Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Paul Jeong

Success Story Interview - Paul Jeong

An Interview with Paul Jeong (blackhand on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Jennifer Chen Tran of Glass Literary Management.

04/18/2023

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Paul Jeong:
STREET FIGHTING MAN is a YA “coming-of-rage” story. In the summer of 1991, a bullied Korean American teen fights for life and love in an arcade tournament.
I wrote this novel to see Asian American characters like me represented in the media of my youth—80s and 90s movies. It’s The Karate Kid meets Crying in H Mart.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Paul Jeong:
I’ve been writing stories to entertain people since middle school but didn’t consider writing a novel until my mid-20s. It took much longer to actually sit down and finish a novel.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Paul Jeong:
The first draft took five years to write. I knew nothing about publishing and only wrote when the mood struck. I spent another year after that revising and querying.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Paul Jeong:
The most difficult time was probably drafting without a clear end goal. Once finishing the book became a reality, I researched traditional publishing and started querying and applying for mentorships. I joined a writing Discord during the wait for Author Mentor Match in 2022. The Unhinged Discord has been absolutely essential in keeping me motivated through all the struggles of querying.
QT: Is this your first book?: Paul Jeong:
STREET FIGHTING MAN is my first finished manuscript but my heart will always belong to the NA zombie novel sitting on my hard drive.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Paul Jeong:
I have read The Elements of Style and On Writing while wearing a monocle.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Paul Jeong:
When I’m drafting, I aim for 1,700 words a day—a habit picked up from NaNoWriMo. But I count any number of words as productive.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Paul Jeong:
I have twelve numbered drafts, but I’ve probably read through and edited my book over twenty times. The structure of the story has changed little, but I’ve reduced the word count from a 203k (I know…) first draft to the 79k version that got me an offer of representation. I’ve since revised the novel to 76k in preparation for submission.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Paul Jeong:
I recruited friends and family to beta read early drafts of my book. I subjected them to an intensive program where they had to read excerpts and fill out a detailed electronic questionnaire. A few of them still speak to me…
I’ve also had critique partners from my writing Discord read and provide essential feedback. In total, over a dozen people have read early versions of this story.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Paul Jeong:
It was a mix of the two. I used Dan Harmon’s Story Circle to outline the basic character arc. I wrote a zero draft with snippets and vibes I wanted to include. I had a scene outline early on I tried to stick to, but sometimes the story went in other directions. I reverse outlined after the first draft and tried to impose a little structure.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Paul Jeong:
This is the first book I’ve queried. I started querying in November 2021 and signed with my agent in February 2023.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Paul Jeong:
Oh, boy…I sent out 200 queries, some to the same agent after significant revisions. I had 21 full requests and 2 R&Rs. One of the R&Rs led to my initial offer. I got another 8 full requests after nudging agents with the offer and 2 additional offers after that.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Paul Jeong:
I queried agents at reputable agencies looking for diverse YA stories. I probably went through every YA agent listed on QueryTracker to build my list. I could’ve been a little more selective, but things worked out in the end.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Paul Jeong:
For every query, I included brief personalization at the beginning, either mentioning aspects of their MSWL or an author they represent. Early on, I spent much more time on personalization, reading interviews and doing research, etc. Towards the end, I’d take a few minutes on this part of the query.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Paul Jeong:
Find a writing group. Having peers who are going through the same challenges is so vital when querying. Besides the obvious benefits of getting feedback on your materials, I’ve improved my craft while helping others with their projects. I honestly don’t know if I would’ve found representation without all the support from the Unhinged Discord.

Success Story Interview - Paul Jeong

Query Letter: