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
Literary Agent
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tim @timsalterego
@BookEndsJessica #AskAgent Besides the story itself, what does an agent hope for in a client? What makes a "good" client (or a nightmare one)?Good communication. A willingness to edit and listen to other people’s opinions. No tendencies toward tantrums. #askagent
Literary Agent
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Julia Martins @books_by_julia
@BookEndsJessica What are your thoughts on using a book the agent represents as a comp? (For context: they're similar in voice/style, but not in theme/plot) #askagentI like it when I get queries like that. I don’t think you need to have comps, but if your comp is one of my clients, it certainly doesn’t hurt. #askagent
Literary Agent
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tim @timsalterego
@BookEndsJessica #AskAgent Does the agent act as intermediary to the editor, or do author and editor interact directly (during edits)?The editor and author typically interact directly during edits, though the agent is there to step in if needed. #askagent
Literary Agent
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Devin Overman @devinlikescake
@BookEndsJessica Hi! Thanks for doing these!Q: If you have a few queries out and one requests a manuscript, should you follow up with the other queries or wait until an offer of representation/publication is extended? Or neither? #askagent
Wait till you have an offer! #askagent
Literary Agent
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dawn is on edit mode @DoveReign_
@BookEndsJessica Is it preferred to add your phone number in the end of the query? #askagentYes! And definitely on your manuscript. I hate when I want to surprise an author with an offer but there’s no phone #. #AskAgent
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Allie Therin @allie_therin
@BookEndsJessica @AgentJessicaA Thank you so much for taking questions! Is it okay *not* to nudge an agent who has a full even after months? I worry that I'll seem disinterested if I don't reach out but I'm just trying to be patient. #askagentIt’s okay not to nudge, though I do recommend nudging at an appropriate time (based on the agent’s guidelines). #AskAgent
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Julie Weathers @Julie_Weathers
@AgentJessicaA @BookEndsJessica Because she's a southerner and according to one person, "On the wrong side of the fence." Well, yes, but the war is fought in her backyard, which makes for exciting times. Thank you for replying. #askagentIt might matter to some people, but there have certainly been other books about people on the wrong side of the war. Depends on the story. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
Literary Agent
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Julie Weathers @Julie_Weathers
@BookEndsJessica @AgentJessicaA I have a Civil War historical about a woman who becomes a spy, sometimes spies wear crinolines. She's a southerner, so I'm wondering if this is going to be a turn off to a lot of agents before they even look at it. #askagentI’m not following. Which part of it do you think is going to be a turnoff? But, no matter, just query. The worst that can happen is you get a no. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
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Aila Doyle @ailadoyle2
@AgentJessicaA Thanks Jessica. Do you generally feel that the queries you receive are well-formed and polished?Generally, yes. Though there’s probably at least one terrible query every day. And it doesn’t take a perfect query for me to request, but it needs to at least be competent. #AskAgent
Literary Agent
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Melody Haaf @MelodyHaaf
#askagent last question, Do you guys every pass queries between each other?Sometimes but not always. If you get a pass from one of us, certainly feel free to query another BookEnds agent who you think might be a good fit. #askagent
Literary Agent
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Aila Doyle @ailadoyle2
You guys get a lot of queries. What percentage do you feel are excellent? Of those, what percentage get a request for more pages? #askagentI probably request more from 5-10% of the queries I receive, though it fluctuates. #askagent