You guys. I’m querying again. FINALLY.
It’s been about three years since I launched myself into the query trenches with my third novel, Hyggely Ever After.
You may remember me mentioning maaaaaany months (okay, years) ago that I drafted a fourth novel. In between revising and querying Hyggely Ever After — and dealing with some health setbacks — I’ve been chipping away at my revisions for Novel #4.
AND I’M FINALLY DONE.
Tartlets, Unnatural Order is on its way into the world.
THE NOVEL
I sidestepped away from writing women’s fiction and foodie fiction to return to my first literary love: horror.
Not bloody, slasher, crazy-jump-scare horror, though. Unnatural Order is more “grief horror” — a story about when grief is so overwhelming that it compels you to do and believe in the impossible, even the horrifying. Think The Winter People or Monstrilio or Starve Acre. This subgenre of horror makes you creeped out, but it also makes you cry.
The writing style is “upmarket fiction” which is a cross between commercial fiction and literary fiction. So, it’s suitable for lots of different readers. If you like novels by Simone St James, Christina Henry, Ania Ahlborn, or Jennifer McMahon, I think you’ll like my writing style, too.
And, to address the annoying but necessary elephant in the room these days: I did not use any AI to write my novel.
Novel #4 is, shockingly, my shortest novel yet. The final edited manuscript clocked in at 78,000 words, which is in the range that agents want these days. For someone who had a difficult time writing fewer than 100,000 words for each of her previous three novels, achieving this concise word account while still conveying a complete and fulfilling story is…
Well, I’m just gonna say it. It’s impressive. I’m impressed with me. I think my writing’s leveled up, you guys. Which is as it should be, after eight years of penning novels.
Unnatural Order was loosely inspired by the 1966 Aberfan disaster in Wales. Most of you might know that event from Season 3, Episode 3 of The Crown. That’s actually what brought this infamous historical event to my attention. The poignancy of this tragedy really struck me…. so, of course, I wrote a horror novel about it.
Unnatural Grief is about grief, motherhood, and ghost children. Lots and lots of ghost children. It’s set in a moody and fictional Vermont mountain village, and it takes place across two timelines: 1966 and 2016. It’s dual-timeline and dual-POV. Although similarities with the Aberfan tragedy are evident at the beginning of my novel, Unnatural Order takes on a story all its own pretty quickly.
I’m super proud of this one, Tartlets. It’s been four years in the making, and I think it’s worth it. Let the querying road to publishing success begin!
THE QUERYING PROCESS
I’ve been researching literary agents online, targeting those who focus on horror, speculative fiction, and supernatural suspense, along with some Gothic horror and historical fiction. Unnatural Order ticks all those boxes.
My previous novel, Hyggely Ever After, received many requests for a full manuscript. Although I didn’t get agented, numerous agents told me they liked my writing and asked me to send them my next project.
That’s where I’m starting my querying journey for Unnatural Order — going back to all those agents and being like *knock knock* “Hey! Remember me? You liked me, but not enough. Here’s something I think you’re going to LOVE.”
As usual, I’m querying in rounds. That means I’m only contacting 5-6 agents at a time. Once replies (and hopefully requests for the full manuscript!) from them arrive, I’ll send out another batch of 5-6 queries.
Yes, this makes it a slow, painstaking process that involves a lot of waiting. But I’ve learned that it’s the best way to query. Patience pays off.
And, I’m going to need a lot of patience this time. More than half of the agents who might be interested in my book are closed to queries right now. I’m hoping they’ll open up in January 2027, but who knows? I’ve seen agents be closed to queries for over a year.
I’m starting to understand why more and more authors are turning to self-, indie, and hybrid publishing these days…
TO WRAP THINGS UP
I’m going to miss mentally wandering around the haunted Vermont farmhouse I created for Unnatural Order, but I’m excited to have some writing down-time… and a much-needed break from the pressures of meeting imaginary timelines that only I was holding myself to.
If you’re also in the query trenches right now, let me know! Misery loves company, friends.
*What is that one secret you kept from your parents when you were young, that if they had found out that same day, you would have been in serious trouble, and till today you have never told them?*