From #QuestPit to yes: How a pitch event landed me a literary agent

Hopeful and determined, I sent my first query in September 2024. Rudderless in Love, my first romantic suspense, felt like the book. You know, that one. The one that would take my writing career to the next level. I’d poured everything into it, and early requests from agents gave me a brief spark of belief that I was on the right track. But as the weeks turned to months and full requests turned into polite rejections, that spark dimmed.

Not one to sit idle (and maybe to distract myself from constantly refreshing my inbox), I wrote another romantic suspense: The Lab Partner Contract. It felt tighter, punchier, more commercial—better. I queried it with renewed energy and was thrilled to see even more interest than the first. But again, it didn’t quite stick. A lot of “close, but not quite.” The kind of responses that both validate and sting.

Still, I kept going. Encouraged by the progress—even if it wasn’t “yes”—I sat down to write another romantic suspense: Lullabies & Little White Lies. It was personal. It was sharp. It had all the ingredients I thought agents were looking for. And it did generate some interest. But again… silence eventually fell, and the query trail went cold.

At this point, I was discouraged. Three books. Dozens of partial and full requests. Zero offers. I began questioning everything—my writing, my voice, whether I belonged in this industry at all. But deep down, I wasn’t ready to give up. I channeled my energy into something totally different—a rom-com. Something funny, snappy, a little lighter. Love & Honeybuns was born while I waited to hear back from the last few agents who had my previous manuscripts.

Enter my friend Shelby. Alongside her, she encouraged me to take part in a pitch event on X (Twitter) called #QuestPit—an event designed for authors to share their book ideas and catch the eye of an agent or editor. I almost didn’t do it. I’d participated in pitch contests before with no success, but something told me to go for it. So, I threw together a few pitches, designed a couple of graphics, and tweeted them out.

And then… a like. From literary agent Chip Rice at WordLink, Inc.

He liked one of my pitches for Lullabies & Little White Lies, which honestly gave me a renewed sense of hope. I sent him the query, and he requested the full manuscript. Cue two weeks of agonizing silence and obsessively checking my email.

Eventually, my impatience got the better of me. I followed up, casually mentioning that I also had a rom-com (Love & Honeybuns) if that was more his vibe.

As it turns out… it was.

He requested the full rom-com. One week later, I received the email. The kind of email you dream about as a querying writer. Chip wanted to schedule a call. We talked for an hour. He got the book. He got me. A week later, I signed with WordLink, Inc., and Love & Honeybuns is officially heading out on submission this fall.

Let me break it down:

• 9 months in the query trenches

• 3 books

• 300+ queries

• Dozens of close calls

• 1 pitch contest on a whim

• 1 yes that changed everything

  
  

This industry is wild. The odds are brutal. Thick skin is mandatory. But so is luck. And persistence. If you’re in the trenches right now, questioning everything, let me say this: keep going. The “no”s aren’t always about the quality of your work. Sometimes, it’s just about timing. Or voice. Or market trends. Or finding the one person who gets your story.

So, keep pitching. Keep querying. Keep writing. Your yes might be just one tweet away.