New Client Alert – Kelsey B. Toney

Name: Kelsey B. Toney
What you Write: Young Adult
Agent: Moe Ferrara
Why BookEnds? Moe is a dynamic, empathetic, passionate human, and I couldn’t have asked for a better advocate. BookEnds works hard to represent a wide range of diverse authors and titles. I’m so excited to be a part of this dream team.

Tell us a bit about your writing process. Where do you write, and how often? 

Like the rest of the world, the past few years have completely changed almost every aspect of my life. That said, I’m working on building new writing routines to carry me through this “new normal.” I love writing early in the morning when the world still seems quiet. I love holding a mug of something warm and sitting in my office with only twinkle lights and the glow of my laptop screen.

Where can readers find you on the web and social media?

My website is KelseyBToney.com, and it’s a great place to learn a little bit more about my work and who I am. Can you believe, I am in the first 1% of all twitter users!? It’s true! I’m an old school social media fanatic, and you can find me on nearly every platform as @KelsNotChels. My favorite is currently Instagram.

Do you have any writing rituals? (e.g. burning a candle if you’re having trouble getting started at the computer or writing longhand first if you’re feeling uninspired.)

I always write my query letter before starting my first draft. I’m a plotter, so, I try to have a good idea of where I’m going before I start telling my story. There is always room for changes, though, so I can let inspiration guide me. Once my query is done, I usually write a pseudo-synopsis, going beat by beat writing about a paragraph or two for each section. It helps me to make sure I waste as little time as possible to the writing/drafting process. 

What do you love about writing YA? 

I love writing YA because I’ve always believed that when we’re young, our experiences are at their most potent and exciting. Love burns brighter, choices echo louder, pain stings harder. I love the high stakes of living life while you’re still deciding exactly who and what you want to be in this world. 

If money were no object, what would be your dream writing location?

My long time writing partner, horror author and poet, Annie Neugebauer, and I have an annual writing retreat together that we lovingly call Tiny Cabin (even though we go to different cabins each year). Tiny Cabin is a huge part of my writing life and is not only a great chance for me to spend time with my best friend, but is a critical time of personal and professional growth and focus. If money were no object, I think Annie and I would build our own, permanent cabin somewhere in the woods, where we could return each year to connect with each other and our works. 

What was the most important question you asked when interviewing agents?

I wanted to know how Moe felt about my large-scale career goals before we decided to work together. As an author who’s been agented before, I needed to know Moe had an idea about how all my projects could fit together and be sure our hopes for my career aligned. Of course, no agent can (or should!) ever promise to know what the future holds, but it felt so nice to speak with Moe and know that we were on the same page about what I hope to accomplish with my future work.