Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews T.E. Seager

Success Story Interview - T.E. Seager

An Interview with T.E. Seager (tayseager on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Marina Green of P.S. Literary Agency.

06/24/2025

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: T.E. Seager:
What the Shadows Took is a genre-blurring story that sits at the intersection of gothic fantasy and romantic horror. At its core, the novel explores how inherited trauma and grief shape a person and the decisions that they make. Throughout the book, my main character Ellowyn is grappling with a curse of darkness that has been passed down through her family. She returns to her ancestral home when the curse surfaces on her twenty-first birthday and finds that her family has gone missing, the house is decayed, and the entire island fears her. As Ellowyn tries to piece together where her family has gone and why they've been cursed, she begins to uncover a monstrous version of herself.

I was inspired to write this story as a means to explore my own grief and trauma. I've always been someone who feels incredibly deeply and I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. The curse that Ellowyn deals with forces her to do the same--she can't hide her feelings because they manifest as the shadows around her. Writing this book was cathartic and allowed me to heal myself, in some ways.
QT: How long have you been writing?: T.E. Seager:
I've written for as long as I can remember, although novel writing is new for me. I primarily wrote poetry from the time I started writing through last year, but decided that this year I was ready for something different. While I was intimidated at first by the idea of writing something long-form, it came out a lot easier than I could have anticipated.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: T.E. Seager:
I started working on this book in late January of 2025. Within two weeks I had finished the first draft--another two weeks and I was done editing and ready to query the project.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: T.E. Seager:
There have been many times in the last few months that I've felt like an impostor. Most people don't just pick up their laptop one day and decide that they're going to write a book, let alone follow through and decide to query that book. When I compared myself to other people going through this process--people who have written several manuscripts and who have formal writing training--it just seemed like what I was doing was silly. What helped me to fight through these feelings and stay on course were my first readers. I'm a high school English teacher, and all of my first readers were my students. When they loved it and meant it, I knew that I had to believe in myself a little bit more and trust in the process. High schoolers are brutally honest (sometimes to a fault), so I felt like I could trust the feedback that they were giving me.
QT: Is this your first book?: T.E. Seager:
This is my first book! Now that I've started writing novels though, I don't plan on ever stopping.
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: T.E. Seager:
While I studied English while getting my B.S. in Secondary Education, I don't particularly consider those classes to be formal writing training. I think that's part of why I enjoy breaking writing rules so often!
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: T.E. Seager:
No, but I'm trying to be better about it! In an ideal world I would write at least 1,000-2,000 words every day, but life often gets in the way. My goal for the second half of this year is to find a consistent schedule that works for me.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: T.E. Seager:
I formally edited the book once before I started querying. However, I am the type of writer who edits as I put words down on the page. When it comes to putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) I become a bit of a perfectionist, so I don't end up having a ton of edits. I did another formal edit after I received an R&R back in March.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: T.E. Seager:
I had one formal beta reader--the rest of my early readers were students, friends, and family. All-in-all I would say that about 20 people have read it from the time of its conception to now.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: T.E. Seager:
I did not go into What the Shadows Took with an outline--the story unraveled for me as I wrote it. Even when I thought that I knew where the plot was going, my characters surprised me a lot and really took the reins. I did outline my current WIP, though.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: T.E. Seager:
I started querying this book far before it was ready, mainly due to my own ignorance of this industry. I've learned a lot since I started querying this in February. In total, I actively queried for four months.
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: T.E. Seager:
I sent out 250 queries total. My last 100 are what I count as my "true" querying process, however, as that was when I really figured out what I was doing.
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: T.E. Seager:
At first, I was really just looking at agents who fit my genre and whose #MSWL my manuscript fit. Once I got through the R&R and changed my querying process, I became significantly more selective. I wanted to find an agent who was editorial, who was looking to grow with me, who could help me build a career in this industry. I didn't necessarily need an agent who has a great sales record--obviously as a newcomer myself I know that we all have to start somewhere--but I did want to work with someone that I felt like would be a consistent partner through the ups and the downs of the publishing process.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: T.E. Seager:
I didn't tailor my queries at first, but I did for the last 100 agents that I reached out to. When making personalizations I looked at their #MSWL, their current client list, and their agency profiles. If there was anything there that connected to my own manuscript, I used that to make a connection to them.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: T.E. Seager:
Be proud of yourself and the work that you've created! Most people who set out to write a novel don't follow through--the fact that you did means that you completed the hardest part of the process. You can--and should--celebrate that accomplishment! Beyond that, I think it's important to remember that a lot of the success stories that you see aren't always the norm. Just because you don't get an offer of representation in your first few weeks of querying doesn't mean that all hope is lost. Keep your head up and take it one day at a time--eventually, things will work out in the way that they're meant to.

Success Story Interview - T.E. Seager

Query Letter: