/X! There are so many supportive writers there, and it has been a joy supporting each other, seeing them pitch their marvelous stories and knowing that I was not alone in the harrowing query trenches.
QT: Is this your first book?: Deborah Yelle:
If only it was that easy! This is the second/sixth book I’ve written!
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Deborah Yelle:
My writing training comes from my English degree and a fiction writing class I took in community college. Of course, I didn’t realize I wanted to be a published author until AFTER I graduated with my BA so I went the literature route instead of the creative writing route. (What can I say, I loved reading and analyzing literature). Alas, I am set on improving my craft by reading as many books as humanly possible (although my reading pace has never slower this year *insert sad face here*) and reading craft books such as Save the Cat!, The Emotion Thesaurus, The Emotional Wound Thesaurus, and etc.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Deborah Yelle:
I try to, but my life is far from routine, so it’s hard to follow a writing routine. Nonetheless, I do my best to write every day, even if that writing is only a few hundred words or brainstorming. My best writing sessions happen after noon or when it is nighttime.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Deborah Yelle:
Hahahaha too many, I’ve honestly lost count. I edited it probably 3 or more times when it was a monstrosity with 3-POVs I titled A KINGDOM OF SALT AND DECAY. And then I edited probably another 3 or more times when it was the rewritten version now called GHOSTS OF EVERMORE. Heck, I even edited it once while I was querying, the beginning of the year because I thought the pacing was too slow at the beginning and tried to add more “action.”
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Deborah Yelle:
A little of both. I like to have the book’s main plot points down, but my writing flows better when I let my characters dictate the writing. My characters really come alive for me when I’m writing, so I never know where they will take me along the road I have set down for them.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Deborah Yelle:
I sent my first query for this book October 28, 2023 so 7-8 months? I didn’t start seriously querying though until December, so closer to 6-7 months. However, I sent my first query the beginning of 2021, so I’ve been querying for almost three and a half years.
My first book (MERMAID/SIREN/PIRATE) I queried for about a year and sent around 100 queries. I never queried my second or third book. My fourth book (RAVEN) I also sent around 100 queries and queried for about a year and a half. I had high hopes for that one, but I’m rewriting that book, and ultimately, I’m glad it never got picked up. My fifth book (OVAL PORTRAIT) I queried for only four months, sending only 56 queries, because I could tell something about it wasn’t working, so I turned all my focus to perfecting EVERMORE, my rewrite of book #2/book #6, and its query package. I loved book #5 but I had a feeling that EVERMORE would be THE book to get me an agent. I had such a good feeling about it, I even told my husband: “This will be the book to get me an agent!” (To be honest, I was bluffing/manifesting into the universe, but hey, it worked!) Eight months, and 87 queries later, here I am!
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Deborah Yelle:
87 for this story! My agent was the 80th agent I queried.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Deborah Yelle:
It’s cliché, but never give up. Seriously. It really helps to keep the mindset that everything you do will take you one step closer to that offer of rep, and so much of it really does have to do with luck and timing. Another piece of advice would be keep writing and keep improving your craft.
QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?: Deborah Yelle:
Sure! I actually changed the opening lines a few times during my query journey, but this is the exact query I used to get my current agent.

Success Story Interview - Deborah Yelle

Query Letter: