BookEnds is a supportive agency with a positive vibe. I wanted an agency and agent excited about ushering a debut novelist into the publishing world.
What book do you wish you had written, and why?
I wish I’d written We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. I read it when I was fourteen. It’s the first book I can remember reading that completely sucker-punched me.
It has one of the best, tightest first paragraphs. Perfectly captures the dark idiosyncrasies of Merricat, a timeless anti-heroine, and foreshadows an unexpected yet inevitable ending. Brings the whole book back into a beautiful loop.
Where can readers find you on the web and social media?
I just finished Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold… again. Probably the twentieth time I’ve read it. It’s my comfort book. The binding is falling apart. I’ve had to Scotch tape it together.
If money were no object, what would be your dream writing location?
I’d go back to New Orleans in a heartbeat. God, I miss that city.
What’s your favorite quote about reading or writing?
“What happened to the writer is not what matters; what matters is the large sense that the writer is able to make of what happened.” — Vivian Gornick
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice you’ve received?
My incredible thesis advisor, Garnett Kilberg-Cohen, kept reminding me that writing doesn’t have to be perfect the first go-around. You can always go back and fix it later. (As a perfectionist, this is necessary advice!)
What excites you most about joining the BookEnds family?
I love that the BookEnds team is so supportive of emerging writers. The blog, the YouTube channel… BookEnds has shown real dedication to providing information about how publishing works—to opening the gate for new writers.
What advice would you give to other authors in the query trenches?
Just like “desk drawer novels,” you’re going to have “desk drawer queries.” I look at my old queries and cringe. I made a lot of mistakes: it’s no wonder I accumulated so many rejections. But that’s OK. Rejections are part of the process. You grow as a writer, and you grow as a submitter.
What was the most important question you asked when interviewing agents?
“What’s your communication-work style?” It’s a business partnership, and you want to make sure that you’ll both be on the same page about the expectations for working together.
How did you know your book was ready to submit?
It was a gut thing. With my other manuscripts (I wrote so many others), I was plagued by a wobbly uncertainty when I finished. I would do the last revisions and write the last sentence and think, Is this really the end? Maybe I need to go back and fix it some more.
But with this one, I typed that all-caps END and it was an emotional, weight-lifted moment. I felt light-headed. I didn’t tell anyone. Just went out onto my balcony—it was sunset and there was a cool wind and a pink sky—and I stared at the city skyline and cried. Like my characters were telling me, “You did it. We’re ready.” That had never happened before.
Name:
Laura Hawbaker
What you Write:
Upmarket
Agent:
James McGowan
Why BookEnds?
BookEnds is a supportive agency with a positive vibe. I wanted an agency and agent excited about ushering a debut novelist into the publishing world.
What book do you wish you had written, and why?
I wish I’d written We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. I read it when I was fourteen. It’s the first book I can remember reading that completely sucker-punched me.
It has one of the best, tightest first paragraphs. Perfectly captures the dark idiosyncrasies of Merricat, a timeless anti-heroine, and foreshadows an unexpected yet inevitable ending. Brings the whole book back into a beautiful loop.
Where can readers find you on the web and social media?
www.lahawbaker.com | Instagram and Twitter @laurahawbaker
What’s the last book you read?
I just finished Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold… again. Probably the twentieth time I’ve read it. It’s my comfort book. The binding is falling apart. I’ve had to Scotch tape it together.
If money were no object, what would be your dream writing location?
I’d go back to New Orleans in a heartbeat. God, I miss that city.
What’s your favorite quote about reading or writing?
“What happened to the writer is not what matters; what matters is the large sense that the writer is able to make of what happened.” — Vivian Gornick
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice you’ve received?
My incredible thesis advisor, Garnett Kilberg-Cohen, kept reminding me that writing doesn’t have to be perfect the first go-around. You can always go back and fix it later. (As a perfectionist, this is necessary advice!)
What excites you most about joining the BookEnds family?
I love that the BookEnds team is so supportive of emerging writers. The blog, the YouTube channel… BookEnds has shown real dedication to providing information about how publishing works—to opening the gate for new writers.
What advice would you give to other authors in the query trenches?
Just like “desk drawer novels,” you’re going to have “desk drawer queries.” I look at my old queries and cringe. I made a lot of mistakes: it’s no wonder I accumulated so many rejections. But that’s OK. Rejections are part of the process. You grow as a writer, and you grow as a submitter.
What was the most important question you asked when interviewing agents?
“What’s your communication-work style?” It’s a business partnership, and you want to make sure that you’ll both be on the same page about the expectations for working together.
How did you know your book was ready to submit?
It was a gut thing. With my other manuscripts (I wrote so many others), I was plagued by a wobbly uncertainty when I finished. I would do the last revisions and write the last sentence and think, Is this really the end? Maybe I need to go back and fix it some more.
But with this one, I typed that all-caps END and it was an emotional, weight-lifted moment. I felt light-headed. I didn’t tell anyone. Just went out onto my balcony—it was sunset and there was a cool wind and a pink sky—and I stared at the city skyline and cried. Like my characters were telling me, “You did it. We’re ready.” That had never happened before.
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