Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Kayla Herrera

Success Story Interview - Kayla Herrera

An Interview with Kayla Herrera (KaylaHerrera on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary Agency.

05/12/2026

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Kayla Herrera:
I've written a YA romantasy retelling of Pinocchio titled MARIONETTE, which features authentic disability representation where the FMC has iron joints that require constant oiling and painful scars in whorling patterns across her skin. I've always been fascinated by the idea of dolls or mannequins, especially in fantasy and horror. But I'm also such a romantic. I realized the book I've always wanted to read didn't yet exist, so I knew I had to write it myself with my own dark twist. I didn't realize it was going to be a story about disability until I started injecting a lot of my own personal experiences with disability into it, and the story became so much more than just a fairytale retelling.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Kayla Herrera:
I've been writing since before I can remember. My dad was the one who really encouraged me to write. He used to tell me about his dreams to give me weird story ideas, and he always wanted to know how my writing was going. Then, I used to write short stories for my grandpa, and he'd pay me $5 for each one. I've always known I wanted to be a writer, like it was my destiny, and I was surrounded by people who helped me visualize that dream.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Kayla Herrera:
I started writing this book in August of 2023. Finished the first draft in November and spent a few months editing and polishing and then tried querying it in January of 2024. But it still needed work. So I was invited to submit to The Novelry's Manuscript Assessment (which they only reserve for those who have taken their novel writing course, but they made an exception for me!) and sat down with an editor to tear apart my book. It was SO helpful and it completely changed the trajectory of my plot. I rewrote the entire book, changing from 1st person to 3rd person POV, adding a vanity magic system to the world, and drawing out the romance arc more. Then later, I rewrote it again after I was accepted into WriteMentor's Summer Mentor Programme 2025, and changed it back to 1st Person POV. Once I felt it was polished and edited, I started querying in early January 2026.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Kayla Herrera:
After my dad passed away suddenly in 2017, I quit writing entirely for 3 years. I couldn't bring myself to write a single word, and too busy taking care of the rest of my family. But when the pandemic hit, something inside of me shifted and I missed writing. So I sat down and started small. I worked on writing descriptions of places from my childhood, like along the shore of Lake Superior in Upper Michigan. It was like working a muscle, until finally, a light clicked on again and I found my rhythm. And I haven't stopped since.
QT: Is this your first book?: Kayla Herrera:
This will be my debut book, yes.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Kayla Herrera:
My freshman year of high school, I was one of the youngest participants accepted into the Iowa Young Writers' Studio at the University of Iowa. Later, I graduated from Michigan Tech University with a degree in Communications, a minor in Journalism, and a certificate in Writing, where I was Editor-in-Chief of the campus newspaper my freshman year and briefly worked alongside Roxane Gay on the campus literary magazine. My career started in journalism before shifting into social media marketing, but I kept my writing alive by taking courses with Jericho Writers, Faber Academy, and Curtis Brown Creative.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Kayla Herrera:
I'm a morning writer. My brain is most creative then, so I'm always up early writing or brainstorming with some freshly-brewed Turkish tea.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Kayla Herrera:
I rewrote it entirely three times, I believe, changing the POV each time. But each time the draft got better.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Kayla Herrera:
I did! Best decision I ever made. WriterMentor helped me find trustworthy beta readers and a wonderful writing community who have been at my side through everything.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Kayla Herrera:
I'm definitely a plotter. I need to have a vague idea of where the book is going in order to write it. I wrote my first book that I shelved without plotting, and it got all tangled and messy. Never again.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Kayla Herrera:
My first book that I shelved, a MG horror, I queried for a few months before shelving it. This book, MARIONETTE, I queried for a little over 4 months before I got my first offer.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Kayla Herrera:
I sent 79 total, including email queries.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Kayla Herrera:
I obsessively checked their MSWL's to make sure they were looking for a book like MARIONETTE. They had to have an interest in YA romantasy or fantasy.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Kayla Herrera:
Yes absolutely. If I couldn't speak to anything personal, I made sure to mention at the top of my query letter what aspect of their MSWL applied to my manuscript so they knew right from the start what they were diving into.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Kayla Herrera:
Something that helped me immensely throughout querying is know what feedback is good for your story, and what feedback just doesn't fit. Not every agent or editor or beta reader's feedback is going to be right for your book--and that's okay. Know your story well enough to understand what feedback is valuable, and if you aren't sure, get a second opinion. If I had several people giving me the same feedback when I wasn't sure, then I knew something was off.
QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?: Kayla Herrera:
Sure! Here it is:

Success Story Interview - Kayla Herrera

Query Letter: