Jessica Alvarez

Literary Agent

BookEnds Literary Agency

Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her

Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips

Becca @AuthorBeccaDay

#askagent @bookendslit I've noticed a lot of first person present tense in thrillers and crime recently. Do you have any preference on POV or tense? Does it depend on genre or just how well it is written?
Replying to @AuthorBeccaDay

It depends on genre norms and writing style, but I tend to respond better to third-person POV. That’s not to say I don’t like first-person at all, just that it’s trickier for me personally. #askagent

Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips
Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips
Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips
Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips
Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips
Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips

nicole bea @nicolebeawrites

One other thing that just popped into my head - does an author having parted from previous representation affect any decision making? #AskAgent
Replying to @nicolebeawrites

I’m going to disagree slightly with my colleagues. Generally speaking, no, it doesn’t matter. But if you’ve been through three agents in three years, I might be concerned as to why these relationships aren’t working out. But that would be a discussion to have. #askagent

Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips
Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips

Kate Barber @kathrynmbarber

@jmcgowanbks @AliceArley @BookEndsJessica Is this true of novel/story manuscripts as well? I’ve heard the same about agents wanting novelists that aren’t one-time deals, but heard another say she would only want to hear about one without mention of others completed. Matter of opinion or general advice? #askagent
Replying to @kathrynmbarber

Not exactly. For a novel submission, I’m primarily looking at that one novel, but it can be helpful to know what else has been completed or what’s in the works. But I’ll ask about those when I need to know more, there’s no need to mention it in the query. #askagent

Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips
Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips

Michelle Hauck @Michelle4Laughs

@bookendslit Should the voice in the query try to match voice of the ms or be more generic? #askagent
Replying to @Michelle4Laughs

I think it should more or less match the voice of the ms. If your manuscript is funny, show that in the query. Or vice versa, if it’s a dark book, that darkness should come across in the query (in a non-creepy way). #AskAgent

Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips

Caitlin LaRue @CaitlinLaRue

What factors influence offering to rep an author outside of loving their work? #askagent
Replying to @CaitlinLaRue

What else they’re working on, if our personalities and style mesh, the market, whether I think I can sell it, whether I have a vision for it. There are some books I love, but I know I’m not the person to sell it. #AskAgent

Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips
Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips

Jill E. Warner @JillEWarner

What sort of things are in your historical romance #mswl, @AgentJessicaA? Are you the only one who reps historical romances at Bookends? #AskAgent
Replying to @JillEWarner

I’m not the only one—@RachMBrooks, @BookEndsKim and @wensday95 also rep them, though they can all tell you how actively they’re looking. I tend to prefer Regencies and Victorians, but I’m open to other time periods. #AskAgent 1/2

Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips
Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips
Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips

A Writer Inside @awriterinside

#AskAgent is 60,000 words too short for a Women's Fiction piece?
Replying to @awriterinside

It’s on the short side, but not completely unfeasible. I never like to add words just for adding words, but if I were reviewing yours, I’d be making notes on whether there were elements that could be fleshed out. #AskAgent

Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips
Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips

Baart Groot @relctntidealist

#askagent So I self-published my first novel and it's doing okay. Still, I wonder if I should try and find an agent because frankly, this talking to people is hard. Do agents take self-published authors?
goodreads.com/book/show/4179…
Replying to @relctntidealist

We will take self-published authors, however, it’s generally preferable to query with something brand new that you haven’t already published. It’s very difficult to sell a publisher a project that has been self-published. #askagent

Jessica Alvarez
@AgentJessicaA
Literary Agent
Senior literary agent and Foreign Rights Manager, @BookEndsLit . Former editor. Looking for adult fiction and nonfiction. She/her
48 MSWL
135 AskAgent
10 Tips

B.T. Allen @hogwashwriting

#askagent Agents, after you request a full manuscript, what is a reasonable amount of time you expect an author to give you before they follow up? Do you expect a follow up at all?

#amquerying but not patiently...
Replying to @hogwashwriting

Check the agents’ projected timelines but I think, for most, it’s reasonable to check in at three months. I never expect anyone to check in but I certainly don’t mind if they do. And, of course, check in immediately if you get an offer of rep from someone else. #askagent