Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Robert Fitzgerald

Success Story Interview - Robert Fitzgerald

An Interview with Robert Fitzgerald (GrimwoodLibrary83 on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Francesca Ali of William Morris Endeavor.

09/14/2026

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Robert Fitzgerald:
The Flint Tower is a fantasy novel about a young woman arriving in an unfamiliar city as a young refugee, experiencing a betrayal at the hands of a trusted advisor, and finding her once-privileged family unjustly impoverished. The story sees her come of age in the street gangs and seek to reclaim what she has lost, becoming more ruthless as she tries to secure a future for herself and her family. The original inspiration was wanting to write a story set in a world where magic is a brake on a society's development, and see the decline of that society from the viewpoint of someone at street level.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Robert Fitzgerald:
I've always loved writing stories for my own enjoyment. I wrote scripts for my university theatre group, sometimes short stories, or the backstories for characters I was playing in RPG video games!
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Robert Fitzgerald:
I started writing it in earnest in early 2024 and finished the first draft just before Christmas 2025.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Robert Fitzgerald:
I always had faith in the book and believed there would be an audience for it, but there were weeks when I got multiple rejections and wondered whether the querying route was actually going to work out. I'm lucky to have my wife and family supporting me and on hand to remind me that the writing was good!
QT: Is this your first book?: Robert Fitzgerald:
Yes, this is my first full-length book.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Robert Fitzgerald:
Nothing formal but there are some excellent podcasts that I found very helpful - How To Write A Book with Elizabeth Day, for example, and Brandon Sanderson's lecture series on writing sci-fi and fantasy.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Robert Fitzgerald:
I'm more of a morning person so I try to get a solid writing session in the early part of the day where I can. Life happens, however, and writing sometimes has to wait until the evenings or fit in around being a parent - I remember working on the final chapter in a public library while my daughter was at an art class!
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Robert Fitzgerald:
I submitted my first chapter to several competitions so I rewrote that more times than I can remember, trying to improve it each time it was unsuccessful. Once the first draft was finished I did a major edit to get it ready for beta readers, which took a couple of months, and then a final edit prior to querying.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Robert Fitzgerald:
Yes, I shared it with selected friends and family who read in my genre and who I thought would bring different perspectives. The process helped me to tighten up certain aspects and gave me some solid ideas for the rewrites that followed.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Robert Fitzgerald:
I have to know the destination that I'm aiming for, so I sketch an outline before I start writing, but I'm willing to let the plot and characters take me somewhere different if it feels right. The story ends with the main character making a choice I never originally planned for her to make, but it wouldn't have worked otherwise!
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Robert Fitzgerald:
I started querying in March and got my first manuscript requests in July.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Robert Fitzgerald:
I sent over 40, to agents in the UK and US!
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Robert Fitzgerald:
I cast a wide net - I looked at any agent accepting fantasy and was willing to approach anyone whose wish list overlapped with my manuscript.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Robert Fitzgerald:
I attempted to personalise each query with at least a few lines linking what was in my manuscript to what they were asking for on their wish list or submissions page.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Robert Fitzgerald:
You need to be able to get the essence of your story across in a few clear lines and that took me a lot of practice. However, when it comes to the writing it is all highly subjective - every agent may have different and sometimes contradictory opinions on your submission. I had agents pass on my manuscript citing things they saw as problems which other agents had called out as strengths! Weigh up any feeback or critiques you are given and only take the advice that resonates with you.