Blog Archive
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The Changing Face of Writers’ Conferences
May 06, 2020
The last of my writers’ conferences has been canceled for 2020. What was to be my bigget conference year in a long time. I was to attend SIWC, Thrillerfest, and Flathead Writers. And then, of course, there are big industry events like BEA, LBF, Bouchercon, and many others. I’m disappointed. So are many. The cancelation […]
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Does a Book Need an Action-Packed Opening
May 05, 2020
“Start with the action,” a phrase commonly used by literary agents and writing teachers. But what does this really mean? Does a book need an action-packed opening to be successful? No. And yes. Starting with the action does not mean you need to drop us into chaos. It does mean we are looking for a […]
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Judging Books, By Covers or Otherwise
Apr 30, 2020
A fun sideline to publishing is learning how judgemental people can be about books. No one knows this better than a romance writer. When I first entered the business, I was thrilled to get a job working at Berkley Publishing. I was going to edit the books I had spent my summer reading — mass […]
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New Client Alert- Whiskey Stevens!
Apr 29, 2020
Name: Whiskey Stevens What you Write: Non-fiction Agent: Jessica Faust Why BookEnds? What book do you wish you had written, and why? Tarot and Psychology: Spectrums of Possibility by Arthur Rosengarten is a book that I believe deserves more attention. The therapeutic applications of tarot are often overlooked because of the idea that the tarot […]
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Four Hardest Words I Have to Say
Apr 28, 2020
That’s not good enough–the four hardest words I have to say. Almost daily. That’s not good enough is so often why a submission or query gets rejected. That’s not good enough is why I’ll push my clients for yet another round of revisions, even when we’re both exhausted. Of course, “that’s not good enough” isn’t […]
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In Memory of Sheila Connolly
Apr 24, 2020
Sheila Connolly first signed her BookEnds contract in 2006. It was the start of an incredible writing career and a wonderful friendship. Earlier this week I learned the news of Sheila’s passing and although I knew it was coming, the knowing doesn’t lessen the sense of loss. When not talking plots, career, or next books, […]
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New Client Alert- Phaea Crede
Apr 24, 2020
Name: Phaea Crede What you Write: Picture Books Agent: Moe Ferrara Why BookEnds? Everyone at BookEnds just exudes love—how could any author not want to be a part of that? Phaea Crede loves writing silly picture books for silly kids. Serious kids, too. Her debut picture book Jet the Cat (is Not a Cat) will […]
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Defining Upmarket Fiction
Apr 23, 2020
There’s a new genre in town — upmarket fiction. It’s a term we didn’t use 15 years ago, but one that’s hot today. At least on my wishlist. I’m hungry for more upmarket fiction. Upmarket is that crossover between literary and commercial fiction. It’s also been defined as book club fiction and a lot of […]
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The Rules of Resubmitting
Apr 21, 2020
You’ve queried, you’ve submitted and now you’ve done revisions. What are the rules about resubmitting your book to agents? As with anything, every agent will have a different view on this. My view is, why not? Give it a try. The worst that can happen is a “no.” Go ahead as long as you’ve made […]
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Bright Praise for Abby Collette!
Apr 17, 2020
Extra! Extra! (With sprinkles on top!) Read all about it! We at BookEnds are beyond ecstatic to read all the well-deserved reviews Abby Collette is receiving for her debut, A Deadly Inside Scoop! About A Deadly Scoop This book kicks off a charming cozy mystery series set in an ice cream shop—with a fabulous cast […]
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The Unfairness of an Exclusive Submission
Apr 16, 2020
An exclusive is when a literary agent asks you to give them an exclusive look at your manuscript. You agree not to send it to any other agent until you’ve heard back from this person. I hate exclusives. This is a soapbox I’ve long stood on and one I don’t plan on getting off. Exclusives, […]
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How to Query a Series
Apr 15, 2020
In case you missed it, last week on the BookEnds YouTube Channel, literary agents Jessica and James sit down and give their best tips on writing and submitting a series to agents. Take a look:
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