Success Story Interview - Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez

An Interview with Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez (jmcmh on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Elaine Spencer of The Knight Agency, Inc..

10/14/2025

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

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
My book is a prescriptive nonfiction guide to coin collecting, a hobby I have enjoyed for more than 30 years and since I was a kid. I was compelled to write this book because I wanted not only to share my passion for this exciting hobby with the world but to also do it in a way that touches on topics we don’t talk about too often in the hobby – like how climate change can impact your coin collection (spoiler alert: it does in more ways than you might imagine!).

QT: How long have you been writing?

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
Even before I began collecting coins at the age of 11, I was writing – and with commercial intent, to be sure. I recall writing “how-to” type guides since I was six or seven years old – I’ve always enjoyed sharing what I know (even if it’s at a grade-school level) with others. Given my nonfiction proclivities, some might find it ironic that the first books I ever actually sold weren’t kid-authored reference guides but rather a children’s fiction book called Wrosby, The Story, featuring the tale of a family of anthropomorphic mice who fight an evil tornado. I officially copyrighted that book at the age of 10 and self-published it, selling copies at a local children’s bookstore. Here I was at 10 years old, making money “from strangers” who were buying my book. I thought to myself, “I really want to be an author when I grow up.” I started querying major publishing houses the following year, back when the norm was to send typewritten queries by postal mail directly to editors at what was then the “Big 6.” A lot has changed since the early 1990s… We almost exclusively use computers for writing, we authors generally need to work with literary agents to get into the big houses (no more cold-querying editors), postal mail is all but passe, and the Big 6 are now the Big 5. However, I still have my trusty Smith Corona electronic typewriter!

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

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
I have been working on some form of this book since the mid-1990s. But it was in 2023 – after years of serving as an editor, author, and journalist in the coin-collecting arena – that I decided to pick back up with the project, refine my vision for this guide to suit today’s collectors (and those who want to collect coins), and start querying literary agents.

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

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
SOOOOOO many times I thought to myself… “I’ve been knocking on doors in the publishing world since I was 11. Now I’m 24… (Or now I’m 34… Or now I’m 44) and maybe getting a foot in the door just is not going to happen.” But I also told myself if I ever stop sending queries, I will never have a chance of getting published as a book author on a large platform – and I knew down the pike I’d regret having given up. So, I ventured on, and goodness am I ever glad and grateful I did.

QT: Is this your first book?

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
No, and along with my 1991 self-published work Wrosby, The Story, I have published a half-dozen other books through smaller traditional houses, including several local and regional history books through Arcadia Publishing and A Guide Book of American Silver Eagles, a reference on a popular type of silver bullion coin, by Whitman Publishing.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
I have a bachelor’s degree in English and used almost every elective credit I could on various forms of writing and literary classes. But as far as formal training beyond college, no. However, I have had the great joy of spending my post-collegiate career working as a professional writer, journalist, and editor. I have therefore learned much osmotically through growing in my field and by way of many colleagues who have been so kind to share their advice, wisdom, and tips with me.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
I don’t have a formal routine, per se. But I must write something every day, in some form or fashion – even if it’s answering personal emails or posting a commentary about this hobby or that (I enjoy many hobbies) on social media.

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

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
I am still working on my coin collecting guide, but even my first sample chapters have seen several revisions – perhaps a symptom of the fact that I’m both a writer and an editor by trade and at heart.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
No beta writers for this book, but the feedback I receive by way of being an editor of different coin magazines greatly informs me on what people want to read about and what they don’t.

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

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
I do a bit of both. I love having an outline to keep me on track within the parameters of formal projects, but I think some of my best writing comes when I’m writing off the cuff.

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

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
I began querying this iteration of the coin book in 2023, but I’ve been querying since the summer of 1992. By the way, I have kept every single rejection letter; the rejections helped keep me motivated to try again. And again.

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

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
Over 80.

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

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
I always made sure that any agents I queried had a focus in prescriptive nonfiction – the genre within which my current book resides. I also liked pitching agents who seem to be really invested in their authors and helping them put their best foot forward.

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

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
In most cases, yes – I tailored my queries to each agent wherever and whenever I felt I had the insight necessary to do so. And that’s where QueryTracker was an absolutely essential tool on my querying journey. QueryTracker offered helpful biographical information for many of the agents I queried, often highlighting current wants and providing some details on what the agent was looking for in new authors. I can’t imagine trying to navigate the big, ever-evolving pursuit of pitching literary agents without QueryTracker!

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

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez:
Take your time and make sure the agents you query handle your project’s genre. Also, seek agents who indicate they want to help develop your project further so they can help you and your work really shine!