Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Shiloh Carroll

Success Story Interview - Shiloh Carroll

An Interview with Shiloh Carroll (medievalismist on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Michelle Hauck of Storm Literary Agency.

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?: Shiloh Carroll:
It's a spicy romantasy in which an archeologist and ghost-whispering con man are sent on a mission to find a magical artifact in the tomb of a mythological king. Hijinks ensue.

I wrote it because I'd been writing a fanfic with a whole lot of banter and it was so much fun! It wasn't the kind of thing I could file the serial numbers off of, so I planned this book specifically to let me write fun banter with original characters. The Mummy's Rick and Evie were huge inspirations.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Shiloh Carroll:
Oh, forever. With any kind of seriousness and an eye to publishing, since I was sixteen or so.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Shiloh Carroll:
About a year? Maybe a bit more.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Shiloh Carroll:
Yes, in fact, if this book hadn't hit with anyone, I had one more in the pipeline, and if that didn't hit, I didn't plan to query again ever. I joked that I was going to just pivot to fanfic and maybe post some of my original work on AO3 so at least someone might read it.
QT: Is this your first book?: Shiloh Carroll:
Not at all. I wrote several before landing my first agent years ago, and when we parted ways, I wrote several more before this one.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Shiloh Carroll:
I have a PhD in English and took some creative writing classes as an undergraduate, but not an MFA or anything.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Shiloh Carroll:
Sorta-kinda. While drafting, I try to write at least 1000 words every morning. Sometimes my brain doesn't want to cooperate, so I might back up and do some light revising. Either way, I try to have my eyeballs on it every weekday, and weekends are for letting it rest so my subconscious can chew on it.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Shiloh Carroll:
Probably two major revisions and several more passes for tweaks and proofreading and such.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Shiloh Carroll:
I did! While I was writing this, I was part of a writing group and several of them read it for me and gave great feedback.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Shiloh Carroll:
I can't pants. I've tried. It's awful. I tend to start with a rough plot outline, then I'll throw it into a beat sheet. I don't always stick to said beat sheet, but it gives me a broad overview of what I'm trying to do.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Shiloh Carroll:
This one went out on query in late March 2026 and I got Michelle's offer in early August. I've queried three other books over the span of about eight years.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Shiloh Carroll:
44 total!
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Shiloh Carroll:
Since I've been writing so long and write in so many different subgenres of fantasy, I wanted an agent who would represent all of them, not just romantasy, so anyone with "no high fantasy" or such in the MSWL were set aside. I also preferred an established agent over a newer one still building their list. After reading my full, Michelle requested a portfolio of my other work with an eye to a long-term, career-length partnership, and that was a major point in her favor.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Shiloh Carroll:
I tailored the opening paragraph's "this is why I'm querying you with this book" statement but by and large, it was the same query throughout.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Shiloh Carroll:
This is a long, hard process. Don't get discouraged by writers who announce they landed an agent a week after querying and have a book coming out in a month. Those people are unicorns. Also, there's so much advice out there about how to do this; take what works for you and let the rest go. Having a private group chat where you can scream and cry is a great help, also; you don't want to be doing that on main.

Success Story Interview - Shiloh Carroll

Query Letter: