Success Story Interview - Destenie Nock

An Interview with Destenie Nock (DestenieNock on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent A.J. Van Belle of The Booker Albert Literary Agency.

01/13/2026

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

Destenie Nock:
This book is about a boy who gets thrown into the afterlife to become a grim reaper in training. I was inspired to write it based on my time as a foster mom. The kids I fostered were having a hard time being separated from their parents and I wanted a story about a kid who was struggling being away from his mortal/biological family to help them cope. In my story the afterlife has parallels to foster care because the kids are given new families.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Destenie Nock:
I've been writing since middle school (poetry, short stories, etc). In terms of writing novels and trying to seriously get better at my craft I have been doing that for the last six years.

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

Destenie Nock:
Roughly two years.

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

Destenie Nock:
Yes! I felt pretty down after the first time I queried my first book and it was a lot of pretty fast rejections. The second book I queried got more interest but no takers. That got me down. I think the thing that really helped me was hiring a book coach/mentor. My coach/mentor is a published author and was able to talk me through how tough the industry is, and they helped me com up with other ideas, so I could stop refreshing my inbox so much.

QT: Is this your first book?

Destenie Nock:
No. I have completed four other fiction manuscripts, and I have written a nonfiction book.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Destenie Nock:
No. I did participate in the Jerry Jenkins Writer's Guild, and worked with a writing mentor through the Gotham writers group. I am actually an engineer by training.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Destenie Nock:
I am a professor in my day job and I actually started my writing routine in graduate school. I aim to write for a minimum of 2.5 hours a week. I often end up writing a lot more than that, but having a minimum allows me to not put too much pressure on myself. I find that with writing books I wanted to make sure I didn't lose the joy in the art of writing stories, so I have been trying to make the writing routine a positive experience.

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

Destenie Nock:
I rewrote this book at least five times, and the edits have been ongoing for over a year. The first version of my stories are usually a bit episodic. Once I see the whole story at once, I have a sense of the character arcs, and that allows me to rework the beginning and middle.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Destenie Nock:
Yes! I started using beta readers a few years ago for other books, and I really appreciate all the feedback they deliver. I like to try to write some funny moments into my books, and it is so hard to know how the humor will land unless you get feedback. I think I had between 12-20 beta readers for this book. Some beta readers are writing critique partners.

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

Destenie Nock:
I actually outlined this book. I used to try to write from the hip, but after more than six projects had been started and abandoned, I decided to try a different approach. I actually found Gotham writers and their mentoring program really helpful for breaking down how to get an outline that provided the structure I needed to finish stories while also being flexible enough for when those sparks of inspiration come and I want to deepen the emotions in the novel.

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

Destenie Nock:
I've been querying this book for about six months. Overall I've queried four books over the last three years.

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

Destenie Nock:
I sent out about 76 queries

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

Destenie Nock:
I was looking for agents who were open to voice driven books in the middle grade fantasy category. I also looked for agents interested in dark academia novels.

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

Destenie Nock:
Make sure you have a community of people to support you, and don't lose what made you love writing. This querying process and industry in general, can be isolating and has a lot of silence. Don't get discouraged.