Success Story Interview - Marie Jolly

An Interview with Marie Jolly (smlaforest on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Sara Megibow of Megibow Literary Agency.

10/08/2025

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

Marie Jolly:
Sara offered on an adult paranormal rom-com featuring animal shapeshifters. This was a departure for me, since I’d only ever written and queried MG and YA up until this year. I was a little sad after years and years of rejection on previous manuscripts, and wanted to try something different, fun, and weird.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Marie Jolly:
I’ve been writing fiction since I was kid, but really only because serious about it ten years ago.

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

Marie Jolly:
About a year from the first blank page to signing with my agent.

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

Marie Jolly:
For this book at least, I enjoyed the heck out of the process, because I had already decided to self pub if it didn’t get any offers. But for my previous books, that failed in the query trenches? I thought about quitting on a near daily basis! I stayed on course because I love to write, and can’t imagine life without it.

QT: Is this your first book?

Marie Jolly:
This is my eighth novel.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Marie Jolly:
I don’t have an MFA, but was lucky enough to get into both Pitch Wars and Author Mentor Match, two writing mentorship programs.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Marie Jolly:
I’m a teacher, so I squeeze in words early in the morning, before work, and in the evening and on weekends.

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

Marie Jolly:
I went through several revision passes. Revision usually takes me much longer than drafting.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Marie Jolly:
I had several fantastic beta readers who helped tremendously with the revision process.

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

Marie Jolly:
I outlined my book, but I almost always make changes to the plot and re-outline as I go, so it’s never like the initial outline.

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

Marie Jolly:
I queried this book for about a month before I got my offer. This is actually pretty fast! But this is the sixth book I’ve queried, and the whole process took me seven years. This time, I was finally lucky enough to query an agent who truly loves my story.

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

Marie Jolly:
Thirty

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

Marie Jolly:
I studied their MSWL and sales records on Publisher’s Marketplace. For the newer agents I queried, I looked to see that they were working in reputable agencies with good track records for publishing in my age range and genre.

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

Marie Jolly:
I tailored most of the queries, especially if the agent mentioned something very specific in their MSWL, or if I had a reference from one of their clients.

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

Marie Jolly:
I am a poster child for sheer obstinacy in querying. You don’t hear much about long haul queriers (as in people who have to query more than three manuscripts in a row) because we tend to not want to share our stories. I feel like this should change, so that writers who struggle to find their agent match, like I did, don’t become too discouraged.