Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Taylor Brooke

Success Story Interview - Taylor Brooke

An Interview with Taylor Brooke (taylorbrooke on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Shannon Snow of Creative Media Agency.

10/13/2025

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Taylor Brooke:
DEVAN WILL DIE, a YA contemporary thriller, follows a boarding school queen bee who thinks she got away with murder…but someone knows the truth, and they want revenge. I was heavily inspired by TV shows of the 2000s à la Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars, and I wanted to harness that feeling in DEVAN WILL DIE. Throw in my love for an antiheroic main character, a countdown clock, and an ensemble cast full of secrets, and DEVAN WILL DIE was born.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Taylor Brooke:
I wrote casually all throughout my childhood but took a hiatus after college. Eventually, I started craving a creative outlet to complement my corporate 9-5 job. I’m so glad I started writing again.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Taylor Brooke:
It took me about four months to write the first draft of DEVAN WILL DIE. Then I spent six months editing, including two pretty major rewrites. I also spent about two months on a revise and resubmit with my agent.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Taylor Brooke:
I never wanted to give up writing, but there were several times I did think about shelving DEVAN WILL DIE. During the editing phase, I reread the manuscript so many times I convinced myself it wasn’t any good. It turns out, I just needed to step away and put some space between myself and the book.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Taylor Brooke:
I have a minor in Creative Writing, and while the classes were incredibly helpful (especially the writing workshops!), I firmly believe you don’t need any formal training to be a writer. Reading, writing as much as you can, and joining critique circles are equally invaluable tools.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Taylor Brooke:
I feel most creative in the morning, before the stress of the day really gets to me. So when drafting DEVAN WILL DIE, I got in the habit of setting my alarm an hour or two early to write before my 9-5. I’d make a cup of tea, sit down at my desk, and play some lofi music to really get in the groove. I have a hard time writing unless I have dedicated, quiet space and time to work, so this was essential (even though I’m not a morning person at all!).
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Taylor Brooke:
I prefer to outline! Since DEVAN WILL DIE is a thriller, I wanted to carefully plant clues and foreshadow. During my first rewrite, I also reverse outlined the manuscript, and that was critical to make sure all the pieces truly fell into place.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Taylor Brooke:
This is my first book I queried, and I queried for nine months before landing with my amazing agent!
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Taylor Brooke:
Manuscript Wish List was my best friend! I lived on that website finding agents who were looking for particular aspects of my book like unlikable heroines, boarding school settings, countdown clocks, etc. If they listed a comp title that aligned with DEVAN WILL DIE, even better! Many agents’ websites also go into incredible detail on what they’re looking for; that was super helpful, too.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Taylor Brooke:
Send out your queries in small batches! You may receive personalized rejections with helpful feedback that you can use to adjust your query package or opening pages before your next round of submissions.

Success Story Interview - Taylor Brooke

Query Letter: