Success Story Interview - Iris Andersi

An Interview with Iris Andersi (JAM24 on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Mara Hollander of Jennifer Azantian Literary Agency.

03/23/2026

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

Iris Andersi:
The book is currently titled POTIONS UNINCORPORATED, and it's a cozy romantic fantasy. The story is about a chronically ill witch who must stand up to an evil pharmaceutical potion company. It was inspired by my frustration with big pharma and personal experience living with a complex chronic illness.

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

Iris Andersi:
I queried this novel for roughly 10 months, so it was difficult to stay positive at times. I didn't plan on giving up, but I would have shelved this project and moved on to the next thing if I didn't end up with an offer of rep. I'm lucky to have found a really supportive community of writers! I regularly meet up with members of a queer writing club, and I have met so many critique partners from Discord communities. The writing community is what truly makes the query trenches tolerable.

QT: Is this your first book?

Iris Andersi:
This is the third novel I queried. My first novel had zero requests, and this one had 34. The difference between my first book and my current one is pretty staggering. I've learned so much from working with critique partners and researching the publishing process.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Iris Andersi:
I didn't pursue any writing-specific degrees, but I did a lot of writing in both undergrad (social sciences) and grad school (environmental policy). I also worked as a peer tutor in undergrad and a teaching assistant in graduate school, and I credit both of those experiences as having helped me develop my craft. Aside from my education background, I spend a ton of time beta reading and critiquing for members of my various writing clubs/online writing communities. I was also incredibly fortunate to win the Revise and Resubmit (RevPit) annual contest in 2025. Working with editor Carly Hayward of Booklight Editorial on a developmental edit was a huge gamechanger!

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Iris Andersi:
I tend to hyper fixate on writing when I'm in the initial drafting stage, so I produce roughly 2-3k words each day until my first draft is complete. I'm a pantser who needs to do a lot of editing. I spend several months editing and moving through rounds of beta readers/critique partners, but I don't follow any strict schedules at any stage in the process. I think forcing myself into too rigid of a structure makes me panic, so I try to do what feels right in the moment.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Iris Andersi:
Absolutely! I worked with over a dozen beta readers and critique partners. For any of them reading this interview: Hi! I love you.

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

Iris Andersi:
I'm a pantser! I like to write my query letter first to get a feel for the premise and beginning of the story, but after that I pants everything. Outlines don't work for me and tend to make me overthink. I do better with reverse outlines once I have words down on the page. I also keep a copy of Save the Cat close to me when I write. This helps me follow common plot points as I go.

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

Iris Andersi:
I started querying this book in February and had my first offer call in November. I queried two other books prior to this one.

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

Iris Andersi:
I rarely tailored the query letter to each agent, aside from triple checking that I spelled their name correctly. I only tailored queries if there was something extremely specific in their manuscript wish list that felt worthwhile to mention.

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

Iris Andersi:
Surround yourself with a supportive writing community! It's so easy to fall into a spiral of doom and gloom, but the number one way to keep going is to find folks who lift you up and help make your writing better. Luck is such an underrated part of the equation when it comes to finding an agent. While you wait for the stars to align, focus on improving your craft. As you continue to work on your writing, it'll help nudge those pesky, mischievous stars in the right direction.