Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m excited to
have debut author Brianna Bourne and her agent Chole Seager here to share a guest
post to celebrate the release of Brianna’s YA romance with a speculative twist
You & Me at the End of the World. It sounds like it’s got a fantastic
premise and compelling characters, which makes me excited to read it.
Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

This is no ordinary apocalypse...
Hannah Ashton wakes up to silence. The entire city
around her is empty, except for one other person: Leo Sterling. Leo might be
hottest boy ever (and not just because he's the only one left), but he's also
too charming, too selfish, and too devastating for his own good, let alone
Hannah's.
Stuck with only each other, they explore a world
with no parents, no friends, and no school and realize that they can be
themselves instead of playing the parts everyone expects of them. Hannah
doesn't have to be just an overachieving, music-box-perfect ballerina, and Leo
can be more than a slacker, 80s-glam-metal-obsessed guitarist. Leo is a burst
of honesty and fun that draws Hannah out, and Hannah's got Leo thinking about
someone other than himself for the first time.
Together, they search for answers amid crushing
isolation, but while their empty world may appear harmless . . . it's not.
Because nothing is quite as it seems, and if Hannah and Leo don't figure out
what's going on, they might just be torn apart forever.
And here’s another blurb: “An altogether lovely book about human connection and taking
second chances—even when they might come on the heels of an apocalypse. A
stellar debut. I’m already eagerly waiting to see what Bourne does next.”
- Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation
Here's a link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1yoKBOAAEk
Brianna Bourne and Chloe Seager Guest Post
BRI: Thank you so much for having us on Literary
Rambles, Natalie! When I was in the query trenches, this website was such a
cornerstone resource for me, and I hope Chloe and I can share a few fresh
insights with those of you querying.
For context, I’m from Houston, and YOU & ME AT THE END OF THE
WORLD was published first in the US by Scholastic (The Hunger Games publisher!)
Chloe Seager is my incredible agent, and is part of the team at Madeleine
Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency in London. https://madeleinemilburn.co.uk
Chloe being in London is convenient for me because I’m currently
living in England, but don’t let location put you off querying the agency!
Chloe and her colleagues rep many American authors, and they have the same
connections and relationships with US editors that US agents have (and they
also have valuable connections with European publishers, which comes in very
handy for foreign rights!) Now that you have an idea of our agent-author
relationship, let’s get into our conversation.
BRI: Chloe, I remember when I was in the trenches, there was a lot
of advice going into my head, but I didn’t fully believe all of it, or really
“get” it. When you’re querying, it’s so easy to think that an agent’s job is
primarily about reading submissions, but there’s SO much that you do for the
clients you represent, and that’s the priority of your work week. This is
probably the question you get most frequently - how many submissions do you
receive in a typical week? And what percentage of your work week would you
say goes towards reading submissions, versus supporting the clients on your
list?
CHLOE: Yes, indeed, this is a common misconception! I suppose it's
the only part of the process that unagented writers hear about, but this is
actually a relatively small part of our job and something we usually have to do
in our own time. We are guiding and managing every aspect of our existing
authors' careers and our loyalty/ commitment is with them. Of course finding
new authors is something that every agent is excited about, but unfortunately
it can't be the priority in our day-to-day working lives. On average I would
say the children's department at MM receives about 200 submissions a week - but
this can reach double that at peak times (for instance, post lockdown!) I would
say that I dedicate a few hours a week to the submissions inbox and if there's
something I love in there, I will carve out an evening to sit down with a full,
called in manuscript, but the rest of my time has to be spent on my existing
clients.
BRI: Can you tell people
a little more about the agency itself? It’s quite a large one, with 10 agents
plus many incredibly knowledgeable people supporting the agents and authors.
It’s one of the things I love about the agency.
CHLOE: It's funny that
you say we're large as, although we've grown a lot recently, I would always
have said we were small to medium size, but we often give the impression of
being large!! I think that's one of the nice things about working at MM - it has
a big impact and a global reach, yet retains a family feel. Our motto is to
take on less authors but do more for them, which is why we do everything
in-house - film & TV, foreign rights, with agents who are experts in
different areas. Rather than film & TV rights or foreign rights being
sold to publishers or by external agencies, we aim to keep rights in one place
with each deal and it allows for high levels of communication and coordination
when it comes to building authors' careers in every aspect.

BRI: I was recently on the other side of the table, reading
through a towering stack of queries, and I couldn’t believe how intense it was
reading 70 entries in one week. (I mentor for WriteMentor, and I’m mentoring
for PitchWars this year as well - you should absolutely consider submitting to
me! https://pitchwars.org/mentor-profile/brianna-bourne/)
Reading my own one-week slush pile drove home all the advice I’d
heard surrounding the query letter—it really does need to be so tight, and the
book’s concept does have to be fresh and immediately gripping. What are your
thoughts on what makes a query package stand out?
