Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews E.C. Stevens

Success Story Interview - E.C. Stevens

An Interview with E.C. Stevens (ECStevens on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Diego Harrison of SBR Media.

08/10/2026

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: E.C. Stevens:
BAD MOON RIDE is about two friends on a cross-country motorcycle ride to outrun the sins of their pasts, only to see them manifested as a vengeful werewolf hunting them across every mile. It was written as a way to process my experiences with alcoholism and recovery, a catastrophic loss my wife and I suffered, and several high-stakes failure experiences in Los Angeles (on two occasions, I'd gotten within touching distance of achieving my dream of becoming a writer, only to have everything fall apart at the eleventh hour, and in both cases due to circumstances completely beyond my control). Bad Moon Ride helped to heal those wounds, and believe when I tell you: they ran deep.
QT: How long have you been writing?: E.C. Stevens:
25 years.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: E.C. Stevens:
10 years.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: E.C. Stevens:
Never. I was writing a book I genuinely enjoyed, spending time with characters who spoke to different sides of me. Writing this novel was a joy and helped me put a lot of internal stuff to bed. Along the way, I took well over 200 rejections. But I knew that sooner or later this book would find its advocate. I loved it, therefore someone else would, too.
QT: Is this your first book?: E.C. Stevens:
Yes...as a novelist. Between 2007-2014, I created, wrote and published a bunch of comic books and graphic novels.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: E.C. Stevens:
Zero.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: E.C. Stevens:
I can write anywhere, anytime, as long as I've got my noise-cancelling Beats in and film scores playing (particularly some of those Reznor/Ross ones)
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: E.C. Stevens:
Eleven times. First draft was 220,000 words. Across multiple passes, I took it down to 120K, then 100K, then 90K, then 80K, before landing on 78K, the draft that got me signed. There were also three complete restructures.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: E.C. Stevens:
Yes, and this process was essential. I did NOT use a Beta Reader service, however. Rather, I went directly to werewolf fan groups and general horror fiction groups on Facebook, joined, began to interact regularly, then farmed from those audiences. I offered Starbucks gift cards as compensation once participants completed my survey. The feedback I got from the last round was what informed my final restructure, the 78K draft mentioned above that I got signed with.

This is survey, if anyone is interested:

BAD MOON RIDE – Beta Reader Feedback Survey

First off: Thank you for reading this manuscript. Your honest reactions are incredibly valuable. Please be candid, positive or negative. The purpose of this is to learn what truly worked (or didn’t) for you.

SECTION 1: Overall Experience
1. How would you rate your overall enjoyment of the novel?
(1–10)

2. Did the book hold your interest throughout?

• Completely hooked
• Mostly engaged
• Mixed
• Struggled at times
• Lost interest

3. At any point did you consider stopping? If yes, where and why?

4. Would you recommend this book to horror/thriller readers? Why or why not?

SECTION 2: Story & Pacing

5. How did the pacing feel overall?

• Too slow
• Slightly slow in spots
• Just right
• Too fast/confusing

6. Were there any chapters/scenes that dragged or felt unnecessary?

7. Were there any moments that especially grabbed you or made you need to keep reading?

8. Did the stakes feel real and urgent? Why or why not?

9. Was the ending satisfying?

• Very satisfying
• Mostly satisfying
• Mixed
• Unsatisfying

10. Any plot points that confused you or felt unclear?

SECTION 3: Character Feedback

Alan Downe

Did you care about his journey 1-10 (1: Not at all, 10: I was 100% invested)

11. How did you feel about Alan as a protagonist?

12. Did Alan feel believable and human?

13. What were Alan’s strongest traits?

14. What was missing or underdeveloped in Alan, if anything?

15. Were you rooting for Alan? Why or why not?

Caleb Holiday

Did you care about his journey 1-10 (1: Not at all, 10: I was 100% invested)

16. How compelling was Caleb?

17. Did Caleb feel distinct from Alan in voice/personality?

18. What did you enjoy most about Caleb?

19. Any moments where Caleb felt unrealistic, flat, or confusing?

Bradley Van Sleet

Did you care about his journey 1-10 (1: Not at all, 10: I was 100% invested)

20. How effective was Bradley as an antagonist?

21. Was he intimidating / memorable / layered?

22. Did he feel believable, or too over-the-top?

23. What was your favorite or strongest scene involving Bradley?

24. How could Bradley be made stronger?

SECTION 4: Supporting Cast

25. Were there supporting characters you especially liked?

26. Were there characters you struggled to remember or care about?

27. Any character relationships that felt especially strong or weak?

SECTION 5: Horror / Suspense / Tone

28. Did the horror elements land for you?

• Very effective
• Mostly effective
• Mixed
• Not effective

29. Which scenes were scariest / most tense / most memorable?

30. Did the book balance thrills, emotion, and action well?

31. Did the tone feel consistent? If not, where did it wobble?

SECTION 6: Writing Style

32. How would you describe the prose?

• Sharp / cinematic
• Atmospheric
• Fast-paced
• Too dense
• Too sparse
• Needs polish

33. Any lines, scenes, or imagery that stood out positively?

34. Any repetitive habits, clunky passages, or style issues you noticed?

SECTION 7: Big Picture

35. What is the single strongest thing about this novel?

36: Did you enjoy the 8 Months of Werewolfing Interlude? Why or why not?

37. What is the single biggest thing that needs improvement?

38. If this were on a bookstore shelf, would you buy/read it? Why or why not?

39. Any final thoughts, brutal honesty welcome:

FINAL QUESTION:

40. What books/movies/games did this remind you of?

---------------end survey----------------
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: E.C. Stevens:
I outlined it in sections, knowing ahead of time where everyone needed to be positioned throughout, then wrote through the form freely.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: E.C. Stevens:
Two years.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: E.C. Stevens:
Well over 200.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: E.C. Stevens:
I only looked at agents who represented horror.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: E.C. Stevens:
Yes, whenever possible I'd try to tailor each letter with 1-2 little punches to let agents know I'd done my homework and wasn't sending a form letter. I'd check agency bios, socials, MSWL, PW, etc., for anything I could weave in to add that personal touch, especially points of connection (MSWL has one of my comps, agent has an orange cat, former musicians, etc.).
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: E.C. Stevens:
Research the agents you contact, know your genre and the acceptable word counts within it, and be concise. But above all, be real in your query letter. THAT'S your first writing sample, not your manuscript pages. The more of your voice, YOU, that's on display, the better. Strip down, and put yourself out there. Don't hide. And for the love of God, don't quit. You'll never forgive yourself.

PS: PROOFREAD! I cannot tell you how many damn query letters I pressed "send" on, only to find multiple typos a minute later when reviewing them in my sent folder. Please, be better than me.
QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?: E.C. Stevens:
NOTE: I'd sometimes add this funny little note at the end to some queries, but only if the submission included pages. I used my gut to determine which agents would get it and which wouldn't. I got many funny, non-form letter replies to it.

Note: If you're feeling emo/mid-2000s, break out the black eve liner and give "Stolen" by Dashboard Confessional a spin while reading the sample.

Success Story Interview - E.C. Stevens

Query Letter: