Success Story Interview - Suzi Silveira Guina

An Interview with Suzi Silveira Guina (bonecabela on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Kristina Perez of Perez Literary & Entertainment.

09/02/2025

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

Suzi Silveira Guina:
My book is a contemporary romance named PORTUGUESE PASTRIES AND OTHER CURES FOR HEARTACHE that's My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Abby Jimenez. It's inspired by my big, close Portuguese family and my own love of pastries and baking.

QT: How long have you been writing?

Suzi Silveira Guina:
I've been writing for over ten years.

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

Suzi Silveira Guina:
I've felt like giving up many, many times. I've actually been agented before and though we had many close calls, I haven't sold a manuscript YET. What's kept me on course are my beloved and indispensable writing friends and critique partners. They helped me weather the disappointments and celebrated every bit of good news with me. When I was ready to quit, they lifted me up and reminded me that my stories matter, that my voice matters, and that the only way to make my dreams come true is to keep pursuing them.

QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?

Suzi Silveira Guina:
When I'm drafting, I try to dip into my manuscript every morning, even if it's only to re-read what I've written or brainstorm. This helps keep my story fresh in my mind and helps my subconscious continue working out plot points and character details and reveals even when I'm away. I also try to give myself a daily word count goal because that helps me reach my goals more methodically and motivates me, but I don't beat myself up if I don't make my daily goals. Instead, I recognize that my brain may need a processing day to percolate all the story elements to better craft the words another day.
I also try to honor the seasons of creativity. Some seasons are for drafting, some for revising, some for stepping away and refilling the well. All are integral to the writing process.

QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?

Suzi Silveira Guina:
I do. My beta readers and critique partners are invaluable to me as a writer. They help me hone my story and identify any places where my brain filled in information that I didn't include on the page. They not only give me honest feedback, but they provide motivation and moral support, as well.

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

Suzi Silveira Guina:
I am a discovery writer, which means I write a zero draft of the novel as my way of building the outline. Once I have that zero draft, or enough of one to really know my story, then I dig into structure and look more carefully at plot beats. I've tried outlining first, but it's simply not the best process for me. I heard once that all writers have to put the work in to elevate their manuscripts: plotters put this work in ahead of drafting; pantsers (or discovery writers) do it after the draft, but either way, the work must get done (I wish I could credit this, but I don't remember where I heard it). This advice helped me realize that my process is absolutely valid and that not plotting didn't make me an inferior writer. It just means I put in the work on the backend of the draft, instead of the front.

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

Suzi Silveira Guina:
I used both QueryTracker and manuscriptwishlist.com to identify agents that were looking for my genres and books similar to the one I wrote. On manuscriptwishlist.com, I did specific searches for agents looking for books similar to the authors of my comps by using the author's name in the search bar. I also searched for keywords that fit my manuscript (this could be sub-genres, themes, tropes, etc). When I found someone that seemed like a good fit, I would then do more research on QT to see what their response times were, how many manuscripts they've requested in my genre, other agents like them, and other pertinent info. I also followed the agent links on their general QT page to get more information about them. QT has so many good data reports and tools to create a querying strategy and I fully used those to help me organize my queries.

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

Suzi Silveira Guina:
I tailored to a certain extent, but not too specifically. Mostly, I found agents through their manuscript wish lists, so I opened with that: Based on your manuscript wish list, I thought you'd enjoy my contemporary romance...." If I got a referral or met the agent at a conference, I definitely mentioned that in the query letter.

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

Suzi Silveira Guina:
Patience is key. You need patience for the process--researching agents that best match your work so you're not sending to people who will automatically reject, thus wasting your time and theirs. You need patience as you wait, especially as response times have gotten longer.
Relatedly, do your best to avoid black hole agents who never respond and keep you in an indefinite waiting pattern.
Workshop your query to make sure it shines before sending it out. Then be sure you give it time to do its magic.
Remember that agents' responses aren't personal. If it's rejection, get a virtual hug from your critique partners, dust off and send out another query. I always tried to send one out for every no I got to keep enough queries in play.
Most importantly, don't give up. Take a break and refill the well, if you need to. Reassess your goals and what's important to you. But if you want to get published, you need to keep trying. Every manuscript is an act of hope.