Success Story Interview - India Averhart

An Interview with India Averhart (aveiswriting on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Jeanne De Vita of Martin Literary Management.

04/08/2026

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

India Averhart:
I’m a Black woman from the south, and I can never find enough stories about Black southern women living life unrelated to Black trauma. Because I’m a huge fan of anything small-town, cozy, and food-related, I decided to write a book that incorporates all three of these things into a Black woman’s life.

QT: How long have you been writing?

India Averhart:
My whole life. I decided to take it somewhat seriously when I started posting stories online about ten years ago. Those stories gained a pretty large readership, which gave me the confidence to finally go after my dream of becoming a published author.

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

India Averhart:
This one is tricky. I originally started brainstorming the book in early 2024 and writing seriously toward the end of that year. I finished my final draft in September of 2025 and began querying shortly after. I’m now revising the book again to go in a slightly different direction, so I guess we can say a little over two years?

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

India Averhart:
On the book? No! I honestly love the story, the characters, the setting with all my heart, so I never felt the urge to quit. Now with querying? I wouldn’t say I wanted to quit per se, but the waiting and the not knowing were honestly pretty rough. What helped me stay strong, though, was my belief in the story. I believed there was an audience out there for it, and that I just needed to find the right agent to champion it.

QT: Is this your first book?

India Averhart:
It’s my first completed book. I’ve tried writing several books in the past, but I just didn’t have the right ideas (or the confidence to see them through) until now.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

India Averhart:
I don’t!

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

India Averhart:
Sort of. I write every single day, except on the rare occasion I’m dealing with huge time-sinking things. Even if I just get 100 words in or revise one scene, I feel good knowing I made some progress.

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

India Averhart:
A few times, for sure. I don’t do individual drafts, but there were several times when I stopped wherever I was (in the middle of chapter 10, right before the final chapter) and made changes from the top down.

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

India Averhart:
A little of both. I tend to plan out the broad strokes, enough to help me understand the story I’m trying to tell and the characters through whom it’s being told. From there, I’m usually just figuring stuff out and tweaking things as I go, hence the frequent top-to-bottom editing.

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

India Averhart:
This was my first time querying. I began in September 2025 and received my offer of representation in December 2025.

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

India Averhart:
50 total.

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

India Averhart:
I only personalized queries when I felt there was something to say (e.g., they rep an author I like, we share similar tastes in books, shows, etc.)

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

India Averhart:
Do your research before you even think about getting started. With this book, I knew traditional publishing was my ultimate goal, so before I even knew what I was going to write, I was researching the publishing process, learning how to get an agent, how to write a query letter, beefing up my craft. This was honestly one of the biggest reasons I didn’t ever feel like giving up. I knew what I was offering was strong because I had done the "pre-work," so any rejection I received was just a mismatch, that’s all.