A Texas native, Leah Pierre briefly moved to the East Coast to attend Rosemont College to pursue her dream of working, in publishing. Not long after graduating with her B.A. in English and History, Leah found an agency home at Ladderbird Literary Agency as a Junior Agent and now, after five years, has grown to become a Senior Agent and a member of the AALA and an alum of their LAOC mentorship. In addition to agenting, Leah has a background in freelance editing through her work with RevPit and the WNBA’s Authentic Voices Program, and through her time studying under the Tessera Editorial mentorship and the Author Accelerator book coaching program. While establishing her career, Leah returned to her alma mater to pursue her M.A. in Publishing. After having accomplished her dream of working in publishing, she moved back to Texas to begin her next adventure and continue searching for the next PB, YA, or Adult project that will hook her (or make her cry).
Leah likes to spend her time enjoying the company of fictional characters more than people. But when not in the company of fictional characters, she likes to crochet, hike, travel, hang out with friends and family, and catch up on the movies and TV shows she is always behind on.
Leah’s projects include forthcoming books from H.D. Hunter, Ravynn K. Stringfield, Kay Sohini Sen, and more! She is a tenacious advocate for BIPOC writers and is always looking for ways to bring more diverse intersectionality to the publishing industry.
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Black Fox: What makes you sit up and pay attention when reading through your slush pile of queries?
Leah Pierre: When a writer has managed to weave in their writing style/voice in the query so it feels as if I get a better feel of the story and characters more immediately—before I even open the pages.
BF: How does an author know if the book is “done” and ready to query?
LP: I think it’s after you’ve made changes per beta reader feedback and/or after stepping away from it, then coming back and not finding anything else you can think to change to make it stronger.
BF: What’s the best piece of motivational advice you can offer a querying writer?
LP: Comparison is the thief of joy! I know it’s easier said than done, but try not to compare your journey to anyone else’s. All of the agent and deal announcements make these things feel like they come overnight or very quickly—but they don’t! Remember this industry is a long game.
Big thank you to Leah for answering my questions!
Leah will be leading our next workshop, Query Craft: Successful Submission Materials on May 26, 2024 from 1-3 PM EST and you can sign up on our Submittable page! This class will be recorded and everyone who registers will have access to the recording. Leah will teach the essentials for crafting a query letter, synopsis, and first pages that will equip you with the skills to navigate the publishing industry with confidence.
About the Interviewer:
Racquel Henry is a Trinidadian writer, editor, and writing coach with an MFA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. A former English Professor, she currently owns the writing studio, Writer’s Atelier, in Orlando, FL. Racquel co-founded Black Fox Literary Magazine in 2010 and is the Editor in Chief. Since 2013, Racquel has presented and moderated panels at writing conferences, residencies, and private writing groups across the US. She is the author of Holiday on Park, Letter to Santa, Christmas in Cardwick, Meet Me in December, The WriteGym Workbook, and more. Racquel’s fiction, poetry, and nonfiction have appeared in Reaching Beyond the Saguaros: A Collaborative Prosimetric Travelogue (Serving House Books, 2017), We Can’t Help it if We’re From Florida (Burrow Press, 2017), Moko Caribbean Arts & Letters, among others. When she’s not writing, editing, or coaching writers, you can find her watching Hallmark Christmas movies
