The search for representation or publication can be a long, painstakingly drawn out process. Once the book is out on submissions, most of the time it can take up to a year before you land a deal (and that’s only if you’ve written a good enough story). The rejection stories, blogs about how it took some writers years before their book was published is enough to slap down the laptop screen and never write again.
That’s why my debut author who’s on the blog today is someone that hopeful, aspiring writers will definitely want to read about. At least to know that sometimes, sometimes, you may get noticed quickly.
Author, Allie Reynolds, gained representation for her chilling (pardon the pun) debut high concept thriller, Shiver only hours after submitting to her agent! And there’s good reason why. Set in the snowy French Alps, Reynolds takes her readers through every skier’s worst nightmare. Deserted and deliberately stranded in a lodge on the mountaintops with five old friends who reunite after ten years. Just to top it off, each share historical secrets and the memory of a missing friend. For readers who love Lucy Foley, The Shining by Stephen King, or a page-turning, action-packed mystery, Shiver has it all. Being a professional snowboarder means Allie has nailed the setting and action, which makes her debut a stand-out, original thriller that people will devour in one sitting.
Allie talks to us today about how re-writes, cutting scenes and re-structuring the plot can sometimes be the winning ticket to gaining attention from agents.
How long have you been writing?
Since I was little. But I had my first serious go at writing a novel over 20 years ago, and I’ve been attempting to write novels ever since then. I have about 5 unfinished novels in the drawer. About 12 years ago I also started writing short stories and submitting them to women’s magazines. I gradually began getting sales. It was a great way to get experience of writing and experimenting with different genres.
What led to your offer of representation with an agent?
In February 2018, I submitted my first three chapters, synopsis and query letter to four UK agents. I got rapid rejections from three of them so I revised my chapters, cutting down every unnecessary word, then submitted them to four more agents in March 2018.
How long did you have to wait to hear back and was it a partial or full request?
I submitted at 2pm in the afternoon in Australia, which was the middle of the night in the UK. Four hours later, as I was eating dinner, I got the first request for a full, from one of the agents. I’d heard that if an agent requests the full, it’s customary for authors to give a ‘heads up’ to any other agents who have your submission and let them know. So I emailed the remaining three agents and one immediately wrote back to say she was just about to request a full. An hour later, a third agent requested the full, then in the morning, the fourth agent requested the full. And there was an email from agent Kate Burke asking if we could speak on the phone that evening.
Any tips on cover letters/synopsis/pitches?
I imagined busy agents who might receive 10,000 submissions a year. They’d be impatient and would skim each submission looking for the first reason to reject it. So I kept my query letter as short as possible. It was 225 words. It had a pitch-line in italics, the sort you see on a book jacket and in my first sentence I mentioned authors whose work was similar to mine. Then there were three more paragraphs: a blurb-like enticing summary of my book, a paragraph on why I’d chosen that particular agent, and a paragraph about my writing background.
I edited my first three chapters meticulously, and trimmed them right down, cutting out any unnecessary word, and asked beta-reader friends to check them. My agent later commented she’d only ever received one submission that was as well-edited as mine.
The synopsis was a nightmare! I must have done about 1000 drafts! I asked many friends for advice and spent ages over it. Most agents asked for a one-page synopsis, and mine was about 450 words.
Your first reaction when they offered the representation/contract?
When the first agent requested the full manuscript, I jumped around my apartment. It was an incredible feeling. When I spoke to my agent Kate Burke on the phone and she offered to represent me, it was surreal. My dream of over 20 years was coming true – although at that point I had no idea if we’d find a publisher.
What’s next for you?
I got a 2-book deal for 2 thrillers. After the Covid lockdown and school closures I’m massively behind on my deadline for book 2! But I hope to have book 2 written by April next year. It’s another thriller, this time set in Australia!
Thanks Allie. It’s so awesome to hear stories like this from debuts. Allie inspires writers to never give up, have hope and be brutal with your manuscript by cutting unnecessary scenes/wording/sentences from the story. The fact that Allie has 5 unfinished manuscripts in her drawer means that like most of us, sometimes our earliest stories had to be written as a practice exercise for the real deal.
Thanks so much for being on the blog, Allie! I’m sure readers are going to love Shiver and wait eagerly for your novel number 2! You can pre-order Allie’s novel by clicking on this link
Thanks for stopping by,
Holly
0 Comments