Blog Archive
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Publishing Demographics
Sep 04, 2008
I frequently hear writers complain that publishing professionals are out of touch with lifestyles outside of the East Coast, or more specifically, the New York area, and that a very high percentage of fiction is set in these areas. Obviously my view on this might be a little distorted because I am a publishing professional, […]
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When an Agent Isn’t Loving Your Work
Sep 03, 2008
A lot of fellow authors I know got an agent BECAUSE of a deal. In other words, the publisher wanted them and the agent came next. The thing is, an author can’t know whether that agent is going to LOVE the author’s work. I want an agent who will do what Barbara Poelle said she’d […]
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Looking for a Beach Read
Sep 02, 2008
I was asked recently about the term “beach read” and what this really means to both industry insiders and to readers. I don’t think that publishers or editors typically go in search of the beach read; instead it just sort of happens. It’s a book that is usually at some point or another published as […]
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Happy Labor Day
Aug 29, 2008
BookEnds will be closed today through Monday in observance of Labor Day. Have a great weekend and we’ll be back on Tuesday.
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What Your Posse Says About You
Aug 28, 2008
I have a few clients who give me continual insights into new blog posts. They are the clients I tend to have lengthy and I guess deep writing conversations with. In talking with one client and her “posse” of fellow writers I came to an interesting realization. When you look around at a major conference […]
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How Much to Tell Your Agent or Editor
Aug 27, 2008
I received a very interesting question from a reader not too long ago, one that I think, sadly, has crossed the minds or lives of a number of writers. If you are facing insurmountable (or seemingly insurmountable) challenges in your life, how much do you tell your agent or editor? For example, what if you […]
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The Futzing Stops Here
Aug 26, 2008
I’m often asked at what point authors should stop editing and revising their manuscripts. Frequently I receive emails telling me that a submission has been fully revised and could I throw out what I have and accept the new material, or I hear that authors are submitting but still actively revising. Stop! It all stops […]
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Querying an Agency and Not Just an Agent
Aug 25, 2008
I’ve said many times that when querying one agent at BookEnds you are really querying the entire agency. That being said, it continues to amaze me how many of you will query all three of us at once or query us one at a time as the rejections come in. In the grand scheme of […]
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Random Thoughts of an Agency
Aug 22, 2008
In my blog posts I rarely talk about the daily happenings of the agency, for a couple of reasons: one is that nothing is ever the same from day to day, and two is that I just don’t think it makes for exciting reading. I would rather focus on teaching you things you want to […]
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A Publishing Dictionary
Aug 21, 2008
I’ve had a request from a client to put together a publishing dictionary of sorts, an explanation of publishing words and phrases that you hear or see all the time but aren’t always sure of the meaning. I’m not going to go into great details on the how and why of these words, simply a […]
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Upsetting the Agent-Author Relationship
Aug 20, 2008
Is it the ultimate nail in the coffin to find out the writer you just signed has already submitted to, and been rejected by, editors? We’ve seen where querying an agent with an offer in hand is always a bonus for the agent to accept you as a client. Should eager writers refrain from submitting […]
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Already Have Publisher Interest
Aug 19, 2008
If you’re a regular blog reader you know by now that I strongly advocate choosing an agent rather than letting an agent choose you. In other words, when you get that offer of representation you should definitely talk to as many agents as possible so that ideally you can choose the agent you would like […]
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