Instagram: @helenglynnjones
Agent: Laura Bennett
Agency: The Liverpool Literary Agency
Website: www.liverpool-literary.agency
Check out our #Agent121 page to book your own appointment.
“I would highly recommend the Agent 121 service via I Am In Print! The chance to get face-to-face time with an agent is invaluable, and helped take my writing career to the next level. Plus, Elane and Sarah are absolutely lovely.”
How many years had you been writing before you found your agent?
I was a freelance writer for a few years before I started writing my own stories in 2012, and began my querying journey in 2013. I queried five books over a number of years, with multiple full requests (and many many rejections!) but it took me until 2022 to connect with Laura and finally land an agent.
Did you find your agent with the first book you decided to write??
No. It’s been a very long journey and one where I thought about giving up quite a few times.
What was the inspiration behind the book that ended up securing you your deal?
The book that secured my deal, The Last Raven, began with a blog prompt back in 2015, when I was blogging regularly. The prompt was one word: Monster. I decided to write about a human monster, and the story just appeared; Emelia, a human with vampire parents, considered an aberration by her kind. It was just a piece of flash fiction, about 500 words long. But I kept thinking about it, and then Kyle appeared and the story began to take shape. I worked on it on and off over a few years while writing other books, queried it a few times, then put it aside until I met Laura. She actually didn’t sign me for that book; it was for another title, The City of Wings and Gold. But Raven was the one which got me my first deal.
How many #Agent121 sessions did you have before you met your agent?
I think possibly half a dozen?
Were you also querying agents at the same time? If so, what type of response were you getting?
I was querying agents at the same time. I’d had a few full requests, so was hopeful of connecting with someone.
Roughly how many rejections did you receive before getting your agent?
Hundreds. I couldn’t tell you the number because I lost count.
Who became your agent?
Laura Bennett from The Liverpool Literary Agency.
What happened after your #Agent121 with this agent? (Did you send off your full manuscript straight away, for example? Did you meet them in-person?)
During my agent 121 with Laura, she had some comments about my first three chapters. I made those edits, sent it back to her, and she requested the full. I then had an offer from an indie press to publish the book, so I contacted Laura. She finished reading my book and asked me for a call within the week. The rest is history.
How long did the process of being offered representation take? Did you have any other offers at the same time?
I had a few full requests out there, so I had to let them know, as well as any outstanding queries. I didn’t get any other offers prior to signing, but one of the agents I’d queried did contact me just after I’d signed with Laura, and I think they were possibly disappointed to have missed out.
How did your publishing deal come about? Did you get one or multiple offers? How many books was your deal for?
After my first book, The City of Wings and Gold, went on sub but didn’t get any offers, we decided to send out The Last Raven. A few months later we got the offer, and they asked if it could be a series. This worked very well as, even though The Last Raven is a standalone, I’d always planned on writing several books set in that world. The deal offer was for the first two books in the series. During the editor call I also pitched a series of contemporary romances I’d been working on, which they asked to read, and bought the two I’d written already. So it ended up being a four-book deal overall.
What have you learned about the publishing industry since being represented?
That being on submission is just as stressful as querying!
How did you hear about the #Agent121 service?
Through a friend.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers looking to get published?
I know a lot of people say ‘don’t give up’, and I’m certainly proof of that. But there were definitely times when the querying process was too much for me and I did consider giving up. What I did instead was take a break and write something new, not going back to querying until I was ready for it again. So, I think my advice would be to take care of your mental health, and do what’s right for you. Querying publishers and agents can be a draining process, and taking space from that is sometimes necessary. In the end, we come to writing because we are storytellers, and we find our joy through expressing ourselves via words. Don’t let the process take that joy from you.
Do you have any tips on making the most of an #Agent121?
Listen to what the agent has to tell you, take notes, and prepare any questions you’d like to ask beforehand. It’s an incredibly valuable opportunity, so make the most of your time.
When is your book being published?
The Last Raven is being published by One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK in September 2024. There is also a US release date of January 2025, and it’s currently available to pre-order pretty much everywhere.
Instagram: @helenglynnjones
Agent: Laura Bennett
Agency: The Liverpool Literary Agency
Website: www.liverpool-literary.agency
Check out our #Agent121 page to book your own appointment.