New Client Alert- Sina Merabian

BookEnds Interview Questions for Sina Merabian

Name: Sina Merabian
What you Write/draw: I’m an illustrator, but I also write speculative fiction. 

Agent: Tracy Marchini
Why BookEnds?  I found the agency’s YouTube channel when I was looking for querying advice. There was something so organic and friendly about their team. And now as a client, I’m glad to confirm that it’s absolutely true.

If you’re not reading, writing or drawing, what would we catch you doing?  

Listening to true crime podcasts and browsing Reddit for updates on unsolved cases. 

Where can readers find you on the web and social media?

I’m semi-active on Twitter as @SMerabian. I will make a tweet about my Instagram soon. It’s under development!

What’s the last book you read?

Night Film by Marisha Pessl and I’m still wondering why I read it so late.  

If money were no object, what would be your dream writing location?

A Victorian house facing a forest in Scotland.

What’s your favorite quote about reading or writing?

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only once.” 

Obviously by George R.R. Martin.  

What’s your favorite piece of writing advice you’ve received?

“Just because a book is hard to write doesn’t mean it’s a bad book.” 

By Shaelin Bishop on YouTube. 

What excites you most about joining the BookEnds family?

You truly feel like being a part of family that want the best for your career. There’s no “They’re my boss.” about this agency. 

What advice would you give to other authors or illustrators in the query trenches?

First of all, do your research. Type #MSWL next to an agent’s name on twitter. It will save you from some avoidable rejections.   

Make sure you have great agents on your list who respond quickly. There might be something wrong with your query and getting those early rejections could mean that you need to revise your pitch. You don’t want to wait six months for a simple rejection, if that. (By the way, one of the best things about BookEnds is their policy to respond to all queries, usually within a short amount of time. It’s gold!)

There will be rejections. But fortunately, or unfortunately, we writers and illustrators have a different level of stubbornness in our DNA.  

Maybe the market isn’t on your side. Maybe you queried the wrong agent. Or maybe your work is not as good as you thought. Allow yourself to feel frustrated, but understand that this happens to everyone. 

Sometimes you should shelve your work and start a new project. Sometimes you need to spend more time in those lovely trenches.