Successful Queries: Jamie Carr and “Definitely Better Now,” by Ava Robinson
Welcome back to the Successful Queries series. In this installment, find a query letter to literary agent Jamie Carr (The Book Group) for Ava Robinson’s book, Definitely Better Now (MIRA).
Ava Robinson is the assistant director of Sarah Lawrence College’s Writing Institute and an alum of the New School’s MFA program. Previously, she wrote and hosted the podcast Trace Material, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, for Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design. She has had her short fiction published in Soundings East, Santa Fe Writers Project Quarterly, Little Patuxent Review, and elsewhere. Definitely Better Now is her first novel.
Here’s Ava’s query:
Happy new year!
I’m writing to query my novel, Definitely Better Now. I’m writing to you because I saw that you represent a wide range of authors in the upmarket and women’s fiction space, and I’d love to be included among them.
Set in the New York AA scene, Definitely Better Now is a 100,000-word romantic comedy that follows Emma, a recovering alcoholic celebrating a milestone she never thought she’d reach: one year sober. After not dating for the first year of her sobriety, Emma falls for her coworker Ben. But just being sober doesn’t mean Emma’s fixed, and as this novel flirts with the tropes of romantic comedy, it also ventures into deeper waters.
Ben asks Emma out the very night of her AA celebration for being one year sober, and instead of being honest about why she can’t go out for a drink with him, she makes up an excuse. Throughout the novel, Emma continues to struggle with honesty and letting people see the parts of herself she wishes weren’t there. This is a journey mirrored in her relationship with her father, whose cancer diagnosis brings him back into her life. Just as her relationship grows with Ben, her father’s life comes to an end. After a year of hiding in her apartment to make sure she stays sober, the best and worst parts of life—love and death—knock at her door and force her to figure out how to really live again.
Definitely Better Now blends the intimate voice of Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, the romantic pull of Emily Henry’s Beach Read and the lush, singular descriptions of New York life that you’d find in an Emma Straub novel.
I was interested in exploring a sober character whose story arc doesn’t center around whether or not they’ll relapse. Often, sobriety narratives are either about getting sober and characters are represented as a phoenix rising from the ashes, or if the character starts sober, the story’s tension comes from whether or not they’re going to drink again. As someone who’s spent most of the past decade sober––and with plenty of other problems––I wanted to see a character that represented that on the page.
There is a narrative in AA that being sober means you’re fixed, or that the steps will heal all of your personality defects. I haven’t personally found that to be true, and in the novel, Emma is struggling against that expectation. She thought she’d no longer feel afraid or jealous or angry, and she still does. She has to accept that she’s just a normal person who’s made some mistakes and is trying to make less of them.
I graduated from The New School’s MFA program last spring, and I’ve just started a position as the Assistant Director of the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. Previously, I wrote and hosted the National Endowment for the Humanities-funded podcast Trace Material for Parsons Healthy Materials Lab, where we investigated the lives of the materials (think anything from plastic to mycelium) that surround us. I’ve had my short fiction published in Soundings East, Santa Fe Writers Project, Little Patuxent Review and elsewhere.
Thank you so much for your consideration,
Ava
Check out Ava Robinson’s Definitely Better Now here:
(WD uses affiliate links)
Agent Jamie Carr’s commentary:
Ava’s query letter was a standout. Besides having excellent humor and voice, she nailed articulating the inciting incident in a way that was simple and clear—our main hero Emma has just hit her one year anniversary of being sober and thus can date again, when she meets co-worker cutie Ben—and also the bigger themes that the book reckons with: What happens when you think you’ve finally “made it” to realize there’s still growing to be done.
Her comp titles were recent and accurately reflected the genre and tone of the book, and I loved how she posed that the novel flirts with romantic comedy while also venturing into deeper waters. Exactly my kind of read!
Ava’s thoughts on the submission process:
I was lucky enough to be in an MFA program just before I started the querying process. We had a class where we workshopped our letters, so I got a lot of feedback on my query before an agent ever saw it. Earlier versions contained a lot more detail on the plot.
When writing a novel, it’s very hard to sum it up in one paragraph when every detail feels so essential! If you’re querying and have a trusted reader, ask them how they would summarize the plot in a few short sentences. Often, readers can see the bird’s eye view agents are looking for better than the writer can.
