How I Got My Literary Agent (on the first query letter??)

[@clintoreilly]

I'm not surprised. You're a good writer. I've read a few of your pieces. It was just a matter of time and now's the time to congratulate you. You deserve it. Nice shirt :)

[@smeastwest]

Congratulations, Shaelin!! What a freaking milestone in your career! I would love to hear more about the query letter that led to such a momentous accomplishment.

[@ShaelinWrites]

Thank you!! Query letter should be the next video!!

[@TheCharlieLuna]

I've never clicked on a video so FAST!!! WHOOOOOOOT !!! Shae, I have been following you for YEARS. You are my first 'writer friend' and taught me that writing was not only legitimate but okay to dedicate so much time and effort to mastering the craft. I also hope to query this year and get the agent I know is meant for me the first time, as well. And when I do, I'll know I'm still following in my buddy Shaelin's footsteps.

[@ShaelinWrites]

This is so 🥺🥺🥺 my heart 🥺Wishing you all the best on your querying journey

[@Smooshiegirl2]

@@ShaelinWrites I feel the same way! I've been watching you for ages, my kiddo is non binary as well and I've told them about both your writing journey and your personal journey. (My kid is almost 14 and still discovering who they are.) I clicked on this video so fast! I kinda feel like a proud parent right now.

[@jakebishop7822]

the notes from the first agent is the equivalent of handing back Lord of the Rings and telling Tolkien he needs to more fully develop his languages. They were baffling

[@ruthanne6729]

I am SO happy and so proud of you, Shaelin! You worked so hard for this and you deserve it! And Happy Pride!

[@kimtait4191]

If it's rough out there for you, imagine what it's like for a nobody like me. I've been following you for a long time and your videos are so inspiring and informative. I didn't realize you were from Canada! Me too! I queried 8 agents and one requested the full manuscript. I'm expecting crickets but at least I know my query letter worked. So happy for you.

[@adamant5550]

It's just one step towards your goal.

[@rachelwritesbooks]

YAY SO PROUD OF YOU ❤️❤️❤️

[@ShaelinWrites]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@tsentenari4353]

My favorite part was - well actually there are lots of favorite parts, the whole video is kind of one big sequence of favorite parts - but my top top favorite part was when you described how her suggestions for edits immediately clicked with you, "yeah, that makes it better". It really sounds like you were just as much of a gem to find for her, than she was to find for you. Makes me picture how the two of you will team up on a rainy days via zoom for years to come, and conspire to make an excellent book even better. When I think of your writing history as a story, listening to this video just provided such a pay-off. (It made me tear up to see you so happy.) Also what a nice treat for her, as opposed to all your previous critique partners, to get aquainted with your book at such an advanced stage, allowing her to enjoy the full emotional impact. Thanks a lot for sharing, so nice to listen to...

[@everydaysam3547]

Shailin! What! That’s so amazing. This situation, I think, really goes to show just how goddamn good at writing you are. I send you all the love and can’t wait to read the book.

[@LauraWrites]

Congrats! I love to hear these unicorn stories! I would love a video from you on query letter advice.

[@cassielee3874]

I’ve been watching u since I attempted my first novel in 7th grade, IM SO PROUD!!!! I hope everything goes well

[@greenmeditations]

Congrats, well deserved! I am a woowoo sort of person, so I'll give you my take on how this happened. I believe that all the years and all the time you spent making your videos to help other writers created such a bank of good Karma that you were destined to find your good fit very easily and very quickly. Very few people out there go to the trouble of sharing pretty much everything they learned in their college courses about writing, and you have been willing to do that for a very long time. So kudos to you for doing that. And just imagine how many other writers you've helped. And simply put, good karma, you earned it, you deserve it, go celebrate!!!

[@shellyruble559]

I love Rachel Letofsky! I pitched to her at a writers conference and during our short meeting she told me to send her my first 50 pages and she hugged me. We had such a beautiful talk. I was over the moon....and then my life fell apart. I didn't get my manuscript to her. My copy editor did almost exactly what that first agency did to you and my heart was shattered. They had sixteen pages of things they thought I should fix. Now, this was an independent editor friend and not affiliated with Rachel. I knew my story was good and I'd gone through betas and done a lot of revision work but it sucked the soul out of me to get those editorial notes. My story is more polished than it was. So, I'm grateful for tragedy sometimes. I still have Rachel's card but she works somewhere else now. She's a wonderful human being and I'm so happy for you. It's an amazing accomplishment. I love your video's! Love, love!

