Blog Archive

  • Writing Without Support

    Sep 17, 2020

    Writing is a solitary and often isolating vocation. Even more so when you don’t have the support of friends and family. I was lucky when I started BookEnds, my closest family supported me. I can’t say the same unfortunately about all the people in my life. In fact, I can think of at least one […]

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  • The Oldest Student named in NPR’s Favorite 100 Children’s Books!

    Sep 16, 2020

    It’s not every day that a book is named one of the Top 100 Children’s Books, so we’re super grateful NPR included Rita Lorraine Hubbard’s THE OLDEST STUDENT in their star-studded line-up. Rita and Oge Mora’s critically-acclaimed picture book about Mary Walker has taken the Kid Lit community by storm, so we hope everyone will […]

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  • What Makes a Successful Revise & Resubmit

    Sep 15, 2020

    I actually hate R&Rs (Revise and Resubmit). I tend to avoid giving them as much as possible and I usually, often, recommend against my clients doing them. R&Rs are not a simple fix. They are never something you can successfully do in a weekend. Okay, they rarely are. A successful R&R doesn’t mean a fix, […]

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  • Praise for Kia Abdullah’s TAKE IT BACK

    Sep 11, 2020

    The BookEnds team has been ranting and raving about the amazing Kia Abdullah and her novel TAKE IT BACK for a while, now. It originally released in the UK, but we’re delighted to let you know that it will be releasing in the US on December 8th from St. Martin’s Press. (Just in time to […]

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  • Questions to Ask an Agent’s Clients

    Sep 10, 2020

    When an offer of representation comes in, some authors ask to speak with an agent’s clients. I don’t know that this is a requirement, depending on your comfort level with the agent, but it can be helpful when making a final decision. If you are subscribed to our YouTube channel you might have already seen […]

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  • What Does List Size Say About an Agent?

    Sep 09, 2020

    A question literary agents usually get is: how many clients do you have? Jessica and James delve deep into this question and answer why or why not this is important. Tell us! Do you enjoy Jessica and James doing videos in the office together or on Zoom? BookEnds is on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. Please […]

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  • Why is BookEnds Behind on Queries

    Sep 08, 2020

    You might have noticed that a number of BookEnds agents closed to queries in August. While others posted about catching up. If you queried, you definitely noticed that the Agents of BookEnds had fallen behind. BookEnds agents each handle their own queries. We don’t have interns read them and we don’t have a central address […]

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  • New Client Alert- BA Cabada

    Sep 04, 2020

    Name: B.A. CabadaWhat you Write: Middle-grade fictionAgent: Emily ForneyWhy BookEnds? Unlike other agencies, BookEnds had everything I was looking for: that perfect blend of efficiency and industry pull of a big agency, but with the closeness and dedication of a smaller, independent company. Besides, Emily made me see right from the get-go that I wasn’t going […]

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  • Social Media Presence for Authors

    Sep 03, 2020

    I understand some agents will reject fiction because of an author’s lack of social media presence. I am not that agent. For nonfiction, absolutely, it’s one of the first things I look at, but personally I don’t think fiction authors need a platform. At all. Social Media for Nonfiction Authors Social media matters for nonfiction […]

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  • New Client Alert- Valerie Burns

    Sep 02, 2020

    Name: Valerie BurnsWhat you Write: MysteriesAgent: Jessica FaustWhy BookEnds? When I was looking for an agent/agency, I wanted someone who didn’t just know mysteries, but knew and understood cozy mysteries. Jessica Faust is very familiar with the genre and represents a lot of great award-winning, bestselling mystery authors. BookEnds has an excellent reputation and is […]

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  • How Long Should My Book Be? (Word Count)

    Sep 02, 2020

    Are you struggling to figure out the right word count for the genre you are writing under? Jessica and James dive into this topic in a video they did for the BookEnds YouTube channel back in March. BookEnds is on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. Please follow us to stay up to date on all things […]

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  • Keep Moving Forward

    Sep 01, 2020

    The best advice I have for both my clients and my agents is to keep moving forward. In the early days of COVID work from home, BookEnds did one thing. We kept our heads down and we worked. We didn’t stop offering representation and we didn’t stop submitting. We knew that books were going to […]

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