Dashboard Literary Agents Success Story Interviews Amber Pierce

Success Story Interview - Amber Pierce

An Interview with Amber Pierce (Megrim on QT) upon receiving an offer of representation from agent Caitlin McDonald of Donald Maass Literary Agency.

06/28/2016

QT: Can you tell us a little bit about the book for which you've found representation? What inspired you to write it?: Amber Pierce:
THE PULL OF GRAVITY is a SF story about an idealistic revolutionary who falls in love with the Emperor he's meant to betray. A lot of the galactic backdrop was inspired by the Foundation books, but what I really wanted was a highly character-driven, emotional SF. My love of SF shows like Babylon 5 and BSG were huge influences.
QT: How long have you been writing?: Amber Pierce:
My mom likes to tell people how she has the first "book" I wrote when I was three. But really I started getting serious about writing while in vet school, so maybe 4 years ago now.
QT: How long have you been working on this book?: Amber Pierce:
Wow has it really been 4 years? There have been times, especially in vet school, where I went weeks to months without writing, so it's been on and off.
QT: Was there ever a time you felt like giving up, and what helped you to stay on course?: Amber Pierce:
A lot of times I felt the scope of the story and the non-linear structure were far too ambitious for a first novel. But it was the story I wanted to tell and I had confidence it would be good.
QT: Is this your first book?: Amber Pierce:
Yes
QT: Do you have any formal writing training?: Amber Pierce:
No. I took a creative writing class in college and I also watched Brandon Sanderson's lectures online, but my degrees were all in science.
QT: Do you follow a writing routine or schedule?: Amber Pierce:
Not currently, because of work. I would love to get on a more set schedule, and also have dedicated time for reading and critiquing.
QT: How many times did you re-write/edit your book?: Amber Pierce:
I probably did 4 distinct dafts, but I did so much fiddling, tweaking, and tightening in between. Some chapters have been redone 10 times and others are almost the same as the first draft.
QT: Did you have beta readers for your book?: Amber Pierce:
Yes, a combination of writers and non-writer friends who read the genre. I sent it to around 10 people and got feedback from maybe 6 or 7.
QT: Did you outline your book, or do you write from the hip?: Amber Pierce:
I did outline this one due to the non-linear structure. I had a chapter list with the major events that would occur in each, so I could plan how things would fit together.
QT: How long have you been querying for this book? Other books?: Amber Pierce:
I sent my first query on April 20 and I got my offer of rep on June 20. So 2 months exactly!
QT: About how many query letters did you send out for this book?: Amber Pierce:
26
QT: On what criteria did you select the agents you queried?: Amber Pierce:
They had to state that they represent science fiction, otherwise I assumed they didn't. Pretty much I looked up the list of SF agents on MSWL and went straight down the line. I especially looked for agents that wanted diversity and LGBT leads.
QT: Did you tailor each query to the specific agent, and if so, how?: Amber Pierce:
I did a little bit, mostly in the closing statements, but at the end of the day I wanted the writing/story to be the grabber so that's pretty much all I sent. I didn't do anything chatty like describe why I picked the agent. I know some agents like that, but I figured it would be apparent why I chose them by the content of the plot and characters.
QT: What advice would you give other writers seeking agents?: Amber Pierce:
Seize opportunities. I entered QueryKombat and #PitMad and that's really what got me my offers. Even though I'd never been in a contest or used Twitter much at all, I forced myself outside my comfort zone and it paid off. Goes to show how important it is to keep your feelers out--you have nothing to lose by trying, and everything to gain.

Success Story Interview - Amber Pierce

Query Letter: