Blog Archive

• How to Develop Your Author Brand

  Sep 22, 2021

  An author brand is what sets you apart from the other writers in the industry. When your name comes to mind, there might be a theme or idea that readers will think of and that, in essence, is your brand. Writers have a say in their brand if they take the time to build it. […]

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• I Want to Switch Agents, but Not Agencies

  Sep 21, 2021

  We get a lot of questions about how to handle switching agents and even how it looks to others if you switch agents. A question recently came up about what if you want to stay at the agency, but switch agents. This is a great question and a fun one to answer, but it probably […]

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• The Cost of Being an Agent

  Sep 16, 2021

  When agents talk about offering representation we talk a lot about loving a project. But love isn’t everything, there’s also the reality of money. This is a business and the true cost of being an agent is we only get paid when the author gets paid. No matter how much work we put into it–editing, […]

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• What is Upmarket Fiction?

  Sep 15, 2021

  “Upmarket fiction” is a relatively new phrase. When BookEnds first opened its doors over twenty years ago, it was rarely—if ever—used. If anything, this is a part of the industry that really only began within the last five years. So, if it’s an unfamiliar term to you, no worries. Many people are probably still learning […]

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• Becoming a Life-Long Learner

  Sep 14, 2021

  I never thought of myself as a life-long learner, one of those people who loves education and soaks up every opportunity to get more. In fact, I couldn’t get out of school fast enough. Don’t get me wrong, I loved college. Wells Street bars, my job at Water Street Brewery, friends, Summerfest, and, I guess, […]

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• New Client Alert – Kirsten Leng

  Sep 10, 2021

  Name:                        Kirsten LengWhat you Write:      Histories of feminism, gender, and sexualityAgent:                        Amanda JainWhy BookEnds?       I am thrilled to be working with an agency committed to diversity and inclusiveness, and whose modus operandi champions collaboration rather than competition. Tell us a bit about your writing process. Where do you write, and how often? I have a […]

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• The Importance of Mentorship

  Sep 09, 2021

  I’m a staunch believer in the importance of mentorship. Not only do I spend a great deal of time mentoring and coaching the agents of BookEnds, but whenever possible I connect with other agents to support them. Publishing is a field where you learn on the job. There are no classes that truly teach how […]

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• What Are the Benefits of “Young” Agents?

  Sep 08, 2021

  An agent that’s been around for a long time means an agent with a lot of name recognition. Often, those are the agents that authors feel the most compelled to query since it usually also means more experience in the business. This also could mean less credit given to the “younger” agents since they are […]

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• A Query Letter is the Essence of Your Book

  Sep 07, 2021

  We talk so much about query letters and what they are and what they aren’t. Sometimes I think I’m repeating myself, other times I remember that the right words at the right times will connect with just the right person when they need it. The sole purpose of the query letter is about getting to […]

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• Be Ridiculous

  Sep 02, 2021

  I’ve been reading a lot of words of wisdom from soccer stars lately. Weird only because I’ve never seen a full game of soccer in my life. But these superstars and their words really resonate with me, especially those from Abby Wambach, “If they say you’re ridiculous you know you’re on to something.” This is […]

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• How to Query a Series

  Sep 01, 2021

  Writing a series may have started in two ways: you started writing that first novel and realized that many more could follow or you planned it like this from the start. Either way, it’s tricky to get an agent to represent a series. There are a variety of reasons for this, all of which are […]

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• New Opportunities & Publishing Workshops

  Aug 31, 2021

  I talked a lot last year about how Covid would change publishing and specifically conferences. I was curious about what new opportunities would arise to take the place of the old things we’ve always done. As someone who is always up to try something new from bungee jumping to a new business, 2021 has been […]

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