Success Story Interview - Leona H. Lach

An Interview with Leona H. Lach (hallejschmidt22 on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Arianna Siddiqui of FinePrint Literary Management.

03/12/2025

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

Leona H. Lach:
Labeled The Bone Collector, this is my younger YA fantasy about a girl who can make deals with the dead exploring a whole new world she never knew. There were a few elements that inspired me to write this story: my fear of death, my grief for people I’d never met, my love for my mom and her culture, etc.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Leona H. Lach:
I’ve been writing since kindergarten when my dad would make me flip books, but I started writing novels at twelve. So, about nine years (seriously for 5).

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

Leona H. Lach:
I’ve been working on this book since about last January when the idea came to me. So, collectively it took me a year to query.

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

Leona H. Lach:
I’ve never felt like giving up writing, but giving up querying? Yes. I was so done with the process for many months after another offer turned out to be a bad situation. Querying is tough and I wanted a break when my agent asked for a call.

QT: Is this your first book?

Leona H. Lach:
This is my fourth full length novel.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Leona H. Lach:
Other than a few creative writing classes, no.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Leona H. Lach:
I try to write at least an hour a day/make my word count, but it’s hard to keep a schedule with work and school and other things.

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

Leona H. Lach:
I don’t think I ever did a full rewrite of this book. I rewrote two chapters, but mainly editing was shifting things around. I held two rounds of betas after my initial edits. I queried my 3rd of 4th draft.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Leona H. Lach:
I had many beta readers. I think I ended with about ten. Two rounds of five.

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

Leona H. Lach:
I did an outline using a spreadsheet of beats. Did I veer off course a few times? Yes, as always.

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

Leona H. Lach:
I’ve queried all four of my books. The first I stopped after 30 queries (took a month). It was far from ready. The second, I think I hit 120 queries when I shelved it. I’m rewriting it today and know it was far from ready. My third, I sent 100 queries, with around 25 requests, and 1 offer that I declined. That timeline was 6-7 months. I started querying this book January 1st, for a total of 45 days before my first offer.

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

Leona H. Lach:
I sent out about 90 queries.

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

Leona H. Lach:
I selected agents based on overall MSWL, how that fit with all my projects, and whether we’d be a good long term fit or not.

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

Leona H. Lach:
I did a short personalization some of the time that read: After reviewing your MSWL, I believe this story would be a good fit for you because of the –, –, and –.

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

Leona H. Lach:
Keep going. I know 'believe in yourself' probably feels repetitive and annoying, but truly you have to believe in your skill in order to be in this industry. You have so much potential and there are so many opportunities out there. Keep going, and trust your gut.

Query Letter:

When the plague threatens the lives of her siblings, Olena Thunderchild must face the myths that lurk in the woods to save them.

I am thrilled to present THE BONE COLLECTOR, a 81k word YA fantasy with duology potential. With bone related magic and an illegitimate royal child akin to Andrea Stewart’s THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER, and a whimsical, dark adventure similar to A.B. Poranek’s WHERE THE DARK STANDS STILL, this story journeys into a rich world inspired by Slavic folklore. After reviewing your MSWL, I believe this story would be a good fit for you because of the –, –, and –.

Bone Breakers are said to be myths, awful creatures known to bargain with life and death, able to break a bone and take an ability from the deceased. Olena is very much real, and her bone collection keeps growing. Olena Thunderchild—the third illegitimate child in the king’s collection of spares—fights to keep the darkest parts of herself hidden in order to become one of her father’s closest advisors.

However as a boiling plague creeps into the palace, Olena must decide between being a proper daughter or breaking the rules to save her siblings.When her little brother falls ill, Olena takes it upon herself to find the fabled cure deep in the mountains where ancient dragons lie. But to navigate the woods, she must bargain with magic spies and pesky spirits.

Along the way, Olena encounters creatures from her storybooks, but they are darker than they seemed. Despite being nearly drowned by undead women, and being kidnapped by an ancient being, Olena begins to understand her powers and their connection to nature. She grapples with the fact that she belongs where beasts lurk while fighting against time as her brother grows sicker.

Content warnings: mentions of death, contagious sickness, light cursing, slightly graphic details involving organs, bones, and the living dead

Thank you!
Leona H. Lach