Blog Archive
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One Paragraph or Less
Apr 26, 2011
When you’re writing a query, we often stress the importance of keeping it brief. Of course authors always want to know how short, because authors always want rules (and who can blame them). And while there’s no rule to how short, I try to encourage writers to stick to a paragraph or short paragraph or […]
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LOL
Apr 25, 2011
It’s been a while since I’ve shared some of the laughter here at BookEnds, but the minute this came into my inbox I knew I had to pass it along: I discovered you through reading [Your Client’s] books. I enjoy them, but I think my cast of characters to be more interesting and my story […]
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Five Don’ts for Pitching Books and Manuscripts
Apr 22, 2011
Author Name: Krista Davis Title of Book: The Diva Haunts the House Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Pub Date: Coming September 6th Agent: Jessica Faust Author Web/Blog links: https://divamysteries.comhttps://mysteryloverskitchen.comhttps://www.killercharacters.com Malice Domestic Convention (https://www.malicedomestic.org/) Mystery authors are about to descend on Bethesda, Maryland, for the annual Malice Domestic Convention, which celebrates traditional and cozy mysteries. Right about […]
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Social Networking: Twitter Needs Interesting People
Apr 21, 2011
I’m not an expert, but I do tend to know what I like in this world, and when it comes to Twitter I like to follow people who are interesting. Unfortunately, I see far too many authors who use Twitter as a way to inundate readers with their name or simply remind everyone to read […]
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Workshop Wednesday
Apr 20, 2011
By repeated request we’ve started Workshop Wednesday. It will definitely play out through 2011, and beyond that we’ll just have to see. We’ve received well over 200 queries at this point, but we are choosing at random, so don’t be afraid to participate as per the guidelines in our original post. For anyone wanting to […]
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Plotting for You or the Story
Apr 19, 2011
If you ever have a pitch appointment with me, the one thing you’ll get is lots of feedback. Based on your pitch, and sometimes material I have read, I’ll do my best to give you my thoughts on why the book isn’t working and suggestions on what you can do to make it stronger, or […]
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Query Don’ts
Apr 18, 2011
There are no rules to queries. I repeat, there are no rules to queries. A query should come from you. It should be written in your voice with your own personal writing style, and it should not just tell me what your book is about, but it should wow me with your book. That being […]
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Thought for the Day
Apr 15, 2011
It’s understandable you have a dream agent, many agents have dream authors. But don’t advertise on your blog who exactly your dream agent is. If I get a submission, go to check you out, and discover that Agent X is really your dream agent, why should I waste my time reading? I have a lot […]
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Social Networking and Your Picture
Apr 14, 2011
I’ve been thinking a lot about social networking and how authors can best use it. One of my thoughts lately has been about the photos we use on Facebook and Twitter. As many of you know, it’s not uncommon for users to change their profile photo now and then. You might have gotten an amazing […]
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Workshop Wednesday
Apr 13, 2011
By repeated request we’ve started Workshop Wednesday. It will definitely play out through 2011, and beyond that we’ll just have to see. We’ve received well over 200 queries at this point, but we are choosing at random, so don’t be afraid to participate as per the guidelines in our original post. For anyone wanting to […]
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An Editing Room
Apr 12, 2011
I know I don’t have ADD, I’m pretty sure I don’t have ADD, but bright shiny things distract me. As do dull dingy things, chocolate, coffee and butterflies, and a slight breeze. And when it comes to sitting down to edit a client’s work, those dull dingy things suddenly become bright and shiny. Heck, the […]
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It’s How It’s Interpreted
Apr 11, 2011
Email is a beautiful thing and has made life so much easier for so many of us. When I started as an agent email was still a little bit in its infancy—sure, people used it, but I’m not sure we relied on it in quite the same way we do now. I can’t imagine doing […]
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