The BookEnds Literary Agency Channel represents the best of the BookEnds Literary Agency blog, which has been giving published authors and soon-to-be published authors advice and insights into publishing since 2006. It is here you'll get an inside peek into BookEnds and behind the scenes tips on how to get published.
BookEnds represents fiction and nonfiction for adults, young adults and children and can proudly call a number of award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors clients.
digging through the bios of people at all kinds of agencies, I could find less than 30 that seemed open to my title and genre. But those are well targeted queries.
I know this seems like a silly question. What about if you have a passion to write but, it is not what is in right now? If you know for a fact you would fail miserably if you just wrote to get published? Should you not submit to an an agent right now? Even if their wish list reflects what you write ? I am kind of nervous because I write what comes in my head at the time. I really am gaining from your vlogs. TY
A question about Query Manager submissions. When I paste my submission pages into the appropriate block, I copy them from a Microsoft Word document, double-spaced and appropriately formatted. Does it retain the proper formatting in Query Manager when you access it to read the pages?
Subscriber here, could you guys do a video on “what makes a story/premise iconic?” in terms of why Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, twilight etc transcend trends and go viral. No ones done a video on the patterns (for example: one pattern is to create a fantastical society people feel like they can join). I think we all would watch a 20 video long series on this haha
Hi! Unfortunately, we really can't know what will make a book break out the way those modern classic did, so a video about that would be a lot of vagueness-if we did have the formula to successes like those, we'd definitely be using it! :) But we have done videos on how to know if your book is marketable, which is probably the closest we'll be able to come to broaching this topic! Sorry we can't promise something more helpful!
Hi! No, our policy at BookEnds is that everyone gets a response eventually. Some agents could be behind on queries, but if you haven't received a rejection response through Query Manager then you have not been rejected. However, if you feel the agent is taking too long to get to your query, you can withdraw and submit to another one of our agents who might be a fit for your project!
Thanks for explaining your reasons for form rejections. Id rather know sooner, rather than later that my story is a pass. Then, I can move on to find the best fit! Thanks again.
Does the agency pay a salary to the agents and then they get a commission on top of that for the deals they make or is the income only based on deals for books?
Oh, so you don’t mind a 3 page synopsis? I’ve tried to get mine to less than 2 pages, but find getting all the cogent plot twists and such into that. Also, I have always wondered whether the synopsis must be double spaced as well?
I seem to be falling in love with this agency primarily through these interviews. What a wonderful collaborative team you are. I enjoyed Emily's transparency and kind & positive energy.
These interviews are never boring. I appreciate your authenticity. Interviews from Bookends seem to have an organic feel to them that comforts me as I continue down the querying path. Thank you!
I've done five graphic novels myself (Author and Artist) and it's part of a series. One is the first part and the other four are volumes for the second one and I'll be starting Part 3 later in the fall. Moe your interview really caught my eye and I look forward to sending you what I have.
Hi! You can definitely reach out to literary agents who rep illustrators to see if they are willing to just represent you for book cover illustrations! Lots of them probably would be willing :) When you query them with your illustration portfolio, just make sure you put in your query letter that your main interest is in pursuing book covers.
Although after realizing this podcast has passed it's due date, I am hoping one of you continue to browse through the comments. My question is this....As an author/illustrator having completed two books in their entirety with both verse & hand-painted illustrations, do I then have to create a dummy format to submit? Is it possible to submit a finished product either in examples, with dialogue included, or in its entirety? Thank you...
Hi! If you have the full book, you can submit that the same way you would submit a dummy! Dummies are just a way to give an idea of what the book would look like. However, it's important to note that part of the process of preparing a book for submission with an agent is editing the book with your agent, and that can also mean taking feedback on the art. So there's a chance an agent who signs you might want to change some of your pages after the fact, which is why dummies are helpful: they help lay out potential compositions and show off the general style of the book in a more editable/sketchy fashion so that you aren't spending time finishing illustrations that might need to be changed down the line.
@@BookEndsLiterary Thank you so very much for your reply. I understand changes may be necessary & am open to an agent's professional direction regarding the quality of the piece. Thank you again....:)
Thank you for this. It was the perfect rant. Authors don't have weeks or months to fritter away, waiting for someone to respond. No one lives to be 150 years old, and time is ticking!
Great video. What if you received multiple offers and chose an agent, but realized within a few months not years that a different agent would have been better? Is there such a thing as too soon?
If the relationship really doesn't feel right, you should trust your gut! You can have a frank conversation with your current agent about what's not working, or if you don't feel comfortable doing so, you could discuss termination with them. This could be a lengthy process, depending on whether you have anything currently out on submission!
Thank you for your videos. They are inspiring, and definitely take a lot of the guessing out of what agents do. I just submitted to one of the agents at BookEnds because you seem to have such insight and integrity.
When you guys mentioned Ashley Audrain’s The Push, I immediately read the first few pages (e-library), and yes agreed - great opening - who’s the sinister watcher, why? 👍
Q: If an established agent agrees to representing a book, how would you characterise the eventual failure rate? (ie. the book eventually cant find a publisher).
Hi! Unfortunately, even with very established agents, plenty of books end up not selling. But the mark of a good agent is that they keep helping you hone your craft and get better at pitching you to editors so that you hopefully eventually sell!
In a past video you warned away from using New Adult as a category, due to association with properties like 50 Shades of Grey. I’m curious if your thoughts on this have evolved as the category has become more normalized?
It's definitely becoming more common in the industry, but we would still probably recommend steering clear of it at the querying stage! Most editors who are looking for new adult will either consider themselves adult editors looking for books with crossover/new adult appeal, or YA editors looking for books with crossover/new adult appeal. Very few editors are solely looking for new adult at the moment, which means your agent will need to know whether you want to market your book to editors primarily in the YA category or in the adult category. So, while querying, set yourself up for success by being honest about whether your book falls closer to the YA or adult category, and then you can have a conversation with your agent about how best to pitch it to the market! I hope that makes sense!
Rule no.1 Do not laugh at at people who are trying so hard to write, under the guise of trying to help them. You are ridiculing them. i am a reader! I have no axe too grind, no story to tell as i am not requesting publication. What i do understand is that some potestial author who has tried so hard and worked so long to be published , deserves better than your self satisfied mirth. Even the agents, I am sure, are more polite in their rejections. There is so much helpful advice available on You Tube, which encourages and helps new writers.. but no-one I have ever encountered has your arrogant, hysterical polishing of your own egos whilst destroying the confidence of others..It is distasteful and pompous.