CHLOE: It's as you say, making yourself stand out in the shortest
amount of words possible. What makes your book different to the many others
that agents will be looking at each week? Is there a gap in the market that
you've spotted? This also shows me that a writer knows the market and reads
current YA/children's books, which is so important in being a successful
author. I'll be instantly interested if a one line pitch makes me sit up… Like
yours, Bri! I love talking about your book because anyone who hears the
premise, without fail, wants to know more. Two teenagers (with bags of sexual
tension between them, obv) wake up to a world where they appear to be the only
two people left?! I immediately want to know what happens, straightaway I see
it's a clever way to talk about big, relatable themes like teen
isolation/pressure to conform/working out your identity, and I know I'm in for
some seriously swoony moments as well as high stakes adventure ❤
BRI: Thank you so much!
<3 Romantic tension is one of my favorite things to write, and the book is
very much a love story with a side dish of surreal suspense, instead of the
other way around!
CHLOE: What about you,
Bri - what would your advice be, now that you've been on the other side of
the querying process?
BRI: After taking YOU
& ME out on two major querying rounds one year apart, my “hindsight is
20/20” advice is that I wish I’d kept going. Both times, I stopped at around 30
agents, and I think these days it can take up to 100 agents before you can
really shelve a project and know for sure it wouldn’t have been picked up. But
that’s just based on my personal experience, and I always caution that you
should probably be getting around a 20% full request rate for that advice to
apply. If you’re not getting any requests, that probably means something needs
more work, or that the concept might not be as unique as it needs to be to
stand out from the crowd.
CHLOE: And how do you
come up with your brilliant pitches? (Bri's second book also has a stunning
premise, although I can't say more!)
BRI: Ideas for novels
usually come to me as high-concept “what ifs” right out of the gate - so the
specific characters, plot, and setting come after that. For YOU & ME,
there’s actually an even juicier pitch underneath the “last girl and boy in the
world” premise. I always wish I could shout about it, but it’s a massive
spoiler! There are lots of hidden clues as to what’s really going on,
but so far only one person has 100% correctly guessed the twist.
I also always check to
make sure no one’s written that exact premise before. Then, while I’m building
the characters and the plot, I make sure to touch base with the concept (or my
“elevator pitch”) often, because sometimes adding layers to a story can dilute
its original premise. Nowadays, I start every project by crafting a polished
elevator pitch first, then I write a longer pitch that’s very much like
a query letter, then I start plotting/outlining. It’s so easy to shift
big picture things when all that exists is a pitch; you can make all the puzzle
pieces fit in the most dramatic, juicy way.
BRI: Chloe, This is
something I worry about a lot - do you think publishing has slowed down during
the pandemic? Do you get the sense that editors are even more scrupulous
about which projects they pick up?
CHLOE: I can't
speak for everybody but the pandemic certainly slowed me down at first - it was
hard to concentrate on submissions, which is such a creative part of the job,
when it felt like the entire world was on fire! But after a while I found the
escapist joy of books meant that I rediscovered my inspiration and I would say
that publishing hasn't necessarily slowed down, but there have been changes in
the market regarding what's working and what people are looking for. And of
course, it was a tough year for debuts across the board, although I hope that's
changed again now. What was your experience of debuting into a pandemic like,
Bri?
BRI: There have
certainly been some surprises, and some experiences 2020/2021 debut authors
have had to miss out on. Obviously in-person launch events and book conventions
were off the table, but on the plus side, I got to do virtual launch events
with a few of my absolute writer heroes (Stephanie Perkins! Jennifer Lynn
Barnes!), and I wouldn’t have been able to do those if the entire world hadn’t
shifted to virtual.
Right - last question!
For Literary Rambles readers who are querying or are preparing to query, what
are some things you’re hoping to see in your inbox?
CHLOE: Relating to the
above, I would say more than ever I am in need of some uplifting joy! But I am
still open to dark books - especially if they are 'fun' dark, like a thriller.
I would say at the moment, anything that feels like a big, interesting concept,
with well-drawn characters and pacy writing that can hold my attention and
completely distract me from what's going on in the world.
BRI: I love writing
stories that provide those much-needed slices of escapism! Thanks again,
Natalie, for having us on Literary Rambles, and thank you all for reading!
You can find Bri at:
www.briannabournebooks.com
https://www.instagram.com/brianna_bourne_writes/
https://twitter.com/BriannaBourneYA
And you can find Chloe
at:
https://twitter.com/ChloeSeager
For submission
guidelines and more information about the agency, visit https://madeleinemilburn.co.uk
Thanks
for sharing all your advice, Brianna and Chole!
Giveaway
Details
Brianna has generously
offered a hardback of You & Me at the End of the World and Chole has offered a query critique for a
giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via
the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave
a comment by October 2nd. If you do not want to be
included in the critique giveaway, please let me know in the comments. If
your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to
enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.
If you mention this
contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter, mention
this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13
years old or older to enter. This giveaway is International.
Upcoming
Interviews and Giveaways
Wednesday, September 22nd I have an agent
spotlight interview with Crystal Orazu and a query critique giveaway
Monday, September 27th I have an interview with
debut author Jessica Vitalis and a giveaway of her MG fantasy The Wolf’s Curse
Tuesday, October 5th I’m participating in the
Howloween Giveaway Hop
Wednesday, October 6th I have an interview with
debut author Sacha Wunsch and a giveaway of her YA psychological
mystery Lies My Memory Told Me and my IWSG Post
Monday, October 11th I have an agent
spotlight interview with Kristin
Ostby and a query critique giveaway
Hope
to see you on Wednesday!