*****
A senior agent at The Book Group, Jamie Carr champions award-winning debuts, commercial book club fiction, and expert-driven nonfiction at the forefront of culture. Her titles have been chosen as Indie Next, Target Book Club, and Book of the Month picks. She’s also had books featured on NPR’s Best Books of the Year list, GMA (Buzzworthy segment), USA TODAY’s Bestseller List, and nominated for the Lambda Literary Awards, to name just a few. Previous to TBG, she was at William Morris Endeavor for almost six years. Born and raised in Lower Manhattan, she has an MFA in fiction writing and began her publishing journey in the books department of Tin House.
___________
penis enlargement
buy viagra online
Thanks ffor anoither excellent article. Thhe pplace ekse mayy jyst
anyone geet thhat kind of infoemation in such a prfect appproach oof writing?
I haave a presentation subsequent week, andd I amm att thhe seafch for such
info.
You are so interesting! I do not think I have read a single
thing like that before. So good to find someone with unique thoughts
on this issue. Seriously.. many thanks for starting
this up. This web site is one thing that is required on the web, someone with
a little originality!
WOW just what I was looking for. Came here by searching for camion dodge ram a vendre http://perfecttouchhandyman.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=icfoodseasoning.com%2Fbbs%2Fboard.php%3Fbo_table%3Dfree%26wr_id%3D119213
I am truly thankful to the owner of this website who has shared
this wonderful paragraph at here.
I’m not sure why but this website is loading extremely slow for me.
Is anyone else having this issue or is it a issue on my end?
I’ll check back later and see if the problem still exists.
I’ve been exploring for a bit for any high quality articles
or weblog posts on this kind of area . Exploring in Yahoo I
eventually stumbled upon this website. Studying this info So
i am satisfied to convey that I’ve a very excellent
uncanny feeling I came upon just what I needed. I such a lot surely will make sure to do
not disregard this web site and give it a glance on a continuing basis.
Interesting blog! Is your theme custom mazde or did you download itt from somewhere?
A design like yours with a feww smple tweeks
would really makee my blog jump out. Please lett me knopw wheee
youu got your design. Manyy thanks
Pretty! This has been an incredibly wonderful article.
Many thanks for providing this info.
Hi to every one, since I am really eager of reading this weblog’s post to be updated on a regular basis.
It contains good information.
I blog often and I truly appreciate your content.
This article has really peaked my interest. I will bookmark your site and keep checking for new information about once per week.
I subscribed to your RSS feed too. https://bdstarter.com/recipe-2/
Simply desire to say your article is as amazing. The clearness
on your put up is simply excellent and that i could think you’re knowledgeable on this subject.
Fine with your permission allow me to seize your RSS feed to keep up
to date with approaching post. Thank you 1,000,000 and please carry on the rewarding work.
constantly i used to read smaller posts which as well clear their motive, and that is also happening with this
piece of writing which I am reading here.
I delight in, lead to I discovered just what I was having a look for.
You have ended my 4 day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a nice day.
Bye
bookmarked!!, I really like your blog! https://Vknigah.com/user/Kami92C725194129/
Incredible story there. What happened after? Thanks!
Hey there! I simply want to give you a huge thumbs up for the excellent
info you have right here on this post. I’ll be returning to your site for more soon.
Thaanks foor sme other informative site. The place elsee could I get that type off inhformation written in such aan ideall way?
I’ve a challengve tht I aam just noww running on, andd
I hve bbeen at thee look outt for such information.
Quality posts is the important to invite the visitors
to visit the web site, that’s what this website is providing.
I am genuinely grateful to the holder of this
site who has shared this enormous piece of writing at
at this time.
I think what you published was actually very reasonable.
But, what about this? suppose you typed a catchier
post title? I am not saying your information isn’t good., but what if
you added a post title that grabbed a person’s attention? I mean Successful Queries: Jamie
Carr and "Definitely Better Now," by Ava Robinson – Editio Books is kinda vanilla.
You might look at Yahoo’s front page and watch how they create news headlines to grab viewers to click.
You might try adding a video or a related pic or two to get people interested about what you’ve written. In my opinion, it
could bring your blog a little livelier.
Touche. Great arguments. Keep up the great effort.
These are really enormous ideas in concerning blogging.
You have touched some good things here. Any way keep up wrinting.
Just desire to say your article is as astonishing.
The clearness in your post is simply nice and i could assume you
are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission let me to grab your feed to keep updated
with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please carry on the
gratifying work.
Hi there very cool web site!! Man .. Excellent .. Amazing ..
I’ll bookmark your web site and take the feeds additionally?
I am satisfied to seek out so many helpful info right here in the put up, we need
work out more techniques on this regard, thank you for sharing.
. . . . .
imagine, that you can click on necessary Internet-casinos, and experience adorable sensations from
playing in absolutely the exciting environment
of online win bay.