Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Kailen Renae

Success Story Interview - Kailen Renae

An Interview with Kailen Renae (KailenRenae on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Tamanna Bhasin of The Rights Factory.

05/13/2024

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Kailen Renae:
I awoke from a dream in late November of 2022. In my dream a beautiful fair skinned woman with hair as black as ink was cradling another woman against her chest after having saved her life. The woman with the dark hair, who I knew to be named Emily, was filled with such a feeling of love and adoration for the woman she was holding. She was so afraid to lose her because she had waited so long for her. I woke up scrambling for my laptop. I couldn’t let myself forget the dream.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Kailen Renae:
I’ve been writing as long as I’ve been able to grasp a pencil. I still have the glittery blue notebook where I wrote “Skamp’s Journey to Hope”, a tale of an orphan puppy looking for a home to call his own for Christmas.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Kailen Renae:
I began writing “Consequence of Heart” in November of 2022. It took me around eight months to complete the manuscript, and another few months to edit and revise.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Kailen Renae:
To a point. But my intense love for my characters and their story compelled me to keep going.
QT: Is this your first book?: Kailen Renae:
That depends on what you would consider a “book.” This is the first manuscript I have handled with as much care as I have. I have written stories before that had a word count high enough to be considered a book, but I never felt the need to revise them, edit them, and try to put them out in the world. This story is different. This story holds a special place in my heart, and I want to see it flourish.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Kailen Renae:
I have taken a few English courses required for the medical based schooling I’ve gone through, but other than that, I have no formal writing training.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Kailen Renae:
I write when I can. I hope to someday be able to block out time just to write. But at the moment, my time is limited and sometimes doesn’t feel like my own. So, I write when I can. Most of the time right before bed.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Kailen Renae:
I like to read each chapter after it’s written and make changes as I see fit. This makes for a longer writing process but leaves me with a cleaner, more cohesive first draft. After the entire story was written, I went over it another couple of times on my own before sending it off to an editor.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Kailen Renae:
Absolutely! I love my betas. They were an integral part of my writing process.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Kailen Renae:
This is difficult to answer because of how this story came to fruition. Outlining or plotting was never completely necessary considering the story began as a dream. I knew exactly what occurred in the story before I even began to write it. So, I suppose I could say outlining happened on a subconscious level. After having the dream, I simply wrote down the story.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Kailen Renae:
I began querying in December of 2023, and signed my contract at the end of April 2024.
So, my querying journey took a little under five months. This was the first book I have ever queried.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Kailen Renae:
Over 50.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Kailen Renae:
I was very careful deciding who to query due to certain elements within my story. For the most part, I looked at a lot of Manuscript Wish Lists. If an agent was specifically looking for low fantasy, and queer characters, that was usually my que to send off a query! But I also made sure the agents I queried were okay with darker themes, as my story is a bit… bloody.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Kailen Renae:
Absolutely. I chose each agent carefully, and only queried those I felt I had a personal reason for querying. I know agents don’t require personalization, but it was something I enjoyed doing.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Kailen Renae:
I would highly recommend seeking out friendship in the writing community. Having a friend who was also querying made me feel like I wasn’t alone in this. We were able to joke and laugh about things that would have very likely knocked me down had I been in this alone.
QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?: Kailen Renae:
Here is the most recent version. This is not the version I sent to the agent I signed with, but it is what I consider the cleanest, most eloquent version of my query.

Success Story Interview - Kailen Renae

Query Letter: