Success Story Interview - Hollie Nelson

An Interview with Hollie Nelson (hollienelson on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Joanna Rasheed of Ultra Literary.

04/15/2024

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

Hollie Nelson:
I've always loved romance, but I've found a particular love for horror (and all things creepy) after I finished my MFA. The book centers around a little, supposedly hotel where a young woman begins to see a ghost upon starting her new job. The issue is, she's had dreams of a man she's never met for the last ten years. This ghost just so happens to look like this man. And then she's swept back in time--to 1892, where all of her dreams have been real, and she's this man's wife.

The (very real) town this book takes place in is near and dear to my heart. I researched local lore, the time period, family histories, you name it--until the characters came to me. The rest, as you could say, is history. The hotel the book is based on is still standing; whether it's haunted or not is up for debate. If you ask my main character, she would absolutely say yes.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Hollie Nelson:
Since I was little! Were the books any good? Absolutely not. But, I would hope that my craft has improved as I've gotten older. I started to take writing seriously around 2019, though.

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

Hollie Nelson:
Since March of 2022--so just over two years.

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

Hollie Nelson:
Absolutely. Writing is a lonely endeavor, and you never know if what you're creating will be interesting enough for everyone else to enjoy. My husband has been my cheerleader, though. He kept pushing me to see this project through, even though the query trenches can be rough.

QT: Is this your first book?

Hollie Nelson:
It's not! This is my 6th.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Hollie Nelson:
My MFA is in Creative Writing, and the feedback from my directors and peers always pushed me to be better. But it's the same community as a critique group or set of beta readers, just in a class setting.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Hollie Nelson:
I don't write every day (generally, I take weekends off from writing), but when I set my mind on a project, I definitely set a schedule. I'll set a goal date that I want the draft finished by, figure out the daily word count I need to hit, create a loose outline, and go from there. It's always better to finish a first draft (no if, ands, or buts), because that means you have something to edit. You can't edit a blank page.

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

Hollie Nelson:
The book went through two large rewrites, then two edits for details/character arcs, and then line edits.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Hollie Nelson:
I did not, but I know it's a huge help to have them!

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

Hollie Nelson:
A loose outline--nothing solid, because I like for the story to lead when needed and a severe outline makes me feel restricted. At least with a loose plan, I know where the story is going, but the path to get there can change if need be.

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

Hollie Nelson:
I started querying for this book on Nov. 19th of 2023, so it's been just over four months of querying. It's also the first book I've queried.

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

Hollie Nelson:
91

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

Hollie Nelson:
Since my novel is genre-bent, I tried to look under the large categories (historical, speculative, and romance). From there, I would go through agency websites, MSWL, Twitter, the like. Usually they will list specific interests on their own manuscript wish lists or on their socials.

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

Hollie Nelson:
I did. Typically, the intro changed base off of what the agent was looking for and any published works they were looking for. The body (where the story was depicted), would stay the same, and then I would change the end based on their submission requests (first chapter, first 50 pages, a synopsis, etc).

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

Hollie Nelson:
Do not give up. The Sunday before my agent reached out to me, I told my husband I might have to shelve the project. Publishing and querying is so, so subjective, and there will be someone that is touched by your work. Just give it time and a whole lot of love.