Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Eve Chloe Binder

Success Story Interview - Eve Chloe Binder

An Interview with Eve Chloe Binder (Evebinder on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Florence Rees of A.M. Heath & Co. Ltd.

02/05/2026

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Eve Chloe Binder:
My book tells the story of Fran and Len Simons, a couple in their thirties who are childless by choice. Their world is turned upside down when Harry, Len's combative brother, asks Len to be a sperm donor for him and his wife. Thematically, it delves deep into questions of modern parenting, childhood trauma, and how relationships can evolve as people change and grow together (or apart).

The inspiration for the novel arrived last June in the form of an idle conversation with my husband. We’re also childless by choice, and were discussing the conditions under which he might get a vasectomy. “The only thing that could hold me back,” he said, “would be if my brother couldn’t conceive and needed a sperm donor.”
“That would make me feel extremely weird,” I said.
I thought this conversation would come and go like any other, but it didn’t. Multiple things captured my interest, but above all I wanted to tell a story of a woman who rejects children decisively for her own sake, and still remains a hero. Such women exist everywhere in the world but rarely in contemporary fiction; this felt like an important and compelling gap to fill.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Eve Chloe Binder:
I've always been a writer in some form, but have never had professional training in creative writing. I worked briefly as a journalist, but most of my writing was done under academic auspices. (I've got three degrees.)
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Eve Chloe Binder:
I started writing at the end of June 2025, and finished in December—so about 5 months. Every agent I spoke to was astonished at my pace, but I've always been a fast worker. It helped that I stepped back from my job and was able to work on the book essentially full time.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Eve Chloe Binder:
Writing is my drug; I find it addictive and immersive. If I ever found myself struggling with a plot point, I'd go for a run, and by the time I returned I'd usually worked out a new angle. Of course there were moments when I questioned what on earth I was doing, but I tried not to look at the big picture very often. I found it easiest to take things chapter by chapter and line by line: to deliberately ignore the forest for the trees, as it were.
QT: Is this your first book?: Eve Chloe Binder:
Yes, but not my last! I now plan to make this my career.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Eve Chloe Binder:
I don't, but I read voraciously (roughly 80-100 books a year, mostly in my own genre, which is upmarket literary). I think exposure is the best training there is: over time you become so much more attuned to what works or doesn't work for you. I imagine some things, like narrative voice, are difficult to teach or learn in isolation, but over the years I've encountered enough great voices to develop my own by osmosis.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Eve Chloe Binder:
I aim to write a chapter a day, or between 2,000-4,000 words. I write continuously from 9am, usually with a short break for lunch, and only finish a) when the chapter is done or b) when the dog demands to be taken out. Sometimes the work will be imperfect and I'll revisit it the next day, but the important thing is to get something down.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Eve Chloe Binder:
When I was 1/3 of the way through the first draft, I did a full rewrite; my novel has two narrators, and one of them was underdeveloped. After the rewrite I found the story told itself much more readily. The original draft was about 190k words; over about a week I then cut it to 112k words, which was what I sent to agents. Since then I've done a couple weeks of further editing, which has brought it down to 92k words. I have no problem killing my darlings, which makes it a lot easier to pare back when things don't work.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Eve Chloe Binder:
My husband read every chapter as I wrote it, and was indispensable in a) helping me shape the plot and b) keeping me motivated. (I can't emphasise enough how valuable it is to have someone saying "this chapter's great!" 40 different times.) Once the first draft was ready I shared it with a small group of friends and family for their feedback.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Eve Chloe Binder:
I wrote a vague outline that quickly became obsolete once I started writing. For the rest of the project, I had only a few plot points I knew I wanted to hit. One thing I've found fascinating and wonderful about this experience is that my characters really did take on lives of their own; often they would say things I wouldn't expect, and I'd just have to go with it. I didn't know how my story would end until almost the final chapter—they were the ones who guided me.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Eve Chloe Binder:
I'm told my querying experience was very atypical. I sent out around 40 agent queries, and within a week had 12 requests for a full manuscript. Within another week I had seven offers. The entire process took about two weeks from submission to signing.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Eve Chloe Binder:
I sent about 40 agent queries. My assumption was that none of them would be interested. I was surprised, to put it mildly, by the response I received.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Eve Chloe Binder:
I wanted to work with an agent who had launched similar debuts to strong commercial and critical reception, but who was still young and hungry. While I had great respect for the very senior agents I spoke to, the ones that excited me most were the ones whose career could evolve in tandem with mine. It was also important to find someone willing to climb into the trenches with me, and really give the book a good kick. Several of the agents I meet were extremely fawning, which (perhaps unusually) I found off-putting: I wanted them to improve me, not just butter me up. My chosen agent, Florence Rees of AM Heath, is a wonderful embodiment of everything I was looking for and I couldn't be happier with her.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Eve Chloe Binder:
I did a bit of tailoring, based on the agency's requirements and the interests of the agent in question, but not very much. Instead I spent my energy writing the strongest, hardest-hitting query letter and synopsis I could: one that would make my story feel fresh, original and exciting. That served me much better than trying to tell agents what they liked or didn't like.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Eve Chloe Binder:
I'd offer a few pieces of advice:

Based on my experience, agents are looking for market relevance, strong craftsmanship and a punchy hook. If your story isn't especially original or timely, you need to find another way to make it pop. Perhaps it's a difference in style, an interesting angle, or perhaps you need to position your book as a spiritual sibling to another successful book—but then you need to make clear why yours isn't just more of the same. I should note that on this point, I can only speak to literary fiction; things may be different for genre fiction.

If you haven't done your homework about the genre you're publishing in, you're missing a trick. Even in meetings where I knew they planned to offer, agents would ask me about my comps, and discussing books with them was a fantastic way to open doors and gain more insight.

I had offers from both boutique agencies and extremely large ones. The firepower of the big guys can be enticing, but my preference will always be for the boutiques. Agents at large companies often have sales targets and are incentivised to snap up anything interesting, but your book may subsequently be neglected, and authors that don't sell well can get dropped quickly. In my opinion it's better to choose an agency that will nurture you for the long term than one that looks good on your CV.

If you do receive interest in your manuscript, be careful of "love-bombing." Several agencies went out of their way to ply me with promises and detailed love letters. What started as flattering soon became overwhelming, and I began to recognise it as an industry tactic. Just because an agent is gushing over you doesn't necessarily mean they will treat you like royalty once you sign with them; go with your gut and choose the person you feel understands your process best.
QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?: Eve Chloe Binder:
Of course: see below. Note that the title of the book (originally Ways of Being Known) is likely to change, but for now I've left it as is.

Success Story Interview - Eve Chloe Binder

Query Letter: