Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Maressa Voss

Success Story Interview - Maressa Voss

An Interview with Maressa Voss (maressakate on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Susan Armstrong of C+W.

05/12/2025

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Maressa Voss:
EDEN IN THE END is a near-future work of upmarket speculative fiction. A lot of genres in the mix -- dystopian, thriller, cli-fi, cozy (don't ask how cozy could possibly compute with the first three, you'll just have to read!). I live in Santa Barbara, where Vandenberg Air Force Base, located sixty-some-odd miles away, sends up rockets every couple of days, with increasing escalation. I started writing with the intention of being a satire, maybe novella-sized, something you could read in a sitting. What if everyone went to Mars and I told the story about the kinds of people who would choose Earth instead? The more I worked on it, the more I realized there was a lot more dimension to the story than I had previously allowed it. Being a new-ish mom, one of the themes (the terror of parenthood in a fraught world) insinuated itself. Current events began to line up in eerie ways. I'd always intended to have a little late-stage capitalism bash and poke at American consumerism and bandwagon mentality but the heavier, more important themes of the work came through the longer I engaged with the premise (hope, community resilience, the power of human connection).
QT: How long have you been writing?: Maressa Voss:
With intent, since 2020.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Maressa Voss:
Roughly a year and a half. I finished the first draft in a year, started in June 2023. Workshopped it at Cat Rambo's Wayward Wormhole Workshop last November, where it received electric shock therapy courtesy of some very fine minds. Finished another draft on the heels of that, which took four months.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Maressa Voss:
All the time. I think remembering why you're writing is important. Easy for all the No's to reinforce ideas of 'worthlessness' -- I think building up a callous in that regard is really helpful (for me, that's looked like letting applications for residencies, miscellaneous short stories, queries fly like arrows). I've gotten so many No's the effect is quite blunted. Almost expected. For me, the synthesis and consequent catharsis of the writing process have become instrumental to living. So, if that's the goal, nothing else really matters. Of course, ego and the perceptions of others are always going to get in the way.
QT: Is this your first book?: Maressa Voss:
It's not. I sold my first book, When Shadows Grow Tall, to a small press in 2022. It's fantasy of the epic ilk and was published August 2024.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Maressa Voss:
Technically, no. I've cobbled together training as I've gone along. Futurescapes Workshops and WWW mentioned above were very useful experiences for someone who knew not a thing about act construction, pacing, microtension, what have you. I also gig work as an editor and beta reader, and that experience has been enormously helpful for refining my own craft.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Maressa Voss:
I wish! I'm not a particularly regimented person to begin with and I have a toddler at home, so writing occurs when windows present. I do try to get words to page Monday through Friday, no matter what they look like or how many there are. For me, I have to be consistently engaged with the story for it to really live and breath. I find if I take long breaks, there's a detached quality to the writing that is ultimately dissatisfying.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Maressa Voss:
2.5. The first 1/2 has seen three drafts, the second 1/2 two.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Maressa Voss:
I had three friends read the first draft for a vibe check. Additionally, workshopping this book at both the aforementioned workshops got many eyes on the manuscript but not necessarily start-to-finish.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Maressa Voss:
This book was written with a flashlight. The broad strokes were illuminated prior to writing -- how it would end, some key moments -- but I let the subconscious/whatever was influencing me at the time guide the way there.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Maressa Voss:
I queried it for a bit last fall, sent maybe forty letters and stopped because I knew the manuscript wasn't nearly clean enough. I was essentially trying to get a feel for how the concept would be received in the current market climate, and whether the way I was pitching it was working. I learned that people were quite keen on the concept and, unsurprisingly, the work needed major refinement. Six fulls, all rejected. I started again in March after a significant rewrite. The interest in the concept was still there, but the work and the query (which was on maybe version no. 15 at this point) were then solid enough to back it up.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Maressa Voss:
140 across two querying attempts. I wound up with 22 full requests and four offers. Let this be your sign: Don't Stop At Fifty Queries. But also, DO tinker with your materials if you've hit fifty and you're not getting traction. I queried in batches, focusing on agents that replied quickly first so that I could measure how well the query was doing. From there, it was more indiscriminate, although I did save the agents who were highest on my wishlist for the bitter end, when I knew all the elements of my submission package were certifiably interesting.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Maressa Voss:
First and foremost, did they rep speculative fiction and did their MSWL echo any sentiments that the work carried? After that, I suppose there's some awareness of agency reputation, but I queried all kinds: big agencies, boutique, standalone agents. You get these ideas of what agents are like, as well, based on their social media presences or interviews given but that sort of projection I tried not to give too much weight.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Maressa Voss:
Always a little line about why I'm querying them based on their MSWL, yes. Otherwise, it was a template.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Maressa Voss:
I was a textbook anxious mess whilst querying, so I have no advice for how to stay sane in the trenches. It's so hard. Having other friends who are writers helps (go to workshops to make these!) for the commiseration factor. As far as interaction goes, I would say be yourself. Don't be afraid of letting your voice come through in communications, in your query letter, even if that feels counter to convention.

Success Story Interview - Maressa Voss

Query Letter: