Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Elly Ha

Success Story Interview - Elly Ha

An Interview with Elly Ha (ellyha_eh on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Thao Le of Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.

09/20/2017

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Elly Ha:
I never thought to write a Korean-inspired fantasy until I watched a special episode of a Korean variety show called Infinite Challenge. They recruited Korean hip hop artists to write and perform songs that tell stories of Korean history, from the Japanese invasion all the way to the creation of the Korean alphabet. Learning the history of my heritage made me feel so viscerally, I had to write a book to convey those feelings to others. I eventually crafted it into an East Asian-inspired YA fantasy in which two princesses create a new alphabet to resist the empire.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Elly Ha:
Since elementary school, in fifth or sixth grade? That was probably nine or ten years ago.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Elly Ha:
Not long, actually! I conceived of it in December, finished writing it by March when #pitmad (a pitch contest) happened on Twitter.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Elly Ha:
So many times I felt that my passion wasn't enough to make me succeed. I did the only thing I could do and assured myself that my passion had to be enough, and I wrote another book.
QT: Is this your first book?: Elly Ha:
Nope! It is my fourth!
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Elly Ha:
None whatsoever. When I signed with Thao in April, I hadn't even declared my major in English. My program now is modern culture and literature.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Elly Ha:
Yes! Ideally, I write at night time, with a small lamp on in the corner, my earphones on my head, and instrumental music playing softly. Game, movie, and anime soundtracks are my favorites. I also try to write at least something every night.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Elly Ha:
I went through my standard of 3 rounds of edits before sending the manuscript out for #pitmad, but even then I had missed so many errors.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Elly Ha:
To be honest, no! I should have, but I wasn't active on Twitter to put out a call, and I didn't have any friends who read or wrote for fun.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Elly Ha:
I used to be able to pants a book, but this one desperately needed an outline. Especially since it was originally dual POV.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Elly Ha:
I hadn't queried this book before #pitmad. During #pitmad, I received an offer of rep within three weeks. A week afterwards, I signed with Thao. For my previous three books, I had been querying about a year and a half.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Elly Ha:
Upwards of 60 agents, most of them who requested it from #pitmad on Twitter.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Elly Ha:
They had to represent fantasy, or be interested in diverse reads. I also researched agents who represented the fantasy books I loved.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Elly Ha:
Absolutely! I would reference their manuscript wishlist descriptions, comp my book to their clients' books, and always always address them by name, not "Dear Agent."
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Elly Ha:
Research agents, make sure they represent your genre and type of project. But more importantly, research how to write a decent query letter. Make sure you nail the format and kind of content they want. There are so many resources online, and I'd highly recommend using them. And of course, be courteous!

Success Story Interview - Elly Ha

Query Letter: