Blog Archive
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Victims Don’t Succeed
May 29, 2019
It’s no secret that I’ve never been a fan of complainers. I’m a glass is half full person. I think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and that we make our own magic. Yes, sometimes I’m just full of nothing but enlightening cliches. Fun right 😏 The thing is, I believe them. […]
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Defining Good v. Bad Social Media
May 28, 2019
In my many blog posts about social media I fear I’ve only raised more questions and created more angst. One of those concerns came in a recent reader question. Jessica, how would you define “good” social media? Being polite and well-mannered? The number of followers? How regularly you post? The relationship between your posts and […]
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The Rules of Re-Querying
May 23, 2019
The rules of re-querying the same book are that there are no rules. Some agents will tell you that you have one shot. After that move on to the next book. Others will say feel free if you’ve made significant changes. I think the answer is somewhere in the middle and a little more nuanced […]
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The Secrets to a Successful Publishing Career
May 22, 2019
I have represented a lot of books in 20 years. I think it’s fair to say over 1000. Among those, I do have some favorites one of which is Corporate Confidential by career expert Cynthia Shapiro. First published almost 15 years ago, this is a book that still has valuable information for anyone in or […]
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How Tracy Marchini pitched FOX AND THE BOX by author-illustrator Yvonne Ivinson
May 21, 2019
It’s pub day for Fox and the Box by Yvonne Ivinson, and I could not be any more thrilled by what Yvonne and Greenwillow did with this book! It’s stunning, and I used it at conference critiques earlier this month to show just how much narrative you can get into artwork alone. The book changed significantly […]
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Categorizing a “Unique” Novel
May 21, 2019
I had a friend who once described a falafel as the same as a hamburger, but different. While we mocked him ruthlessly for that, the truth is that this describes a lot of things, including categorizing a book. Agents want a novel they know works in the market, something that’s the same as other books […]
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This Month from BookEnds Jr… May 2019!
May 20, 2019
We are so excited for May, as it brings about an author/illustrator debut we’ve been buzzing about at BookEnds for months, as well as new deals we’ve been bursting at the seems to share! Please, enjoy: Fox and the Box by Yvonne Ivinson (5/21) Barnes & Noble A fox sets out across the sea in […]
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#BookEnds20 – and #TeamMoe’s 4th Anniversary
May 20, 2019
One of my favorite things I’m asked about during conferences or potential client calls is “how did you become an agent?” since I started life as a musician, went to law school, and am now in publishing. When I say my career zig-zagged a lot, it’s true! My publishing journey started during law school when […]
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An Interview with Krista Davis #BookEnds20
May 17, 2019
Jessica Faust: You originally signed with Jacky Sach at BookEnds and have seen a lot of changes in your career and at BookEnds. You’ve switched agents, you’ve switched editors and you’ve switched houses. I think it’s fair to say that in the course of your career you’ve survived and overcome many of an author’s biggest […]
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The Realities of an Internship
May 16, 2019
Enough time has gone by since my last blog post, that I’m now allowed to pull my soapbox back out and talk more about what you can expect from an internship. I often tell this story about how I hated my first day as an intern at BookEnds. I was tasked with re-organizing the bookshelves […]
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The Bride Test is a USA Today Bestseller!!
May 16, 2019
Congrats to Helen Hoang on hitting the USA Today list!!
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No Success is Achieved Alone
May 15, 2019
As I celebrate 20 years of BookEnds, it’s impossible to do so without acknowledging all of the people who helped us get here. Some of you may have noticed that the past few years have been a time of significant change and growth for BookEnds. It was three years ago when I I first read […]
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