Blog Archive
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An Updated Website Matters
Jul 31, 2019
Websites matter. I know. I have one. A very active website that we are constantly updating, revamping, and even rebuilding based on how easy it is to update. Your website is the face of your business. It is the first place a reader will go when they want to learn more about you and your […]
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When Your Book Crosses Genres
Jul 30, 2019
Genre is the category publishers and bookstores use to define and sell your book. Examples are mystery, romance, SFF or more general fiction. While not categories in bookstores, genres also include techno-thrillers, domestic suspense, or magical realism. I’m always surprised at how difficult it is for authors to claim a genre. I get that it’s […]
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Welcome to BookEnds, Lela Gwenn!
Jul 26, 2019
What genres do you write? Read? I read just about everything. I write…a lot. Supernatural, humor, horror, romance, weird things. Plotter or pantster? I’m a Panster! I write a rock solid, unshakable outline and then at the first sign of trouble I ditch it for a new shiny idea. Synopses, love them or hate ‘em? […]
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How Long is Too Long — Query Talk
Jul 25, 2019
I wonder how often we talk about length in publishing. How long can our query be? How long is too long for women’s fiction? What’s the word count in mystery? Word count does matter, not just because of reader expectations, but because when things get to be too long they often feel too long. Also, […]
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Preparing for Your Pitch Session
Jul 24, 2019
Tomorrow several BookEnds Agents will be attending the Industry Marketplace at the RWA Conference. It’s something new for us and we’re doing it in lieu of pitches. That being said, we know many of you are preparing your pitches for RWA and other conferences so the timing is right for this next question. Talking of […]
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The Value of Sample Pages in a Query
Jul 23, 2019
As I’m sure you’ve discovered by now, what every agent wants to see with a query is different, whether its sample pages or a whole proposal. And of course how they evaluate those materials is also different. These differences are very clear in a video Kim, James, and I did on how we read queries. […]
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Welcome to BookEnds, Anna Lazowski!
Jul 19, 2019
1. Why did you choose the genre you’ve chosen? I think there’s something magical about picture books, and the impact they have on us when we’re young is profound. I saw it with my own kids when they connected with a book and wanted to read it over and over. And there were books I […]
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BookEnds Books in Woman’s World Magazine!
Jul 18, 2019
We’re so thrilled to see not one, but TWO of our wonderful mysteries featured in Woman’s World magazine this month! Congratulations to Laurie Cass on BOOKING THE CROOK, and Krista Davis on THE DIVE SWEETENS THE PIE!
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Three Tips to Content Creation
Jul 18, 2019
It’s been very clear to me that the biggest struggle many authors have with social media isn’t how to operate sites like Twitter or Instagram, but what to do with them. The trick is knowing what kind of content to post. I’m still amazed that after 15 years of the blog and now Instagram, YouTube, […]
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Welcome to BookEnds, Megan Gerhardt!
Jul 17, 2019
As a business owner, it should come as no surprise that I love representing books for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and business owners. I’m also strongly looking for more women and people of color in the business section. When Megan Gerhardt’s book for leading intergenerationally in business came into my Query Manager I was sold. While […]
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Why it’s Okay to Not Get Excited Over Buzz Books
Jul 17, 2019
Last month I got my hands on one of this summer’s hottest buzz books. I was super excited to dig in. Based on cover copy, this is a book I would love to represent. Except I wouldn’t. About 50 pages in I was bored. By page 100 I quit reading. I just couldn’t get excited […]
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How I Pitched Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber
Jul 16, 2019
Heather Webber is a national bestselling author of mysteries and fiction. Long ago I talked to Heather about an idea she had for women’s fiction, an idea I immediately fell in love with and knew she could write beautifully. Almost four years later we are celebrating the release of Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe — beautiful […]
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