Blog Archive
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BookEnds Reading Bingo!
Jul 20, 2018
First and foremost, we at BookEnds are readers. And if there is a way to make reading MORE fun, then we’re in! Jessica Faust came up with the idea to do our own rendition of Reading Bingo, and we couldn’t keep this all to ourselves. Join us! Shout Bingo when you’ve finished a column. […]
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The Futility of Imperfection
Jul 19, 2018
Twelve years ago I started this blog and a lot has happened in twelve years, not the least has been how blogs have become increasingly insignificant in the world of social media. And yet I blog on. Now I also video on, because BookEnds has a YouTube channel. All of the same great material, just in […]
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Good luck to #TeamBookEnds at RWA!
Jul 18, 2018
BookEnds is so excited to wish clients Sharla Lovelace, Sally Mackenzie, Stacy Henrie, and Shelly Bell the best of luck as they compete in several contests throughout the Romance Writer’s of America conference (RWA). These talented women were nominated, and are now celebrated as finalists, for their exceptional romance writing. The following titles have been […]
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The Length of a Query Letter
Jul 18, 2018
A reader asks: Curious, does this mean if a writer needed a few extra words to get to the hook (over the accepted 250 words) for their query it would be okay? Or can an agent do it because of that pre-existing relationship you’ve built with editors? This question comes in response to my post […]
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Identifying #OwnVoices in What We Read
Jul 17, 2018
A reader asks: Jessica, I’m curious… I know authors identify themselves as #ownvoices when submitting to an agent (who I assume also identify it as such to a publisher). The #ownvoices I’ve read, I’ve heard of from writing circles (conferences, agents, authors etc), but most readers wouldn’t have that exposure. How does a reader identify […]
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How Long Will It Take for an Offer of Representation?
Jul 13, 2018
Here’s a video answering everything you want to know about nudges, wait times, and just when you might get an offer of representation. Enjoy!
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Welcome to BookEnds, Jennifer Chow!
Jul 13, 2018
What book do you wish you had written, and why? Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng The novel deals with an intriguing mystery and features complex characters, a 1970s timeline, and exquisite writing. Also, it makes me revisit my own childhood experiences with a sharper eye. If you’re not reading or writing, […]
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Which Five Books Would BookEnds Want if Stranded on a Desert Island
Jul 12, 2018
There are days when we all wish we could be stranded on a desert island with just our favorite reads to get us through. Thank you reader for this question: Which five books would you want if you were stranded on a desert island? Jessica Faust The Long Winter, Laura Ingalls Wilder–because you must have […]
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What to Expect from Writers’ Conferences
Jul 11, 2018
I remember the first time I was invited to speak at a writers’ conference. It was a small, local conference in Lafayette, LA where many of the attendees were writing memoirs and knew absolutely nothing about publishing. It was the perfect place for a newbie assistant with no public speaking experience and I’m pretty sure […]
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The Promises Made in Queries
Jul 10, 2018
Recently one of our agents received very high praise from an editor when she said, “submissions aren’t usually as great as the pitch, but in this case it was!” And that, dear reader, is querying in a nutshell. When agents read queries we are looking for great pitches and when we are reading submissions we […]
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Welcome to BookEnds, Faye Aden!
Jul 09, 2018
I’m thrilled to welcome Faye Aden to Bookends! Her North African-inspired YA fantasy has such detailed, immersive world-building, on top of a voice that hooked me from page one. Needless to say, I can’t wait for you all to read it, but in the meantime enjoy learning more about Faye! Tell us a bit about your writing […]
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Welcome to BookEnds, Russel Del Socorro!
Jul 06, 2018
Tell us a bit about your drawing process. Where do you draw, and how often? An answer most artists would probably relate to, but I draw a substantial portion of my inspiration from what I see. This could range from a story-telling idea for a composition to something small, such as light bouncing around a […]
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