Success Story Interview - Kylie Miller

An Interview with Kylie Miller (kyliemiller on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Rachel Yeoh of The Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency.

02/24/2025

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

Kylie Miller:
Bitter Lemon is dual timeline adult fiction about a bubbly seven-year-old called Ruby, who exposes a crime and learns why she can’t live with the father she loves with the help of her friend, Lemonade, who is buried beneath the lemon tree in her backyard. It was partly inspired by a friend who had a recurring dream as a child that there was someone buried beneath the rose bush outside her bedroom, but there are elements of my life in there too.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Kylie Miller:
My whole life! I started writing as a child and have made my career as a journalist, communications consultant and author.

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

Kylie Miller:
I started about 10 years ago, but wrote the book within about two years.

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

Kylie Miller:
I was too busy with work and other commitments so it was on hold for a while. I also had four children's picture books come out in that time, so the novel was on the back burner. I enrolled in the Faber Academy's Writing a Novel program to inspire me and support me to get it done.

QT: Is this your first book?

Kylie Miller:
It's my first adult fiction.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Kylie Miller:
I have a degree in communications, which included writing components, and have done numerous creative writing courses.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Kylie Miller:
Much of this novel was written at 4.30am when the house was dark and I could write without interruption before starting my day job. I find it more effective to handwrite quickly and without thinking into a notebook then I transcribe into Scrivener.

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

Kylie Miller:
Several, but hard to quantify. I rewrote and edited quite a bit as I went, but did a major structural edit at about draft four.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Kylie Miller:
Yes, several people have read it.

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

Kylie Miller:
I wrote from the hip, but I had a fair idea of what would be happening in the end.

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

Kylie Miller:
About a month.

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

Kylie Miller:
About a dozen.

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

Kylie Miller:
I did extensive research online to see whether I thought they were a good fit and whether they might be interested in my novel. I listened to podcasts, read what I could and then made a list based on that.

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

Kylie Miller:
Yes, I tried to show that I had done my research and give reasons why they might be interested.

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

Kylie Miller:
Do you homework and persist!