We are so happy for Manuscript Academy alum Julia Alexandra, author of Midnight on the Celestial (Macmillan)!
In this interview, Julia shares:
- The query letter mistake almost every writer makes (and how to fix it)
- Why her earlier books didn’t sell — and why she’s grateful
- What “specificity” actually means in a query (with a real example)
- How a revise and resubmit led to a preemptive offer from Macmillan
- Her two pieces of advice for writers who are ready to give up
Julia worked with Manuscript Academy on her query before landing her deal. Her debut novel, Midnight on the Celestial, is out now. 🔗 Work on your own query with a 1:1 consultation: https://manuscriptacademy.com/consultations
The One Thing That Transformed Her Query: Specificity
“I think every author, when they write their query, thinks they’re being specific. But I wasn’t. Even when I thought I was, it needed even more.”
When Julia started working with The Manuscript Academy on her query letter, she thought she was already being specific.
A magical cruise ship sounds intriguing. But what does that actually look like?
“When you say that this takes place aboard a magical cruise ship, you actually have no idea what that really looks like or what that even really means…So instead of saying there are attractions aboard the cruise ship, use those two or three words to name an actual attraction. For my example, there was a color-changing lagoon and sea dragons you could ride. That conjures up a stronger image than simply saying it’s a magical cruise ship.”
The fix wasn’t a complete rewrite. It was word-level precision: glittering opulence, color-changing lagoon, sea dragons. Small swaps, enormous impact.
The takeaway: If you’ve written 300 gorgeous, cinematic pages, you owe it to your book to get this beauty into your query letter.
Then, Five Minutes After Sending the Query…
Let’s be clear–this almost never happens. But Julia’s agent responded requesting more pages just five minutes after receiving her query.
“I think she was on vacation at the time and doing some query reading — so I got so lucky catching her.”
From there, the agent asked for a revise and resubmit. Writers often panic at this step–but it actually turned into a good thing. Julia spent about a month revising, sent in her new draft, and received an offer of representation shortly thereafter.
“I almost couldn’t speak. I felt little tears welling up in my eyes — because this is something many authors know you’re trying for years to do, and it does feel like, before you get your yes, that you’re not going to be the one to get one.”
Then Julia got the meeting request notification while sitting in a parking lot at work. That same week, she met with her now-editor — and that same night, her agent called with a preemptive offer.
Her twin sister, who’d been with her every step of the way, sat with her as they took the call on speakerphone. When they got the offer, she was so excited, she fell on the floor.
Julia’s Two Pieces of Advice for Querying Writers
1. Every author you admire has wanted to give up–it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
“The author that in your mind appears like an overnight success, 99% of the time, they’re not. And letting yourself take those temporary pauses if you need them isn’t giving up. That’s prioritizing your mental health through this process, which you will need through every step.”
2. Hold onto the love that started you writing in the first place.
“I need that love just as much as I did then. And as long as you have that, you’re never gonna stop — because you physically can’t. Writers who love writing just can’t stop.”
The Bottom Line
Julia’s path included years of rejection, discouragement, a pivot, better craft, and one important change to her query letter.
Maybe you’re just one change away, too.
If you’re in the middle of that messy middle — the rejections, the revisions, the wondering if it’ll ever happen — Julia’s story is proof that the answer isn’t always no. Sometimes it’s just not yet.
Julia worked with Manuscript Academy on her query letter before landing her agent and book deal. Want to work on the specificity and hook of your own query? Learn more about our 1:1 consultations