Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Rebecca Russell

Success Story Interview - Rebecca Russell

An Interview with Rebecca Russell (beccakr167 on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Jim Donovan of Jim Donovan Literary.

06/15/2026

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Rebecca Russell:
It is a work of literary/historical fiction that imagines the backstory of a character briefly spoken of in Jane Eyre. She is a former French opera mistress of Mr. Rochester and, for 180 years, readers have only heard of her as she is being judged entirely by Rochester’s account. Rochester has a habit of centering himself in the stories he tells in a way that is self-mythologizing.

When he tells the story of Céline in chapter 15 of Jane Eyre, she is more or less diminished as a ‘crazy ex-girlfriend,’ —a lying, mercenary cheat. But there was something about her circumstances—an opera dancer in 19th-century Paris—that suggested a much larger, much more human story. I really wanted to move the camera to explore her as a character and, while Rochester got to narrate his version of events, I was interested in what the same events might look like from the perspective of someone else.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Rebecca Russell:
My entire life! I’ve been writing short stories and parodies since I learned letters. This project is the first time I committed myself to a long-form project and saw it all the way through. Writing it showed me just how much I enjoyed the process itself—the research, character studies, revision, etc.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Rebecca Russell:
It was five years and three months from when I started writing it to when I had a version I felt comfortable sending out for querying.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Rebecca Russell:
I had an unusual number of major life events occur while writing this book. My son was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition, which required frequent travel to Boston Children’s Hospital and eventually a temporary relocation for his stem cell transplant. His sister was conceived through IVF as his bone marrow donor, a process that involved months of travel and medical appointments. At the time of her birth, I developed HELLP syndrome and suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage, resulting in a prolonged ICU stay.

There were certainly periods when finishing a novel felt far less important than everything else that was happening. What kept me going was realizing that writing remained one part of myself I had not lost. Returning to the manuscript after my brain injury was reassuring because it reminded me that I was still there.
QT: Is this your first book?: Rebecca Russell:
It is, but now that I know I can do it—that I can commit myself from start to finish—I want to keep writing books, regardless of whether the manuscripts become anything more than something for myself.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Rebecca Russell:
Nothing beyond having a Bachelors in English.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Rebecca Russell:
Not really. I often went months without writing a single word, though I thought about the book every day. Then there would be periods of intense productivity when I was constantly taking notes in notebooks, on my phone, or wherever I happened to be. Interestingly, much of the manuscript was written while my son was undergoing his stem cell transplant at Boston Children’s Hospital. Writing was a kind of security blanket during a very uncertain time.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Rebecca Russell:
I made countless changes to chapters, dialogue, etc. I think I had four “finished” versions. I am waiting on the editorial package from my agent, so there may be more to come.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Rebecca Russell:
Yes, but it was mostly family.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Rebecca Russell:
I outlined the book and followed it about 70%.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Rebecca Russell:
This is my first novel, and I haven’t queried for anything else yet. I signed the contract with Jim Donovan 58 days after I sent out my first query.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Rebecca Russell:
I was initially advised to query in small batches, wait for responses, and adjust my materials as needed before sending more. That was my plan. In practice, I became impatient pretty quickly and ended up sending approximately 240 queries.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Rebecca Russell:
I queried pretty broadly, to be honest. I basically queried anyone who was looking for the genre that aligned with my book, so long as they were open to queries. I did look at every agent’s MSWL and website, so I made sure I knew who I was querying before doing so.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Rebecca Russell:
Yes. In the query letters, I referred to other books the agent had represented and the genres they were looking for and how my book would fit in.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Rebecca Russell:
You wrote a book, and that is an extraordinary thing. No matter what happens next, you should be proud of that accomplishment. The manuscript exists. You finished it. No number of rejections can take that away from you.

Everything that comes afterward—requests, offers, publication—is additional. The work itself is already real.

Success Story Interview - Rebecca Russell

Query Letter: