Success Story Interview - Shae Davenport

An Interview with Shae Davenport (shaeofsunshine on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Jennifer Herrera of David Black Literary Agency.

03/23/2026

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

Shae Davenport:
The book that got me representation is a romantasy with a biracial FMC and interracial magical love story. I like reading old child’s ballads and one in particular from the 14th century inspired my plot.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Shae Davenport:
I have been writing unseriously since I was six or seven. I grew up with a parent who loved writing and seeing that was when my own love for writing and reading began. I’d write scenes or chapters. It wasn’t until I turned 26 that I decided to commit to writing a whole book.

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

Shae Davenport:
I worked on this book for about 14 months before I started querying it.

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

Shae Davenport:
Yes. All the time. Every day. I guess I just want to see one of my stories enjoyed by other people so badly that I didn’t give up, but there were days, still are days, when I don’t feel good enough.

QT: Is this your first book?

Shae Davenport:
Yes. I’ve started books over the years, unseriously, this is the first book I plotted and sat down and committed to finishing so I could query and luckily it worked out.

QT: Do you have any formal writing training?

Shae Davenport:
None at all.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Shae Davenport:
I try to, but realistically I write whenever I have time or feel like it. So not really.

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

Shae Davenport:
Enough times that I can’t wait to never read it again. Probably 12 plus times at this point and I know there are still more times to come.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Shae Davenport:
Yes, I did have beta readers at different stages. The first stage I had beta readers for was after draft two.

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

Shae Davenport:
I plotted the climaxes of each act, and the start of each act, and then wrote from the hip when filling in the middle. I’m a plotter and pantser.

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

Shae Davenport:
Luckily only five months, I didn’t expect it to happen, because I know so many people write so many amazing books and it still takes querying multiple books before landing an agent. I was fortunate to find an agent who loves my story the first go around. But I don’t think my story is any better than anyone else’s, I guess the stars just aligned fortunately.

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

Shae Davenport:
Roughly 100.

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

Shae Davenport:
I only queried agents who I’d like to work with, who represented the genre I wrote in and other genres I’d like to write in.

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

Shae Davenport:
Not every one, but some of them, and the one that landed me my agent was personalized.

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

Shae Davenport:
Don’t give up. I know it’s hard. I know you want to cry. I know you probably have cried. But you can do it, I promise you can do it. Just never give up.