Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar

Success Story Interview - Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar

An Interview with Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar (StoriesByChaya on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Quressa Robinson of Folio Literary Management.

03/21/2024

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar:
Absolutely! THE HALCYON TRIALS (tentative title) is a Queer YA Fantasy. In a world poisoned by the territory war between gods who rule as kings on land, two convicted women from the enemy kingdoms race to claim one magical weapon for their respective rulers—their last chance to be pardoned from ruinous sentences. I was inspired to write this story during my college years, when I was thrust into a melting pot of identities and experiences outside of the norms that I had come to rely on. The people I met in college and everything I experienced from dismantling surgeries to exploitative leaders helped me realize how sheltered my understanding of the world was—that beyond the borders of my upbringing, there was so much color and culture to learn from. Leaving the "kingdom" I was raised in for the quest of college even helped me discover my own queer and author identity. I figured this ongoing journey, of questing beyond one's own borders in the metaphorical and literal sense, was an adventure epic enough to adapt through a fantasy lens.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar:
I've been writing for what seems like forever. At the start it was poetry and nonsensical short stories about my family members, but I finished the first draft of my first full-length novel in 2015! That one will never see the light of day (it was truly horrible), but I wouldn't have been able to write the manuscript that won me an agent without it!
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar:
I've been working on this particular book for about three years, but a lot of it draws from characters and themes in my first book so, in a way, it's been nearly nine years!
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar:
I don't think I could ever give up on writing, I love it too much! But, I probably questioned if I could make a career out of it every other Tuesday. I had already been through the querying trenches with my previous novel, back around 2019. The hundreds of rejections that came my way back then seemed to scream at me to stop. I fortunately met my writing mentor around that time, and the relentless belief that she and my family had in me motivated me to keep trying. To keep writing. To start whole new projects. And to query again. Even for this round, I began querying almost a year ago. I had sent out 96 queries, and though I had about six confidence-boosting manuscript requests along the way, I received 95 rejections. My query to Quressa was the very last one I sent, #96, and I remember questioning if it was even worth sending out that last query—especially since Quressa had passed on my previous project back in 2019. But thank goodness I kept going!
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar:
I try to write (or critically read and research) every day! I'm a night owl, and I don't like to have a firm end to my writing sessions such as the start of the workday, so I prefer writing into the night. While I'm developing an idea, I create a very specific outline that lists the beats of each chapter. So, even on the days where I don't feel particularly creative, I have a roadmap of key events to guide me through churning some words out, at least.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar:
I've lost count! I did at least three structural editing passes (one for major character arcs, one for plot, and one for pacing both together) before I dove into numerous passes of copy/line editing to bring each scene to life. I also took the manuscript to beta readers at least four times, and made major revisions based on the feedback that my friends and family gave me.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar:
Beyond the agent representing my genre and age category, I prioritized folks who were editorial agents, focused on their clients' overarching career growth, and seemed to have the same taste in content as me (beyond books, including movies/TV, music, etc.). I researched agents based on who represented my favorite authors and I also signed up for notifications from QueryTracker and Publishers Marketplace as well as agent-related threads on the app formerly known as Twitter. Whenever I was alerted to an agent opening to queries or a new deal in my genre, I'd research more about the agent (using their website, MSWL, etc.) and decide whether they seemed like a good fit for my work!
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar:
I have always dreamed of being traditionally published, and though I am on my way to this goal with an agent and an offer of publication, the path was not traditional by any means. By a miraculous array of coincidences, a friend from work who had beta read my book had met an independent publisher, just as I had wrapped up DVPit so I had a handful of tight pitches for her to share, which won me a meeting with the publisher and ultimately an offer of publication. That offer of publication, I think, helped garner agent interest around my book! From my experience, I'd encourage authors to be unafraid of seeking out opportunities that can expand their network and visibility in the industry, such as pitch contests, writing workshops, conferences, etc. because you never know when, where, or with whom fate will align!
QT: Would you be willing to share your query with us?: Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar:
Of course! I don't think my query letter is perfect by any means, and it's probably a bit on the long side, but I hope it is a helpful starting point for others to build off of. Please see below:

Success Story Interview - Shreya (Chaya) Shettigar

Query Letter: