Tracy Marchini

Literary Agent

BookEnds Literary Agency

Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk

Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips

Jessica Faust @BookEndsJessica

@boop1967 Since you’re asking specifically about #YA & #MG I’m going to pass this to @TracyMarchini & @SoCalledYALife from @bookendslit Jr. They’ll be able to answer better. Good luck! #askagent
Replying to @BookEndsJessica

The 1990s are definitely historical fiction, though some might feel that the early 2000s are, too. The grey area that I would avoid is the last ten years. 2008-2018 would be too late to be contemporary and too soon to be historical. #askagent

Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips

Tamara Rittershaus @TRittershaus

@bookendslit #askagent As a PB writer, most guidelines ask for the full manuscript, so I never get a "request for full" or any other indicator that I'm on the right track. Is it ever appropriate to respond to a form rejection and ask, "Was my MS even close?"
Replying to @TRittershaus

Unfortunately, agents just don't have time to give individualized feedback. (I receive about 3,000 queries a year, other agents receive more.) The best people to ask if your manuscript is marketable is your critique group, a writing class, or a crit partner, etc. #askagent

Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips
Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips
Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips
Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips
Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips
Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips
Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips

Tianna Mignogna @queerwitches

I’ve heard varying answers; is it ever okay to resubmit the same ms to an agency after extensive revising? It’s been 3 yrs since my last query and I’ve super revamped. #AskBookEndsJr

Every agent or agency is going to feel differently about this. I think three years and an extensive revision is fine to requery - and any way, the worst that can happen is a pass. (Which happens anyway if you don't requery!) #askagent #askbookendsjr

Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips
Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips

Amy The Headless Hillman πŸ‚ @ArHillman

#askbookendsjr #askagent
I'm working on/researching a nf pb idea with series potential. Should I write just a proposal? the first book? or the first couple before querying?
Replying to @ArHillman

For a nonfiction picturebook, just write the first manuscript. It's extremely unlikely that you'd be able to sell a debut pb on proposal, and you wouldn't want to invest time in writing follow ups if the first doesn't sell. #askagent #askbookendsjr

Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips
Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips
Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips

Most of the fiction pbs I've sold as an agent are around 450 words, and they're all the standard 32 pages. But, at the same time, you have to tell the story with the words you need. It's just that in picture books, *every* word has to be the *right* word.

Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips

I'm not hating on PLP specifically, but if you submitted that as a debut picture book today, it would be rejected. Today's picture book fiction sweet spot is around 300 - 500 words. There's always exceptions, but they are rare. (CHICKEN WANTS A NAP is 165, over 24 pages)

Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips

But yes - the trend in publishing has been towards shorter picture books. If you read some of our classics - like Poky Little Puppy - there's so much about that book that wouldn't be published today. It's too long, the arc isn't layered, the puppy doesn't solve their own problem.

Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips

Publishers are *not* making a shift towards primarily author-illos. They just want the best picture book projects they can find, be it from an author or an author-illustrator. As an agent, I'm open to authors, illustrators and author-illustrators.

Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips

So - agents looking *only* for picture book author/illustrators is just the personal preference of the agent. It's a different process and a different set of contacts to shop an illustrator's portfolio vs. a completed book dummy, and some agents prefer to do one over the other.

Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips
Tracy Marchini
@TracyMarchini
Literary Agent
Senior Literary Agent at @BookEndsLit Jr. | Author CHICKEN WANTS A NAP & PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! | she/her πŸ–€πŸ€πŸ’œ demi | Join the Quacktory! bit.ly/1DfU0Wk
147 MSWL
144 AskAgent
13 Tips

How and where should I put together my online portfolio as an author-illustrator? tracymarchini.com/2018/07/14/put…