[@fayfalc21]

that is so exciting! ive been subscribed to you for many years and you are one of the few authortubers who i feel gives genuinely good advice. congratulations!

[@passantamreltarek9946]

Shaelin, I cannot express to you how much I'm happy for you! I've been following your journey with Honey Vinegar since the very beginning and it's so surreal to see that it's now one step closer to publication, I cannot wait to finally read it!!

[@CozyWrites]

Congratulations, Shaelin! 🥳🥳🥳 I’m so happy for you.

[@heerupadhyay783]

Congratulations Shaelin! After i read the title i had like a 'woah' second. I'm very excited for u. You're probably the kind of person whose moods everyone picks up on, and seeing you soo happy, made me happy too. Best of luck and congratulations again!!!!

[@SerenBryn]

Congratulations!!! I'm so happy for you and I can't wait to read Honey Vinegar when it gets published! You're a very talented writer and I'm so glad you found an agent who shares your vision.

[@sunshinegirlonbeach1993]

Ive been watching your videos for years now and I feel like im part of your journey. Tbh I teared up a little. Congrats, Shaelin, so very proud of you ❤

[@vanessaglau1797]

Congrats, Shaelin!! It's honestly so great to have been following you for years & seeing you slowly but surely get all the recognition that you deserve. Every time I read a piece of yours, it makes me want to become a better writer myself. Can't wait to hold Honey Vinegar in my hands one day!

[@AbbeeRambles]

I'm so excited about you getting an agent I even told my parents about it

[@helloyoutube3064]

Who knows she would probably gain more subscribers since her videos are so interesting. I'm supporting you Shaelin

[@makt7448]

Congrats! I was so happy to see this-- I'd seen your IG announcement already I would really appreciate a query letter video from you. So much of your advice--especially on rejection and discovery writing--has been so meaningful to me. Keep it up!

[@joshuaisaac99]

Congrats! Thanks for being so transparent about your process. Would love a query letter how-to vid, I'm planning to start building mine in July.

[@lydiaschoonmaker7535]

you are such an inspiration. congratulations! i can't wait to see where this journey brings you, and i hope you fill us in along the way.

[@laszlob1294]

Simply congrats! I have been a fan for some time following you on your journey and it warms my heart to hear you have your agent!

[@o_o-lj1ym]

Omg congratulations!! I’ve been reading some of your short stories and I absolutely love your writing!

[@julespelarski]

Shaelin, you are my favorite authortuber and I am so proud of you. Congratulations. Your story was really interesting and I'm so glad you ultimately got through that horrible rejection unscathed. I've been dealing with rejection myself and it's nice to hear you talk about your book having a more literary bent, knowing your worth, coming up short when making agent lists, and having your hopes let down (by CBC, even!). I will look forward to seeing more of your journey (and hopefully reading Honey Vinegar). So heartening to see you succeed. Good luck :)

[@wordcharm2649]

Shaelin, I'm so happy for you. I've been following your channel for I don't even know how long. Maybe 5 years? Definitely way before I had the courage to give writing a try. All my life I wanted to write, but a few bad experiences in my pre-teen years had taken away all my confidence. Then I started following you and other authortubers here and slowly began to feel that maybe I could do it after all. Now, I'm in the middle of writing my very first series. I'm still a miles away from where you are, but I wanted to thank you for always making writing feel so accessible. You have a beautiful ability at understanding things and then breaking them down for new writers. From that very first video of yours I watched, I was so impressed by your mastery of the craft, and each time you post a video update, I feel grateful that you're generous enough to share your wisdom with us. You've always been incredibly brave and vulnerable in sharing this journey with us, and I know it hasn't always been easy, but moments like this make me so happy you started this channel because now we get to celebrate this massive milestone with you. I absolutely cannot wait to hold your book in my hands and read it over and over again. Please continue to keep us updated. No matter what happens, you have us in your corner. Please remember that. 💛

[@sarcellecannelle]

Congrats Shaelin, I've been following you for years on tumblr and it's so nice to see your talent and dedication rewarded!

[@may-may5451]

I've been waiting for this video to pop up since I saw your announcement on Instagram! Congratulations on getting an agent!!

[@nicolathomson7979]

SUPER CONGRATULATIONS !! So brilliant .I appreciate your advice and ethics so much .Your success is so well deserved !!🎉🎉x

[@PuffPets]

This story is so good. Yes! Do a query letter vid!! 🍿💕

[@lyricbot8513]

Congrats, Shaelin! When I got to the part about the plague themes I laughed out loud because I'm in a similar situation right now! I started drafting a sequel to a popular work of mine which I'd written over 2020, and the sequel deals with themes which are probably offputting to readers who've just lived through a pandemic... I tried not to feel too down on myself when people didn't want to read the sequel as much as the first book even though my writing has definitely improved a lot in the past 2 years. I'm just gonna work on finishing the trilogy and pushing through to another series I'm excited to write this nanowrimo.

