Why Jessica Faust is Still Open to Submissions
- By: Jessica Faust | Date: Jan 24 2017
I have been an agent for over 15 years. In fact, closer to 20 years (gah!). I have a roster of successful clients, a growing agency and I have this blog to write. To some that might mean, logically, that I’d close to submissions. Despite a hectic schedule and a full client list I am still open to submissions. I am still actively seeking new clients.
Why? Because part of the joy of this job is the hunt. There’s such pleasure in getting a query that excites you for a book you’ve always wanted to see on your list. I feel the same way when a client calls with a new idea. Sometimes I have to hold myself back from forcing her to write faster.
I have closed to queries in the past, sometimes referral only, sometimes for the summer and sometimes for a longer period of time. I know that right now I am embarrassingly far behind in my reading. For that I apologize. It doesn’t however mean that I’ve lost enthusiasm for your book or that my delay is any indication of how I feel about the book. It just means I’ve been busy with other things.
I am still taking on new clients, just not as many as I was back in 2007 when response times were faster and client lists are smaller. I still have a #MSWL of things I don’t yet have on my list and hope to one day take on. And for all of those reasons I am still open to submissions.
Dear Jessica, your saying you’re open to submissions is like offering the precious to a Smeagol in rehab. “We must resist, precious, we’re not ready yet.”
Curious… I’m assuming that while you are open to submissions you can’t take on as many (to manage your client load) so would you a) reject something that perhaps in the past you might have gone further with (because you can afford to be picky) or b) pass to another of your team?
And that reminds me of another question I had: in a rejection do you advise a querier (is there a noun for someone who queries?) if the query has done the rounds at the agency, or do you re-query to someone else and hope they haven’t seen it?
Thanks, Jessica =)
Dear Jessica,
Must the novel be completed before submitting. Realistically I accept it should, but thought I’d ask!
Thanks,
Maria: Yes, the exception is if you’ve been published before, although not self-published.
Do you represent authors who write non-fiction business management books. I am an ex-Fortune 500 executive and have written several books
of other gendres.
C. Welles Fendrich, Jr.
Roanoke, TX
We do! You can go to our submissions page to see more.
Can you send me your E-mail address so I can send you a more comprehensive submission paper?
Can you send me your e-mail so I can send you a more comprehensive submission paper?
C. Welles Fendrich, Jr., if you go to the top of the page and click the submission link, you’ll be able to submit to Jessica and other BookEnds agents. The agency uses Query Manager, not email for submissions. Always make sure you read the submission requirements and follow them to the letter 🙂