Success Story Interview - Helen Power

An Interview with Helen Power (Powerlibrarian on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Lane Heymont of The Tobias Literary Agency.

04/22/2024

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

Helen Power:
The book is a spooky thriller with paranormal elements, a romantic subplot, and mild dark academia vibes. I love scary movies, I have a degree in forensics, and I work at a university. This story draws from all the murky and twisted parts of my soul.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Helen Power:
I wrote stories off and on during childhood, but I didn’t start writing in my adult life until about ten years ago.

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

Helen Power:
I wrote the first draft of this book during National Novel Writing Month back in 2021. I would switch between projects, (of course, doing NaNoWriMo in 2022 and 2023), and coming back to this one regularly with fresh(ish) eyes.

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

Helen Power:
Everyday life can get in the way, and there are a lot of highs and lows in writing and publishing. Sometimes the lows from writing and publishing other books can affect your creativity, and this did happen to me a few times. When that occurred, I would reread parts of this story and remind myself of how much I love my protagonist and the world I created, and I’d think of how badly I want to unleash that mayhem upon unsuspecting readers.

QT: Is this your first book?

Helen Power:
I have two other books published with CamCat Books, a small press in the US. Both of those books are similarly genre-bending thrillers, and they were unagented submissions.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Helen Power:
I don’t have any formal writing training, though last year I did go on a writing retreat at a haunted castle in Scotland!

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Helen Power:
I’m a little all over the map with my writing routine. I love NaNoWriMo for first drafts, and then I spend a lot of time agonizing over my stories and trying to shape them into something readable.

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

Helen Power:
I skip around the manuscript a lot when I’m editing. Some chapters feel polished after a couple of drafts, and other chapters need a lot of work. I tend to bounce around, rereading the trickier scenes to make sure that I’ve gotten them just right. I’d say I reread through the entire manuscript at least fifteen times, but probably more!

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Helen Power:
Yes! Despite being high concept, my novel is a little complicated, with a lot of main characters, a mystery at the core, and detailed paranormal worldbuilding. My beta readers were instrumental in making sure that my plot made sense, the characters were consistent, and that the twists were twisty!

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

Helen Power:
I do a bit of both. I start off with quite a bit of research and planning, and then as I write, the characters take on a life of their own. At that point, I let them do what they want, while trying to nudge them in the right direction. I typically revise my outline or create new ones as I get deeper into the story.

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

Helen Power:
I queried this book for six months. My first offer came from an agent who had had my full manuscript for six months, and my second offer came from one who had it for a week! So, publishing moves very slowly until it moves very fast.

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

Helen Power:
According to the very handy QueryTracker dashboard, I sent out 68!

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

Helen Power:
I looked for agents who represent thrillers but made sure to pick ones that are not put off by a paranormal element. I looked at their Manuscript Wishlists, their agency profiles, their Publisher’s Marketplace deals, and their Twitter feeds to try to see if they seemed like a good fit.

QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?

Helen Power:
I tailored a lot of my letters! If the agent had a manuscript wishlist posted, I would glean information from there. I have a list of about ten comp titles, and I would pick the ones that matched the agent’s MSWL. However, I wouldn’t force my personalization if I couldn’t think of how to effectively tailor it. I just checked, and both my offers came from agents I hadn’t written a tailored letter for.

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

Helen Power:
When you’re querying a genre-blender like mine, it can be a little difficult to find exact agent matches. Many of my full requests came from agents who I might not have queried had I thought they were only looking for the specific tropes and subgenres listed on their MSWLs. So, don’t presume rejection before you even submit!

Query Letter:

Dear [agent name],

I’m seeking representation for my 99,000-word thriller [Book Title]. For readers of Leigh Bardugo’s “Ninth House” and Alice Feeney’s “Daisy Darker”, [Book Title] is a gripping thriller about a college student who’s haunted by a place—and all the people who died in it.

Eighteen years ago, Olivia was the sole survivor of an explosion that killed West Craven’s infamous serial killer, the Orphan Maker. Olivia now shares her body with the spirits of the eight people who died in the fiery blaze, though she believes they’re her alternate personalities. Even once she finds out the truth, she doesn’t want an exorcism. She’s grown to love and unhealthily depend on her strange and quirky roommates.

Olivia is struggling to manage the ghosts’ demands, her bookstore job, and graduate school, but then the Orphan Maker shows up for an encore. Convinced his ghost is now possessing someone else, Olivia realizes she’s the only one who can stop him. But the Orphan Maker has switched up his MO. This time, he isn’t just targeting the living. He’s also gunning for the only family she has left—the ghosts in her head.

[Book Title] has an LGBTQ+ protagonist and explores themes of found family and trauma in a dark academia setting, which is juxtaposed by a sweet sapphic romance. While this is a standalone, there is potential for it to be a series.

My debut novel, The Ghosts of Thorwald Place, was published in 2021 with CamCat Books. It won gold in the 2022 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards for Best New Voice: Fiction and was a 2021 Editor’s Pick for Mystery Scene Magazine. My second book, Phantom, was released by CamCat Books in October 2023. More information about me and my writing can be found on my website and writing CV at https://helenpower.ca/.

I received interest from [Publisher] editor [Name] during #PitDark. I have fulls out with several agents, but I have not submitted to any editors. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Helen Power