Success Story Interview - JL Cole

An Interview with JL Cole (jlcolewrites on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Brianne Johnson of HG Literary.

12/15/2025

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

JL Cole:
I found representation with a book that’s very close to my heart. It’s a YA psychological horror novel about two teenage girls whose past friendship turns toxic after a near-death experience, set against economic downturn in an isolated, blue-collar town. Speculative elements aside, this book was heavily inspired by my own experiences, and I think it’s a story that will resonate with teenagers today. For a lot of us, we’re surrounded by visible signs of uncertainty, like the housing crisis and opioid use, and it can be hard to feel hopeful. So, I think it’s important to show that there is hope even in uncertain times. I've come to believe that our capacity for healing is infinite.

QT: How long have you been writing?

JL Cole:
Although I’d always wanted to write novels, I didn’t start taking it seriously until about 13 years ago when I turned 30. However, I did dabble in writing and poetry as a teenager.

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

JL Cole:
About a decade, in one form or another, though I didn't finish a proper draft until 2023.

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

JL Cole:
Definitely. I think when you are trying to refine your craft, especially when you're in school for it, there can come a point where you feel as though your aspirations outstrip your ability, and I hit that point. For me, the solution was to take a step back from critique and write more, write harder, and do it in isolation for a while. When I felt I had something more complete, something I felt more confident in, only then did I present it for others to read and critique. But it’s also important to note that I have an incredibly supportive group of family and friends. I am fortunate to have a lot of people who believe in me when I’m floundering. I may have given up otherwise, both while writing and querying.

QT: Is this your first book?

JL Cole:
I’ve written three romance novels (and still love writing romance!), but this is my first complete Young Adult novel.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

JL Cole:
Yes, I graduated from The Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University in 2020. It helped me level up as a writer, and I made lifelong friends there. We still do our best to meet every month and hang out over Zoom! It was worth it for the friendships alone, but it also introduced me to being critiqued, which really helped me become a better writer.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

JL Cole:
I try, but my neurodivergent brain prefers a lot of flexibility. I do love deadlines, though. Prefer them, even.

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

JL Cole:
So many times. The book started out very differently, but it was a pantsed idea that I couldn't execute at my skill level at the time. I later redrafted it several times, including changing the POV. I also wrote it out of order, which worked well for me, since it’s a book that spans two timelines. I got a British Columbia Arts Council Grant that helped me finish it, too, which was really nice. Finally, I did a significant revise and resubmit when I got my agent. We did a whole genderswap, and it deepened the story for me in ways I never would have anticipated.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

JL Cole:
Yes, but it took a while. Parts of the book received critique while I was working on it at The Writer’s Studio, but I held off on sending the full manuscript to beta readers for a very long time. It took that long for me to separate myself from a story I viewed as being so personal.

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

JL Cole:
I wrote this book out of order and very much from the hip, but through that process I grew to be more of an outliner. I've never pantsed anything so hard again. Now, I benefit from spending more time thinking things through, because I have more experience with how a plot fits together and how much character motivation matters.

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

JL Cole:
I mainly focused on agents who had expressed an interest in horror or thrillers on their MSWLs. At the time, I was also looking for agents who were interested in boy books.

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

JL Cole:
I don’t feel qualified to give advice, but I will share the advice I was given by my TWS mentor when I emailed her with sadness about my rejections. She said this is a difficult time to break into the industry, so don’t stop querying agents until you’ve received 100 rejections. And even then, all isn’t lost, because maybe the book you’re querying just isn’t hitting at the right time. Maybe you shelve it and it becomes your second book instead of your debut. Or you query smaller presses. Or you think about self-publishing. That was the advice she gave me, and it kept me going. (Shoutout to Eileen!)

If I were to give any other advice, I would say to be open to opportunities, even if they don’t look exactly like the opportunities you envisioned for yourself, because they might end up being more fruitful or creatively satisfying. I had written a boy book, and I was passionate about that. But I wasn’t able to break in with that manuscript, so when Brianne presented the opportunity to reposition the book for girls, I considered it carefully, then went for it, feeling it would serve the story well. I'm really glad I did. And I'm grateful Brianne took a chance on it!