Success Story Interview - P.D. Hubbard

An Interview with P.D. Hubbard (PrinceH on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Naomi Davis of BookEnds, LLC.

09/10/2026

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

P.D. Hubbard:
THE COST OF CALM is an upmarket speculative novel about Harmony, a behavioral platform that predicts emotional escalation and intervenes before people reach a crisis. It follows Nora Quinn, a therapist who recognizes the platform’s benefits but becomes increasingly concerned as emotional regulation begins to replace individual choice. The novel asks whether eliminating suffering is worth surrendering parts of our autonomy and identity.

The idea came from my own mental-health journey. Medication changes and the daily work of managing my mental health can be cumbersome. While struggling internally, I often felt that I had to mask what I was experiencing while simultaneously trying to manage it. I wished there were a way to recognize and address daily stress before it accumulated and began affecting other parts of my life. Sometimes, I wished I could automate my treatment.

That wish led me to a more troubling question: What would be the moral cost of surrendering personal autonomy in exchange for society’s idea of emotional stability or normality? THE COST OF CALM grew from that question.

QT: How long have you been writing?

P.D. Hubbard:
I’ve been writing fiction seriously for about a year. My therapist originally suggested journaling as a way to manage stress. Gradually, I shifted from writing directly about my life to translating my experiences into fiction. Creating multiple characters allowed me to express conflicting emotions through different perspectives instead of trying to untangle several racing thoughts at once.

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

P.D. Hubbard:
I began working on THE COST OF CALM around August 2025. After approximately six months, I sent my first queries during the week of Valentine’s Day in February 2026. I continued revising the manuscript during the querying process and received my offer of representation in August.

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

P.D. Hubbard:
Yes. I received more than twenty query rejections, most of which were form responses. Then one agent who had read the complete manuscript included notes with the rejection. They liked the story but had difficulty connecting with the characters.

I reread the book and realized they were right. My characters had distinct personalities in my head, but not enough of those personalities had reached the page. That feedback helped me understand that the novel wasn’t bad. It was incomplete.

I didn’t need the yes as much as I needed to know what was missing. I revised the manuscript, brought more of the characters’ personalities and emotions onto the page, and fell in love with them. I hope readers will fall in love with them too. I hope to hear who their favorite character is one day.

QT: Is this your first book?

P.D. Hubbard:
THE COST OF CALM is the first novel I’ve queried. Shortly afterward, I also began querying another novel, but I stopped because I wanted to rebuild it using what revising THE COST OF CALM had taught me. I’m also constantly writing short stories inspired by dreams, unusual ideas, and questions that don’t have clear answers.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

P.D. Hubbard:
No, I don’t have formal creative-writing training. My formal writing experience mainly consists of college essays. My fiction writing began through journaling, so most of what I’ve learned has come from writing, revising, reading, listening to my work aloud, and applying feedback.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

P.D. Hubbard:
Writing and cooking are the two main ways I relieve stress. When I’m not doing one, I’m often doing the other. The problem is that I enjoy trying new things, which used to make it difficult for me to remain focused on one project.

The solution I found was to work on two or three projects at once. I rotate between them depending on my mood and which story fits that mood. I’m almost always writing. It’s just a matter of which story I’m working on that day.

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

P.D. Hubbard:
I completed one major, manuscript-wide revision before Naomi read it, along with many smaller editing passes. That major revision grew out of feedback I received about the characters and required me to reconsider how much of their personalities, emotions, and relationships had actually reached the page. After signing with Naomi, I completed another round of editing in collaboration with them, strengthening the manuscript further through their editorial guidance.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

P.D. Hubbard:
No. I was too embarrassed to let other people read it before I began querying, but that ultimately held me back. The detailed feedback I eventually received showed me how valuable an outside perspective could be. It didn’t just make the manuscript better. It made me a better writer.

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

P.D. Hubbard:
I build my stories in layers. I begin with a synopsis and expand it until I have a storyline. Then I divide the story into chapters and arcs. I first write what happens in factual terms, turn that information into narration, give the characters their parts within it, and convert portions of the narration into live scenes when the moments seem especially important.

