Hi friends! Winter is in full swing here in Asheville and we just had our first real snowfall and as you can imagine, I enjoyed myself hugely. Even though I was born in Florida, I have always loved the cold, the mountains, scarves and thick coats, and cozy sweaters. My cousin likes to tell me it’s because my mom’s side of the family hails from the mountains in Bolivia. I’ll take it. :)

So much has been happening behind the scenes. I can’t go into any details yet but let’s just say that I officially have more books coming your way in the near future. ;) What the River Knows has sold in several more territories (a first for me), and I’ve completely drafted, rewritten, and revised Where the Library Hides. I’m still waiting to back about the copyedits, but once that’s done with, I’ll get to tweak some more based on feedback. From there, it moves to pass pages and a thorough proof read. So, the hard part is over and now it’s all about perfecting, elevating things on a sentence level.

Since I’m waiting, I’ve started drafting my new project, which means Rebecca and I are back in the groove swapping chapters as we write. So far, this story has everything that makes it a me book, even if it’s still … well, terrible. This initial process is always SO HARD for me, especially after leaving a completed, polished draft. It’s hard to start over and for everything to just be “meh”. This is where Rebecca would jump in and say ISABEL IT IS NOT ABSOLUTE GARBAGE. But I won’t listen because that’s the truth about first drafts. They are supposed to be messy, full of potential and as far away from perfect as they can be.

And in other fun news: I have booked my research trip for this project. I am SO excited and we’ll be leaving early May. I am such a nerd for research, and getting to walk the streets my characters would have gives me so much inspiration. I can’t wait for the day I can finally talk about this project!

I often get lots of writing questions over on my IG and I try to answer them in my newsletter. This go around, I got a bunch about my next project. I can’t talk about it too much but I did answer a few questions!!

Q. Can you give three words to describe your next project?

Artist.

Skeptic.

Romantic.

Q. What is your process to use the research you have?

I like to research everything, and as a result not all of it makes it into the draft. I try to include only the elements that my character would interact with. If I learn everything about balls and parties in the 15th century but don’t have a ball scene in my story, than I’ve just wasted so much time and energy, no matter how interesting it is. In general though, I’m always including:

architecture.

clothing.

food.

the political landscape of that time period.

Q. The vibes for your next project?

Velvet fabric. Decadent banquets. Cool marble. Soft lighting. A craggy grotto. Stolen looks. Blood staining a tiled floor. Cutthroat betrayals. A triple crown. Woolly sheep. Dresses that drag on the floor. An icy river. Fairytale. Enchanted gems. A one hundred year old curse. Snowfall. Elderflower trees. Iron gates. A chisel.

I have been with my agent Sarah Landis for nearly four years now and I think this might be the first time I’ve interviewed her! Here’s her take on some very common questions literary agents get.

What is an automatic "green flag" for an agent when reviewing a query letter? 

It’s so subjective, but I think using comp titles that are currently on the NYT bestseller list or “buzzy books” are going to catch an agent’s eye. A really intriguing first line is a must! Something that immediately tells me what the read is and positions it in the marketplace. Good example:

It is The Bachelor by way of Diablo Cody with the kind of complicated protagonist you might find in a Rebecca Serle novel meeting the sharply drawn, cathartic romance of Emily Henry.

What trends are you seeing in the current market? Where do you think we're going to next?

I love this question! It’s an election year so I’m noticing a trend towards happier books. People want escape. Nothing super dark or bleak. I’m seeing lighter novels even in the darker thriller genre. Romcoms are not going anywhere but they have to be really voicy and clever to stand out now. Fantasy is on the rise (thank you FOURTH WING). I love seeing adult readers finding fantasy for the first time! More somber, serious novels seem to be a tough sell these days.

What would make a book an R+R and not a pass or request?

If the writing and the concept are great but there is a major plotline not working or a problematic character, I might suggest revising and coming back. But I often offer representation even if the book needs work. So much is a gut feeling.  

How did you become a literary agent?

I was an editor working at the Big 5 houses (Penguin, Harper, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) for fifteen years, editing first adult then children’s books. Being an agent gives me the freedom to work on every genre in any category!

How much does word count play into your decision to pass or request? How much a dealbreaker is a book's word count? 

I never pay attention to word count unless it’s really off-base like 30k words for an adult novel or 500k words!

What do you/agents like to see represented in comps? Plot, setting, theme, characters, vibes? 

I like to see relevant comps (books that are currently selling well that show you know the audience for your novel) but don’t be afraid to be creative. It could be a song or a movie or even an aesthetic (cottagecore anyone?). I don’t see that enough.

And now for the big reveal!!! I’ll be sharing it officially tomorrow on IG but you guys get to see it first before my post goes live. Lucky you. <3 <3 <3

And while I’m excited to give you guys a first look, I just realized this is WAY less fun for me! I wish I can read your reactions in real time. So please comment on my IG post tomorrow with your exact reaction, hahaha.

Ok, but seriously, how great of a job did Micaela do!? I swear everything that woman touches is pure GOLD. She is so unbelievably talented!

Here’s the best part, and I didn’t even plan it — Barnes and Noble is having a preorder sale until Jan 26th! If you’re a member, you get 25% off! Which means you can preorder WHERE THE LIBRARY HIDES for a few bucks cheaper!! A quick word about the special edition: there isn’t one currently. Not this isn’t up me or even my publisher but Barnes and Noble. They are the ones who actually request it and it’s usually based on demand. The more preorders, excitement, tags, etc., the more likely we will get a special edition. You can tag them in a story, asking for one, or send them a DM. It really comes down if they believe people will show up for a specialty product. Hope that makes sense!! I’ve gotten so many questions about a special edition and I wish I could say I knew if they’ll do it, but there’s still time for them to pull the trigger. It’s really just a question of supply and demand at this point.