Blog Archive

  • Welcome Summer!

    May 30, 2017

    Today is the first unofficial work day of summer and I’m happy to say that while you’ll see BookEnds agents enjoying half day Fridays and beach vacations, what I’ve never seen in over 15 years of the agency is a slowdown in publishing. We often hear of the summer slowdown, but at BookEnds, summer has […]

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  • Deal News for Charlene Chua!

    May 26, 2017

    Congratulations to Charlene Chua on her forthcoming picture book from Aladdin! Can’t wait to see her art for this book! (You can find this deal on Publisher’s Weekly.)

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  • Culling Your Agent List

    May 26, 2017

    I loved the feedback I got in my “what do you want in an agent” blog post. Some really interesting answers on how you might choose when given the choice. As I sometimes do, I’m taking one of the questions from those comments and giving it a wider audience. Actually, Jessica, I was curious: when […]

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  • What Makes an Agent Finally Say, “I’m Offering.”

    May 25, 2017

    With some spare time in my day I threw it out to Twitter for blog ideas. One reader came back with this gem, Replying to @BookEndsJessica When reading queries, how does an agent decide the ms is worth taking on even if it needs editing or possibly revision? #amwriting There is no easy answer to […]

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  • What Do You Want in an Agent

    May 24, 2017

    In almost every interview I’ve ever done I’m asked what my dream author would be like, or what I look for when considering a new client. What I wonder though, is what authors look for when taking on a new agent? While we might be looking for clients, it is the author who is doing […]

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  • Learning how to be an Agent

    May 23, 2017

    A few weeks ago, I was busy interviewing prospective interns. In chatting with one applicant, I brought up the fact that both James and I started our careers at BookEnds as interns. He followed up with a great question: “What’s the most important thing you’ve learned in moving from an intern, to an assistant, to an […]

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  • Series Authors Should Stop Writing the Sequel

    May 22, 2017

    When an author envisions a book as part of a series it’s natural to finish the first book and dive right into writing the second book, or the sequel. Let me explain why I don’t think this is an effective business plan. No matter how you look at it, a sequel is dependent on the […]

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  • Getting that Fresh Set of Eyes

    May 18, 2017

    Your publisher would never publish your book without putting as many eyes on it as possible, as many fresh eyes as possible. Before publication every book should be seen by an editor who handles revisions, a copyeditor, and a proofreader (3 different people), as well as the author and whoever the author has look at […]

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  • Pitching 101

    May 17, 2017

    There have been a million blog posts and articles about how best to pitch to agents and network at a writers conference. While I’m not going to tell you to ignore all that advice (I’m sure some of it is good), I’m going to simplify it and show you how to have the greatest success […]

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  • Happy #PubDay to Kate Douglas!

    May 16, 2017

    Happy #PubDay to Kate Douglas on the 3rd installment of the Feral Passions series, HUNGER. The book is a collection of three short stories by authors Eve Langlais, A.C. Arthur, and our very own Kate Douglas. Dive into Hunger, a paranormal romance anthology by New York Times bestselling author Eve Langlais, Kate Douglas, and A.C. […]

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  • Happy #PubDay to Greta McKennan

    May 16, 2017

    Happy #PubDay to the first in a great new series, UNIFORMLY DEAD. This is the debut of A Stitch in Time Mystery Series, and we’re thrilled for its publication. Take a look: Historical seamstress Daria Dembrowski has her work cut out for her as she searches for a killer’s pattern . . . Daria has […]

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  • Perfecting the Cover Letter for Your Publishing Career

    May 16, 2017

    I’ve been reading quite a few cover letters lately and there’s one thing I’m not sure most job seekers are ever told; your cover letter is more important than your resume. When I read the cover letter I want to know what makes you different from other prospective BookEnds team members. What makes you stand […]

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