Afterward, I use Microsoft Word’s read-aloud feature to listen to the manuscript repeatedly. Whenever I hear something that needs to change, I revise it and leave the new material in red. I repeat that process until I can listen without stopping to make another change. Once I’m satisfied, I change all the approved text to black. That is my signal to let the manuscript go and stop touching it.

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

P.D. Hubbard:
I sent my first queries for THE COST OF CALM during the week of Valentine’s Day in February 2026. I queried Naomi in April and received my offer of representation in August.

I also queried another novel around the same time but have since stopped. Revising THE COST OF CALM taught me a great deal about writing, and I decided to rebuild the other manuscript before pursuing representation for it again. It has strong bones, but it needs more work.

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

P.D. Hubbard:
I sent twenty-two queries.

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

P.D. Hubbard:
I wanted an agent who was collaborative, inclusive, and honest. I was especially drawn to agents who loved character-driven speculative fiction and wanted to work closely with authors to make their stories stronger.

Naomi’s profile stood out because of their interest in dynamic, character-driven science fiction and fantasy. Their focus on helping authors develop stakes, voice immersion, and tension matched the areas that mattered most to me. I wanted an agent who would understand the larger speculative premise while still treating the characters as the heart of the story.

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

P.D. Hubbard:
Yes. I adjusted which parts of the story I emphasized based on each agent’s interests.

You can’t tell an agent the entire story before they receive the manuscript. The query needs to establish a strong premise and make them want to read more. I tried to identify which parts of the novel would matter most to each agent and bring those elements forward without misrepresenting the story.

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

P.D. Hubbard:
Seek out honest feedback, even when allowing someone else to read your work feels uncomfortable.

As the writer, you may be able to close your eyes and see the entire book. However, if you’re imagining a room that you haven’t described, a feeling that you haven’t communicated, or a character experiencing an emotion that hasn’t been earned on the page, readers can’t see those things with you. They may not fully connect with a story that remains partially in your head and only partially on the page.

Consider which sensory details will help readers inhabit each scene. More importantly, make sure readers have what they need to understand why each moment matters. Sometimes you don’t need confirmation that your book is good. You need help discovering what’s still missing.

QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?

P.D. Hubbard:
Yes. This is the query I submitted, with minor formatting corrections:

Query Letter:

I am seeking representation for THE COST OF CALM, a 77,000-word upmarket speculative novel that explores the cost of eliminating emotional suffering.

Nora Quinn is a therapist who has built her career on recognizing the difference between distress and danger. Years ago, she lost a patient after missing the warning signs hidden inside a quiet, controlled version of "I am fine." Since then, she has trusted that emotional intensity, however uncomfortable, is often necessary to understanding what someone is truly experiencing.

When a behavioral system called Harmony is introduced in her town, that belief begins to fracture. Harmony promises early intervention, reduced conflict, and measurable stability. Students stop acting out. Families argue less. Patients arrive calmer, more controlled, and easier to treat.

At first, Nora sees the benefits. Then she recognizes something else. The same quiet that once hid a crisis is now being encouraged at scale.

As Harmony integrates into schools, healthcare, and daily life, Nora begins receiving a steady stream of referrals routed through the system. Each patient arrives before breaking, guided by prompts that name and regulate their emotions in advance. The results are effective, but unsettling. People are not being forced to change. They are choosing to become easier, safer, and smaller versions of themselves.

When Harmony begins identifying not only who needs support but who poses a risk to community stability, Nora finds herself pulled inside the system she does not trust. The more it works, the harder it becomes to argue against it, especially as those closest to her begin to accept it as necessary.

Nora must decide whether preventing suffering is worth reshaping identity, and whether refusing a system designed to help could itself become a form of harm.

THE COST OF CALM will appeal to readers of character-driven speculative fiction that examines the tension between progress and autonomy.

I am a Florida-based writer currently completing a Bachelor's degree in Software Development. This is my debut novel.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best,

P.D. Hubbard