Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Kay Choo

Success Story Interview - Kay Choo

An Interview with Kay Choo (kschoo on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Alex Brown of Mad Woman Literary Agency.

05/22/2025

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Kay Choo:
An adult urban fantasy featuring people trying to find themselves and the lives they want to lead while being drawn into the world of urban legends.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Kay Choo:
Have been writing since young, but wrote my first novel in 2014, though that was just a first draft and wasn't edited/revised at all. My first ever proper novel was written in 2018 and edited and polished by 2020, and I've been writing novels since then.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Kay Choo:
From first draft to getting an agent, more than a year.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Kay Choo:
It's really me having faith in my writing and my books and knowing the reality of querying and publishing (as in failure does not necessarily reflect on me but a combination of market conditions/luck etc.) and also having writing friends who are going through the same thing as I am and rooting for one another throughout everything.
QT: Is this your first book?: Kay Choo:
No, it's my third completed novel!
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Kay Choo:
No! I've taken two creative writing courses in uni but they really weren't very useful.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Kay Choo:
Didn't really do a full rewrite but a rewrite to fill in details and add new scenes for my second draft, which I then sent to beta readers, then edited based on their feedback and did some revisions to my opening pages once I started querying.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Kay Choo:
I'm a discovery writer, so i had some idea of scenes I wanted to hit then hoped for the best while writing.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Kay Choo:
About five months! I queried my first book for about 10 months and signed with an agent from it, but my agent left the industry and I went back to the querying trenches with my second book, which was in the trenches for more than a year with no bites before I queried this.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Kay Choo:
About 90 queries in total.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Kay Choo:
No.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Kay Choo:
Find a support circle and have faith in your writing and your books! Your stories matter and your voice is important. Remember to hold onto them!