[@dannylam4180]

Happy days! Congratulations, Shaelin! 🥳

[@brasdorgal]

Congrats, girl! So happy for you! Would LOVE to read your query letter. Please do that video! 😁

[@jonathancompo828]

Yay congratulations!!! I feel like I've been waiting my whole life for this news lol.

[@pdxleo]

Congratulations! This is very exciting! Looking forward to reading your novel!

[@MerweenTheWitch]

YAY I was waiting for this one!! Congrats Shaelin, that is super exciting, can't wait to see where your career is headed next!

[@Mothchewedgirl]

SO HAPPY AND PROUD OF YOU!!!!! Can’t wait to read your books when they are published, you’re short stories are phenomenal and I can only imagine how amazing you’re novels will be!

[@amnal3983]

Congratulations!! I’ve been watching your writing videos for years and I’m so happy for you !🎉

[@KauroraNoKokoro]

Congratulations!! I'm so happy for you! I loved listening to your story about your experience with agents and quarries! I'm about to start the process myself, so it was so comforting to hear your story! I can't wait to read your novel!

[@annaconsta]

Congratulations! I am very happy for you!

[@desigeorgieva5705]

Congratulations 🎉 Well deserved, Shaelin! Thank you for sharing with us!

[@marioksmith]

I'm so happy for you! Can't wait for your query letter video.

[@epiphanyiswriting4402]

I’m so HAPPY FOR YOU!!! I can’t wait to read your books in the future!

[@WTB_Acts]

Congratulations!!! I hope to feel this feeling one day !

[@OliviaWriting]

I'm hoping to query late summer/early fall for the first time (having written other books before this one, like you) and I relate to everything you said! I barely go on Twitter but when I have I've walked away convinced that I have 0 chance of getting an agent, feeling terrible before I even have a query package put together which is so silly. This gave me so much hope and mostly made me so happy for you! I love all of your short stories, you really deserve this Shaelin!

[@JerodimusPrime]

Congrats Shaelin. I'm so happy for you. Been a fan of your channel since 2018 and it's great to see your writing dreams coming true. I look forward to reading your novel when it gets published.

[@gobblegobble2302]

Congratulations! I've been following your journey for years. So stoked for you 👍😎👍

[@KyleMifflin]

Congratulations Shaelin! Dream come true scenario!

[@samanthajones2006]

Congratulations! You so deserve this!

[@imanbell]

Congratulations Shaelin!! I've been following your journey for years and knew this video would come at some point, and I'm very happy for you! Not surprising at all, you deserve it 👏👏👏 cheers! ❤

[@torrinmaag5331]

What excellent news! Good luck with the editing and I'll look forwards to reading your book :)

[@krisbrick3089]

Congrats on getting an agent!! Kris and I have been fans for a long time. You’ve helped us with our writing. Happy to see you succeed. Brick

[@mickeyzeckendorf3886]

OMG I HAVENT EVEN WATCHED THE VIDEO YET BUT IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!! Your writing is stellar and deserve every inch of success!!

[@silvanam8152]

Congratulations! I too have been following you for years and would love a peek into that query letter.

[@fyn1985]

Congratulations, Shaelin. You deserve every success and I am glad you found your perfect fit. You trusted your instincts and it paid off.

[@viktorianagy959]

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's susch an awesome journey to follow you during the young ages, the uni years and nowadays! :D I love that you tell us the highs and the pits about the process, about the aha-moments, about the disappointments or the not working ones. One of my favorite videos from you is the one where you talking about if you actually hate one of your early novels. :D It felt so good because I've been there too. Your current writing tips are really helpful for me and they give me always an inspiration boost. I'm really curious about your novel and I hope you will have a great editing process!:))) Best wishes from Hungary, we love you here too! :D

[@rizzypizzy]

Hail to the Queen! Congratulations! Can't wait to read Honey Vinegar!

[@caileycarrot]

I knew this was a matter of time!! Ur writing is beautiful, congrats!!

[@heavensent3480]

So happy for you! Glad everything worked out and sending you well wishes :)

[@SteveJubs]

So happy for you!! So well deserved

[@evemcglynn8025]

I would love to hear you talk more about your query letter, congratulations!

[@justine6647]

OMGGGGG soooooo sooooooo excited for uuuuu, shae!!!

[@aboutrainbow8614]

This made me feel a lot of hope. I've got a lot of work to do but I sincerely want to publish my book. I hope that with all the effort I'm putting in, I'll be successful one day!! Would love more query letter tips from you- or, alternatively, how to get beta readers. I really need help on how to find folks who will read and fully absorb my work so I can get critique.

[@rueroxanne972]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I cannot wait to read your book!!!!

[@ShaelinWrites]

Thank you!!!

[@lukeewarm96]

Congratulations! Would love to get a breakdown video for crafting a query letter ❤️

[@KateSynd]

YAYYY!!!! congratulations shaelin!!!

[@NonAnonD]

Definitely do a video on the query letter please!

[@socman002]

Congratulations, Shaelin.You're the smartest writing teacher I know. Your agent is a great fit. Keep it up. :)

[@ReadFineBooks]

Congratulations!!! I’m sure your book is awesome! Can’t wait to read it!

[@prairiebutch]

CONGRATS holy shit!!! What a wonderful experience with Rachel! I just know Honey Vinegar will sell so fast 🎉

[@simplyme922]

Congrats! Thanks for sharing your journey. I'm inspired ✨️

[@mirandaosmelak480]

Well done, Shaelin! So happy for you!

[@AJ_Dunn]

Yes, please do a video showing us your query letter!

[@dukeofdenver]

Congratulations! So happy for you

[@habibadokubo-asari211]

I gasped when I saw the title. I’m so happy for you.

[@opollitico]

Wow - haven't had time to watch this video yet, but this is good news! Congrats shaelin x

[@blabbinglobster]

Awesome news. You are so accomplished at such a young age! Congrats.

[@hannahnames2239]

I'm so so happy for you and beyond excited to read Honey Vinegar when it eventually comes out!

[@WritingsOfASpicyMind]

I've been subscribed for years on a diff account. I'm so happy for you!

[@maya-gur695]

I'm so happy for you, congratulations!

[@greenbird6491]

Yay I loved this and congrats!! Just realised I’ve been watching your channel for 7 years! Crazy lol

[@Iheartyt5596]

Congratulations! Thank you for sharing. This is very inspirational. I kind of feel like I’m in a similar position in terms of only have 2 viable agents who would be suited for the book I wrote. One more so than the other. I’ve been searching for agents for months and going through so many mswl and literally one fit my book to a tee. So I don’t have that option of a querying strategy. Definitely feeling nervous with the thought of having all my eggs in one basket 😅

[@bookgirlforJesus]

Congratulations! I am happy for you. I could so relate to that thinking I have an agent feeling. I rewrote the second half of my novel for a reputable agent. He gave me specifics and my book is better because of it. It took me a year to change it. I don’t want to go into a long story, but the gist is I was sure I had an agent and didn’t. His reader liked it but he wasn’t as sold on part of it. For a while I lost all enthusiasm over it. Just recently I’ve looked at it again and realized that I do like this story. I’m still not sure what to do with it. I’ve spent nearly 20 years writing it - lol. I wish you well in your publishing journey!

[@BarrettLaurie]

Congrats!! Such an interesting story. I think the universe made the tough call for you and it all worked out in the end.

[@queendsheena1]

Congrats. Finding the right agent is so important.

[@kaustubh_writes4342]

Yayyy!!! Makes me so so so happy!

[@clarencecarter2324]

That's amazing. Congrats. My writing career is in such a slump right now. Ugh.

[@billyalarie929]

First of all: ALL OF THE CONGRATULATIONS! 🎊🎉🍾🎈 Second of all: that French accent is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard??????

[@Skinniest_Kween]

Congratulations! 🎉

[@AR-mu4zq]

Thats such an understated point you make about testing queries out when there is a limited number of actual viable agents for YOUR book.

[@o_o-lj1ym]

I would love a video about your query letter for sure! I don’t even really write but I feel like it would be interesting

[@caileycarrot]

So so happy for u!

[@kinga9148]

So happy for you!

[@zrienkersh1475]

Congrats! Hope it becomes a happy and fruitful relationship!

[@annasaysthings]

It's relaxing to just listen to you.

[@BlackHermit]

You look so happy and animated in this video! :)

[@kerri-lynbryant293]

I love it. I needed her smilex

[@BlackHermit]

@@kerri-lynbryant293 Really? Why did you need it, if I may ask?

[@davies1738]

Fantastic news! Congratulations.