From 197 Query Rejections to A Book Deal with Carmela Dutra
What do you do after you receive 197 rejections…on the same novel?
Well, if you’re cozy mystery author Carmela Dutra, you keep going.
In a recent episode of the Write It Scared podcast, Carmela shared the full story behind her debut novel, A Murder Most Foul—from querying too soon and revising extensively to finally signing with the right literary agent and publishing her book.
Her writing journey is a masterclass in resilience.
If you're struggling with self-doubt, facing a bunch of rejection, and just feeling like maybe it’s time to throw in the towel—this conversation will arm you with what you need to keep going and protect your mindset!
Her Biggest Query Mistake
Carmela admits she sent her manuscript out before it was ready (and she knew it) because she was afraid of missing opportunities with agents. She figured she’d have time to “fix” the manuscript before it garnered any agent attention.
Wrong.
Within 24 hours, she received a full manuscript request.
She scrambled to revise, but early feedback confirmed what she already knew: the manuscript needed more work. And that early misstep closed some doors.
Here’s the takeaway:
Agents will reopen. New agents will appear. Your manuscript only gets one first impression.
Don’t rush the query stage because of the fear of missing out.
The Saggy Middle, Tense Slips, and Pantsing a Mystery
When Carmela pivoted from sci-fi to cozy mystery she found her genre, but that didn’t automatically eliminate her craft challenges.
She struggled with:
A saggy middle
Slipping between past and present tense
Writing a mystery without plotting who the killer was in advance
As feedback repeatedly raised similar concerns, she revised—again and again—until she got it right, and now she’s learned to embrace plotting to avoid excessive rewrites.
197 Rejections (And Why She Didn’t Quit)
Over two years, A Murder Most Foul received 197 rejections. Some were brief and hard, detailed and harsh, and one agent even told her to stop pursuing writing altogether.
That kind of feedback can feel crushing, but Carmela refused to take it personally.
Instead she viewed it as part of the publishing business, and if an agent didn’t love her book, they couldn’t effectively champion it.
To protect her mindset during the query process, she set boundaries by limiting how often she checked her emails. She turned off her notifications and focused on incorporating the feedback that made sense to her as she continued to pitch her work.
The Agent Red Flags (And Almost Giving Up)
Near the end of her querying rope, Carmela received several offers of representation, but they came with significant red flags.
One agent offered, but revealed they hadn’t read the full manuscript, then later ghosted her. And another agent withdrew interest after Carmela publicly disclosed her query journey. Carmela almost quit at that point.
But then a week later, her current agent offered representation. It was a match.
The Dream Agent (And the Hard Rewrite)
She landed her dream agent, but that didn’t guarantee her a publishing deal or easy fixes, and the book still wasn’t ready.
Together they spent nearly a year restructuring the manuscript—strengthening the plot, tightening pacing, and building a stronger foundation.
The result was the published debut, A Murder Most Foul, followed by its sequel, Hot Wings and Homicide.
Revision wasn’t cosmetic. It was transformational.
Imposter Syndrome Doesn’t Disappear
Even after signing and publishing, imposter syndrome didn’t vanish. It just changed form.
At a friend's recommendation, Carmela named her inner critic to separate it from her own voice. That small psychological shift helps her maintain some distance from the doubts.
Fear never really goes away, but time and work will provide you with the evidence that you can move forward anyway.
The Truth About “Overnight Success”
Here’s the part we often miss when we pick up a debut novel:
Carmela didn’t wake up published.
She wrote children’s books, failed at writing sci-fi, rewrote her cozy mystery more times than she can count on both hands, and endured 197 rejections. And still…she kept going.
If you’re in the thick of querying, revising, or doubting yourself, remember this: The right “yes” often comes after a long string of “nos.”
Sometimes the only difference between the writer who makes it and the one who doesn’t…is that one of them didn’t quit.
Takeaways for Query Writers
Don’t rush querying your manuscript.
Personalize your query letters thoughtfully.
Look for patterns in feedback instead of reacting to every opinion.
Celebrate small milestones—partials, full requests, and even thoughtful rejections.
Set boundaries to protect your mindset.
And most importantly, remember that resilience is a skill. It’s something that gets built over time, just like craft. It takes intention and practice.
To connect with Carmela and purchase her books, visit her website and check her blog series: An Author’s Guide to Querying for hot tips!
