Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Talya Klein

Success Story Interview - Talya Klein

An Interview with Talya Klein (talyaklein on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Juliana McBride of FinePrint Literary Management.

09/04/2026

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Talya Klein:
My book is about two teenagers raised in an isolated fundamentalist Christian sect and their eventual escape. It's a propulsive, suspenseful coming-of-age story that explores mental illness, generational trauma and the choices we make as a result. The idea came from my fascination with the Gloriavale Christian Community in New Zealand, and wondering what draws a person into a patriarchal, high-control religious group, which feels like a particularly relevant question at this moment in America. At the same time, I was helping a friend who was experiencing a psychotic break brought on by a manic episode, and I was haunted by the overlap between mental illness and religious ecstasy.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Talya Klein:
I've been writing as long as I can remember. I started with stories and then quickly became obsessed with writing scripts for theater, film and tv. But I experienced an extended period of writer's block in my twenties and thirties that didn't resolve until my late diagnosis of ADHD. Understanding how my brain works and how I can harness my neurodivergence to get myself un-stuck has been an absolute game-changer for me.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Talya Klein:
The initial idea came in 2020, a few months into the pandemic, but at that point I thought I was writing a screenplay. I outlined the screenplay in 2021 in a horror writing intensive at Sundance Co//ab. During the extended strikes in Hollywood in 2022 and 2023, I pretty much left the outline in a drawer until another writer friend convinced me to try and write it as a novel. I started writing it in October of 2024, and finished my first draft in August of 2025.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Talya Klein:
During the querying process, I had moments of real discouragement and a couple dark nights of the soul. In fact, I had been on a pause from querying for the Summer to regroup when the first offer of rep came in. It requires a truly advanced level of delusion to believe in something in the face of rejection, and it's only natural to feel confused when you love a project so much and it isn't always met with the same level of enthusiasm from others. The things that really kept me going were having the support and encouragement of other writer friends, treating the querying process like some sort of escape room I had to figure out as I went, and reminding myself of all of the times I've done difficult things despite the odds. I have a white board by my desk where I kept track of my querying stats and I literally wrote on it: "You've beaten tougher odds than this." I should also mention I'm incredibly stubborn.
QT: Is this your first book?: Talya Klein:
If you don't count the 27 or so graphic novels I wrote in first grade about penguins doing ballet, then yes.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Talya Klein:
Other than high school English, most of my writing training has been in screenwriting and playwriting. All of the stuff I learned about plot structure, voice, character and "showing not telling" really came in handy when I transitioned into writing fiction. Other things like POV and interiority I had to learn as I went. I love learning by reading as well, so I read a lot of great books and tried to identify what the writer was doing that made me respond to the story.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Talya Klein:
If I truly love the project, I'll want to touch on it every day. Sometimes that will mean a few lines of editing, and sometimes that will mean writing 5K words. I outlined my book down to the chapter and had a running chart that I filled in every time I completed a milestone. This really kept me motivated. I only have so many free hours during the day that I can devote to writing, so when I get the chance to sit down and write I take it. Because of my ADHD, I have text-to-voice software that allows me to revise my work by listening to it and that has meant that I can be revising anytime anywhere. I've listened to my book in its entirety over a hundred times in the past year.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Talya Klein:
I started querying on draft 3, (too early!) but draft 4 is what eventually got me representation. About three months into the querying process I got some invaluable feedback from an agent on a full that led to another major edit. I'm sure by the time I go out on sub I'll be on draft 5.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Talya Klein:
I had three trusted writer friends who read my manuscript and gave me feedback, but I didn't have any strangers read the whole thing. I also got feedback on my opening chapters from two different developmental editors, and at the NorCal Writers Retreat. Everyone was so helpful.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Talya Klein:
The first rule of screenwriting is: OUTLINE, OUTLINE, OUTLINE, so I love a good outline. You can save yourself a lot of strife by finding plot holes that way. But even with a meticulous outline, there were certain moments or characters that appeared unplanned while I was writing, and later I was like "how did I ever imagine this book without them?" That's one of the most magical parts of writing for me, when it just feels intuitive.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Talya Klein:
I sent out one query in November 2025 to test the waters, but didn't start my official process until late January 2026. I got the offer from my agent in early August so that's like seven months querying in earnest. It was my first novel and my first time querying, but I'm no stranger to pitching my work and I've had so many screenplays that never made it past development that it didn't feel like my first rodeo.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Talya Klein:
I sent out 88 over the course of five months, but ended up withdrawing 12 of those for one reason or another. So 76 total.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Talya Klein:
I wanted to make sure I was only querying agents from reputable agencies with a proven publishing track record. Once I had a list of agencies, I spent a lot of time on Manuscript Wishlist researching agents who were looking for upmarket suspense, coming-of-age or cult-escape stories, or referenced my comps or themes in their wishlists. I kept a pretty meticulous spreadsheet of my findings. When I found an agent who would definitely not be a match for one reason or another, I made sure to keep them on a separate list so I knew not to query them.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Talya Klein:
I had one sentence in my first paragraph that personalized why I was querying that specific agent but nothing really beyond that. The feedback I've gotten is that it's nice, but not necessary to extensively personalize each letter. I also checked their agency website and MSWL to see if they requested anything specific in the query so I could include that, but the bulk of my letter always stayed the same.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Talya Klein:
Query in small batches of 5-10 and prepare to learn as you go. You will almost always query your book too early or want to revise your blurb/comps/keywords. Some writers find representation in a month, but they are anomalies and this process will probably go slower than you think. Try to do nice things for yourself when you experience disappointment and celebrate every small win. Keep a positive attitude as much as you can and try not to fall into bitterness and cynicism. Reach out for support but be careful about complaining or despairing too much on social media: more people are reading your posts than you imagine. And don't compare yourself to strangers on the internet. People are usually loudest about their successes and you don't see the hard parts behind the scenes.

Success Story Interview - Talya Klein

Query Letter: