Kingsley Pearson

X: @kl_pearson

Instagram: @kingsley.pearson.author

Bluesky:@kingsley-pearson.bsky.social

www.klpearson.net

Agent: Silé Edwards

Agency: Andrew Nurnberg Associates

www.andrewnurnberg.com

Check out our #Agent121 page to book your own appointment.

Used advice learned from Agent121 sessions to shape his query package and manuscript.

Kingsley Pearson works as a Clinical Psychologist in digital mental health. He aims to tell compelling stories that move the reader, speak to them at a deeper level, and leave them with something to take away and talk about. He is a mixed-race British gay man, all of which influences his approach to writing: the perspective he takes on it, the issues he wants to address, and the stories he wants to tell. Flat 401 is his debut, and prior to publication was shortlisted for the 2022 Mo Siewcharran and Joffe Books Prizes, and longlisted for the 2023 Penguin Michael Joseph Undiscovered Writers Prize (which he had to withdraw from due to obtaining agent representation).

IAIP: What was the inspiration behind Flat 401?

KP: The inspiration for Flat 401 came during the pandemic, when I – like many – felt a real sense of being ‘shut in.’ That sparked the idea of a story about a man who had been imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. I live in London and spent a lot of time staring out of my window, and I imagined seeing a crime in one of the flats opposite. That voyeuristic idea – reminiscent of Rear Window and The 4.50 from Paddington – shaped the novel’s central mystery: What really happened inside Flat 401?

IAIP: Was this the first book you attempted?

KP: Yes – Flat 401 was my first attempt at writing a novel. I’d dabbled in creative writing in school and always loved reading, but this was the first time I’d tried to write seriously. I’m aware how lucky I am that the first book I wrote is also the one that secured me an agent and a publishing deal! I think a large part of that is down to the time and resource I was able to invest in editing the manuscript and learning to understand the industry.

IAIP: How long did it take to write?

KP: The first draft came together surprisingly quickly over a few months, supported by a few online courses (and having more time to write, due to being in lockdown). But I then spent about a year doing edits, revisions, and restructures based on feedback from peers and my own learning. The whole process, including querying and working with my agent on final edits, probably took close to two years (around work, and with gaps during querying whilst waiting to hear back).

IAIP: After you sent your submission to your agent, Silé Edwards, how long did it take until you signed on the dotted line?

KP: About a month. I had done a lot of work refining my pitch and manuscript before submitting to Silé, so once she expressed interest, things moved at a good pace. Within a matter of weeks, we’d had conversations about how to take the manuscript forward, I’d taken on board her suggestions, and we signed shortly after.

I think it’s worth noting – for all the people reading this who are anxiously seeking representation – that it really varies, though. For example, Silé was not the first agent who got back to me; in earlier batches, some agents who requested the full straight away ended up ghosting me; other agents who I’d been sure would request sent a form rejection. So, try not to torture yourself by agonising over how long people have had it – easier said than done, I know!

IAIP: What has happened since that offer of representation?

KP: We did edits together to get the manuscript publisher-ready: about three rounds over five months. Then, we submitted to editors, and Flat 401 was picked up by Orion in a two-book deal. Although being on submission was (for me) more stressful than querying, it also included some positives (as well as the outcome) – at one point, both Alex Michaelides’ current and former editors were reading it, which meant a lot to me.

Since then, I’ve worked with Orion on further edits (structural, line and copy) – although these were lighter than what I’d done by myself and with my agent. I also had input into cover design and marketing. It’s a lot, and comes in fits and starts, but there are some real high moments, such as seeing it in The Bookseller, and no doubt when it hits the shelves!

IAIP: You took part in a few #Agent121 sessions to help strengthen your pitch whilst querying. Do you believe that these helped you secure your agent deal? If so, in what ways did they help?

KP: Absolutely. The #Agent121 sessions helped me refine not just my pitch but also the manuscript itself – as mentioned above, I made some pretty heavy edits in order to secure an agent. Hearing feedback directly from agents – even when it wasn’t always what I hoped to hear – made me reflect on how to better present the story’s emotional stakes and genre appeal. It’s one thing to have a good story, but quite another to be able to pitch it well and write it in a way that it will appeal to an agent. Those sessions helped me bridge that gap. It was particularly helpful to be able to make further edits and pitch refinements based on concrete feedback, not just my own or others’ speculation.

IAIP: Roughly how many rejections did you receive before becoming represented?

KP: I submitted to three batches of 12 agents across a nine month period, so I’d estimate around 35 overall. In between each batch, I reworked both the manuscript and the query letter based on any feedback I received – whether from agents, competitions, or beta readers. Undesired outcomes – such as not hearing back, getting a form response, or not getting an offer of representation following a request for the full manuscript – were tough, but I tried to treat them as data I could learn from rather than failure. Hence, I actually try to avoid the word ‘rejection’ because I find that language unhelpful and it’s not really what’s happening: we and our work are not being ‘rejected’, we are just learning in different ways that it’s not a right fit at this time for that agent. And that’s an opportunity for us to grow towards our desired outcome. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt! But at least we can try to avoid adding insult to injury by not kicking ourselves when we are down.

IAIP: What advice would you give to aspiring writers looking to get published?

KP: Don’t rush to submit. Polish your manuscript, yes – and also polish your pitch. Seek feedback early and often. Connect with other writers, join critique groups or courses, and take every opportunity to learn. And don’t take ‘rejection’ personally – it’s often about fit, timing, or positioning rather than the quality of your writing or your potential as an author.

Stay focused on the long game. Even now I’m (about to be) published, I am still working out what kind of writing life will work for me, and how to get a day job that fits with that. This (I hope) will help me pursue writing seriously whilst also holding it lightly, which is important in an industry where so much is out of the creatives’ control.

IAIP: Do you have any tips on making the most of an #Agent121 or from entering a competition?

KP: I think it’s helpful to go in with a clear idea of what you want to get out of it. Are you testing how your pitch lands? Looking for feedback on a specific aspect of your manuscript’s opening or synopsis? Trying to identify where your book sits in the market? If you know your goals, that will help you steer the conversation and ask focused questions.

Also, treat the feedback as a starting point, not an end. It can be tempting to either dismiss it (especially if it’s hard to hear) or take it as gospel. But the most useful thing you can do is take time to reflect:

What patterns are emerging across different bits of feedback?
What resonates with you, and what doesn’t – and why?
What might you tweak in your pitch, sample, or even the whole manuscript as a result?

Competitions and #Agent121 sessions are great entry points into the publishing world, but they’re most effective if you build on them afterwards, by incorporating what you’ve learned, refining your materials, and staying connected with the community you’re building around you on the journey you’re taking towards becoming a published author.

IAIP: What have you learned about the publishing industry since your writing journey began?

KP: That it’s not just about writing a ‘good’ book: it’s about writing the right book, for the right audience, at the right time. The publishing industry has constraints, tastes, and trends like any other creative business. I had to learn how to keep my story emotionally and thematically authentic, while still shaping it to meet market expectations. That learning curve was steep, but so worth it.

There is also so much that’s out of your control, and that you will not be able to influence or optimise. So, it’s helpful to be able to make one’s peace (as much as possible) with that, and learn to ‘enjoy the journey’.