Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Melissa Ruth Rotert

Success Story Interview - Melissa Ruth Rotert

An Interview with Melissa Ruth Rotert (Irmelsa on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent T.S. Ferguson of Jennifer Azantian Literary Agency.

05/21/2026

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
My book is a MG retelling of Poe's The Telltale Heart that started with a play on the title.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
I've been pursuing writing professionally since 2020.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
I wrote the first draft of the book in 2023.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
I, like most, have had a lot of moments where I thought I was wasting my time or not good enough, but I've always had a compulsion to write even when I wasn't sure there was a reason. And hearing feedback from readers of my first books has kept me going.
QT: Is this your first book?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
No. I have a middle grade series out that starts with SUE B AND THE RIDDERS.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
I've always been a writer in one form or another and took all the English coursework I could fit in my schedule, including playwrighting.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
I do miss of my writing late at night when my son is asleep and the house is quiet.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
I edit as I write, generally. With this book I ended up with about three drafts by the end based on feedback from others, including queries.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
I use both alpha readers while I'm writing and beta readers for completed drafts. I was also honored to win feedback from the amazing Alex Gino after winning a writing contest.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
Die-hard panster!
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
I queried this book for 2 years before signing with TS, who had my book for almost that whole time from query to partial to full to offer.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
Roughly 80!
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
TS is my second agent, so I learned a lot about what I didn't want from my first experience. That being said, I used MSWLs and following agents on socials to decide who to query and who to avoid. On querytracker, I used the data to focus on agents with higher response rates and quicker response times, as well as comments from other writers about their experiences.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
I didn't personalize my queries beyond making sure I addressed them to the right person unless there was something that stood out to me about their interests or a connection.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Melissa Ruth Rotert:
Don't self-reject. Don't close out queries or withdraw just because it's taking a long time. Waiting is hard, but a lot of my requests came from sitting in maybe piles for a while. If you get a pass after a partial or full with specific actionable feedback, never be afraid to ask polite if they're open to an R&R.