Reading · Good Trouble: The Art of Storytelling

This interview was conducted by The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Substack

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TSNOTYAW: What made you want to become a literary agent, and how long have you been doing it?

Tommy Dean: Becoming an agent felt like a natural progression from being an editor at literary magazines and teaching the craft of writing through the flash fiction form. I have also read 50-80 books a year since forever! I’ve always thought in terms of story and how story entertains, but also provides the reader with an experience they’d love to try on for a few hours before going back to their regular lives. I wanted to take this love of story and help writers hone their craft and approach publishers with their imaginative work! I thought I knew enough about the magic of stories, how to craft them for maximum effect, that I could help writers with their dreams of publication. I started agenting in February 2025.

What’s the favorite part of your job?

I absolutely love working with writers to hone their craft and apply story structure and story surprises to their current manuscripts, making them the best they can be! I love meeting with editors and talking about books; being part of this larger novel-writing and publishing community has been a real joy! I love getting to read potential great books in the genres that I represent! Getting to read something great before the rest of the world is a real honor!

What’s the least favorite part of your job?

Nudging editors! I hate having to send so many follow-up emails! It took me several months to realize that this was just part of the process and a way to keep your client’s book in the editor’s mind! The Midwesterner in me doesn’t want to be a bother!

How many queries do you get a week? What percentage of those will you request partials or full pages from?

I receive around 100 queries per week. I request full manuscripts from around 3 per week or around 10 per month so far.

How long does it generally take you to reply to an author who you’ve requested a full manuscript from?

It usually takes 2-4 months, depending on how many I’ve requested in previous months, how active my reading of fulls is, and how much time needs to be dedicated to client edits. I try to let authors know my decision on their fulls as soon as I can, as I know how painful it can be to wait so long to hear back about a submission!

What are the most common mistakes authors make in their query letters?

The biggest mistake is not following the traditional format, because it makes me more of a query detective, and I want to be immersed in the storytelling aspect of the pitch as soon as possible. They often omit comparable titles or choose ones that are too outdated or too large to be helpful in establishing where the book might sit on a marketable bookshelf. I love to know where the book fits, and how I can position it. The biggest mistake authors make is querying when the book’s word count is too few or too many words. These are just so hard to sell right now!

Do you have a particular format you prefer for your query letters in terms of where the metadata vs the plot info should go?

I actually love the one that I assume Carly helped to create, which is on the PS Literary website. I definitely want the metadata first, as it helps me to start thinking about positioning and the possible market for the book right away!

What’s your idea of the perfect client in terms of traits you like to work with?

I love working with a client who is excited and patient, and who wants to write lots of books and make a career out of being an author. A lot of authors don’t get a publishing deal for their first book, so I love tenacious, persistent clients who want to improve their craft as they go! I love an author who also loves to read in their genre! Most of my client connections have come from them having a great book, but also from our conversations about the books we love!

How editorial are you as an agent? If you are editorial, how long do you work with your client on average before going out on submission?

I’m very editorial, as I think one of my strengths is helping writers improve their craft and think through story problems to create books that entertain readers and give them something extra in their reading experience. I will go through at least two drafts with each client, and more if needed, to find the right balance between well-written and entertaining.

Do you sign up most of your clients from the slush pile, through referrals from other authors, or from pitches at conferences? Or other?

I’ve found 90% of my current clients through submitted queries! I love reading every query and the first ten pages, and connecting with the story and the writing on the page. There’s something magical about not being able to stop reading based on a cold query and a book’s opening, requesting a full, and the story just keeps giving back to me as I fall in love with the characters and their conflicts. I enjoy meeting authors in person, listening to their pitches, seeing their real-life enthusiasm, but it doesn’t always translate to what is on the page when I request the full manuscript. I’m not sure why, though!

Are you currently open to queries? What are you looking for? Where might our supporters find your website or MSWL?

I’m very open to queries! I specialize in mystery, suspense, thrillers, crime fiction, and upmarket fiction with a sharp edge. I’m drawn to high-stakes narratives, complex characters, and stories that refuse to be put down. I’m really interested in finding more female main character-led popcorn and domestic thrillers! I’d love to find a gorgeous literary novel that balances characterization, conflict, and emotional depth.

I love stories fueled by gossip and lies that hold families together and tear them apart. I love it when past crimes bubble to the surface. I love stories set in small towns, rural locations, and the Midwest. Stories of blue-collar workers, and the generations that eschew this work to go to college, to live in a city, to forget where they came from, only to be yanked back to the provincial settings of their youth.

Here’s my MSWL. Find me on Query Tracker.

When you request a full manuscript, what are some common reasons you end up rejecting it?

Usually, there’s a lack of causality that connects the conflict from the opening to the inciting incident and beyond. There’s usually a lack of story structure, or a structure that I’m not sure how to help the writer fix. The excitement I had for the premise and the positioning starts to falter as we get past the inciting incident. The character’s goal or desire isn’t strong enough to carry the plot through the entire book.

16 months of being a Literary Agent

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