Success Story Interview - Kennedy Cole

An Interview with Kennedy Cole (KENNEDY_COLE on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Alex Brown of Mad Woman Literary Agency.

09/23/2024

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

Kennedy Cole:
THERE USED TO BE PEOPLE is a historical thriller set in Mississippi, 1978 and follows Samuel, the only Black detective in a small, southern police department. When Samuel is assigned the murder of a mailman in a gay bar, he's forced to team up with an unlikely partner and track down the perpetrators. It features elements of sci-fi and horror, and addresses themes of racism, homophobia, change, and belonging. This novel came about by accident. I'd been querying with no luck, and when a professor asked to read that project, I started TUTBP as a way to fill the time. It began as a continuation of a short story I had written, and before I knew it, I was writing every day for three and a half months straight. This project inadvertently became a way for me to address my own identity, as I hadn't come out to many people at the time. As a Black writer, this is also my first time writing a main character that looks like me. I guess I used TUTBP as a way to undo a lot of what I *thought* I should be writing.

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

Kennedy Cole:
Not long at all! I received an offer less than a year after I finished writing. Lightning struck hard with this one.

QT: Is this your first book?

Kennedy Cole:
I've been writing "books" since I was in fifth grade. I don't think there's ever been a year where I wasn't working on a novel.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Kennedy Cole:
I'm a senior at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, about to graduate after one more semester! I'm majoring in creative writing, and without this program, my novel would not exist.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Kennedy Cole:
No...I suck at that. I don't write every day, though I probably should. I think I could write a few novels every year if I did. I don't write without a reason though; I don't think you can "force out" a novel. Like I mentioned, this one happened by accident. I think most good things come when you're least expecting it.

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

Kennedy Cole:
After finishing, I set my manuscript away for about two weeks, then read through it one time and did line edits. I handed it off to four beta readers at the beginning of September 2023, and didn't pick it back up until December, after they finished. (We're all in school, so I gave them the semester.) After that, I used January to record their notes/thoughts, and created an editing plan. I read forwards once, and backwards once, performing developmental edits during both times. Then I read forwards once again. I sent my first query letter on March 7th, and received an offer on June 27th.

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

Kennedy Cole:
I write right from the hip, everytime. Outlines don't work on me. I've tried. I do like to use my notes app along the way, just to record ideas and process plot holes. But that's mid-project. At the beginning, I dive in.

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

Kennedy Cole:
I queried for about 3.5 months. I'm extremely blessed to be out of the trenches so soon.

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

Kennedy Cole:
I sent out 28 query letters! Each was personalized. I received two partials, and three fulls, one of which evolved from a partial. It was my second full that turned into my "yes."

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

Kennedy Cole:
Genre (a lot of thriller agents don't like police officers), personality, website, social media, and response time. I didn't want to have to wait for too long, if I could help it.

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

Kennedy Cole:
Keep writing. It's okay if your manuscript isn't working; learn from it, and use what you learned to write the next one. Write what you love, and please keep going. Use your voice!

QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?

Kennedy Cole:
Here she is, without my credentials at the bottom:

Query Letter:

Dear [AGENT]:

After reading your MSWL, I was delighted by your interest in [PERSONALIZE]. I think you'll be interested in my adult thriller novel, THERE USED TO BE PEOPLE.

Wenton, Mississippi. 1978. Samuel Barkley, Wenton Police Department's only Black detective, is assigned the murder of a 42-year-old mailman—a white man—in a segregated southern town, found gutted in the bathroom of a gay bar.

Samuel is a prickly, ambitious detective who prefers to work alone. Managing busy work and hiding behind an unreadable, blank slate would be enough if it weren't for the conceited stares of his white coworkers and his throttling fear of lashing out. Hardened by nature, longing for change, and deeply misunderstood, Samuel yearns for both human connection and complete invisibility in a country where color determines status. When Samuel is forced to work with Harvey Wilkins—a childish, crude, outspoken man—he fully expects to despise Harvey's company.

Somehow, he doesn't.

In a high-tension story spanning across a single week, junior detectives Samuel and Harvey retrace an odd pattern of victims. When the two decide to take Wenton's fate into their hands, it isn't long before Samuel and Harvey's own crimes lead to the unexpected truth. As Samuel struggles with prejudice and self-worth in the '70s South, Harvey's role as a temporary partner grows into something much closer. Together, they unveil an otherworldly force—lunar and somehow, horrifically human.

THERE USED TO BE PEOPLE, a debut, upmarket adult thriller with elements of sci-fi, challenges the idea of sameness that can often be beguiling, while asking what would happen if we could change humanity itself. This novel contains a character-rich southern setting and the sardonic, witty, foreboding tone found in STRANGER THINGS. It's similar to Matt Ruff's exploration of racism in the American South in LOVECRAFT COUNTRY, but is told from the voice of a queer, Black writer. The manuscript is complete at 83,000 words with potential for a duology and is available at your request.

[CREDENTIALS]

Thank you for your time, and for your attention.

Best,

Kennedy Cole