Jessica Faust @BookEndsJessica · May 17
Jessica Faust @BookEndsJessica
Honestly, I'm desperate for questions. I can't come up with all of these ideas on my own.Feel free to email bookends@bookendsliterary.com or leave a question in the comments on any blog post at any time. I'll drop it in my files and promise to answer. #AskAgent
Jessica Faust @BookEndsJessica · May 17
Thanks for the questions that came in on yesterday's blog post: bookendsliterary.com/2018/05/16/que… #AskAgent
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Jenn Leon @JennLeonWrites
@UweStenderPhD Thanks! And contemporary ya issue heavy books? Still alright? I’m currently revising one on the opioid epidemic and hoping there will be space out there for it. :)In the end, it depends on the writing.
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Real Marjo @RealMarjo
@UweStenderPhD But how different is an agent's manuscript wish list from an editors? Right now I see a lot of agent interest in queer lit; but I've read elsewhere that it's tough for publishers to sell. #askagent #MSWLOften, agents react to editors' wishes.
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Berinna Chambers @happywriter2017
@UweStenderPhD That makes sense. I have found that I like to write about growing pains and family issues. I hope there is a demand for that.If it is well written, I am confident it will be.
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Berinna Chambers @happywriter2017
@UweStenderPhD What makes a manuscript marketable?Great question. When agents are convinced, for whatever real or imagined reason, that publishers will buy something so they fill/meet a demand, then a manuscript is marketable.
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Berinna Chambers @happywriter2017
@UweStenderPhD What makes an agent decide to take on a novel?*I* have to absolutely love it AND believe I can sell it. I cannot speak for other agents, but I suspect some just need to believe they can sell it. And I am not judging.
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Janell Rhiannon 🏺🗡 @theravenangel
@UweStenderPhD Is it bad/wrong to have graphic sex and violence in an historical fiction/retelling? (Obviously adult not YA) #askagentIf it is necessary for the plot: No. If it is gratuitous: Maybe. If it is for the Romance market: Definitely not.
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Diana Aleksandrova @DianaAleksand13
@UweStenderPhD Ok, thank you. Another one: were you surprised by the difference in the children's book market here and in Europe?Yes. The European market is open to all countries, and cultures. The US market is almost exclusively focused on books written by original speakers of English, and MOSTLY US based (plus UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.)
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Tabatha Pope @thee_librarian
@UweStenderPhD Is race relations too hot a topic in YA to sell? (If it is done with sensitivity and without bias to all cultures involved) #AskAgentI come from a very different culture, so take my answer with a grain of salt. Theoretically, no topic should be off the table. But, different cultures different viewpoints.
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Tabatha Pope @thee_librarian
@UweStenderPhD If you have a book you really want to sell, how many publishers do you submit it to at a time?I REALLY want to sell EVERY book I take on. I have bills. At least 6-10 in a first wave.
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Kari Hagen @KariHagenWrites
@UweStenderPhD #askagent - What type of bio really gets your attention? Specifically for debut authors.Being famous with a million followers, and several bestsellers...in other words: don't worry about it.
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Allie McCormack ✨a Cocky activist @AllieMcCormackK
@UweStenderPhD Is there a standard industry term to indicate one story divided into 3 books? i.e., Lord of the Rings. I had thought to use "trilogy" but I've seen stand-alone book series called a trilogy on Amazon. How can I indicate this in a query? #askagentA trilogy. It goes back to ancient Greece. I have no idea why there would be a different designation. It. Is. A. Trilogy.
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Leslie Wibberley @feismom
@UweStenderPhD #askagent. How important is your first line? Can you have a “hooky” 1st page instead? If that’s not a word, it should be. LolA hooky first page is fine. A hooky fifth page may be too little too late.
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Kira Hawkins @KiraHawkins7
@UweStenderPhD How are book covers created?I think this is fairly on point. businessofillustration.com/book-cover-mad…
Dr. Uwe Stender @UweStenderPhD · May 16
Rocky Lang @rockylang
@UweStenderPhD Do you feel that selling a novel today is harder than ever? Are there genres that are more commercial than others?I think it IS very tough. I really don't have an answer for the second question. It is never easy.