Jessica Faust
Literary Agent
BookEnds Literary Agency
President & founder of BookEnds Literary Agency, author advocate, optimist, & professional pain in the ass. Runs on coffee, wine, & kettlebells. She/Her
Literary Agent
Meredith Schorr @MeredithSchorr
@BookEndsJessica @YouTube Great video! Question: how do you feel about comp “authors” instead of books? “For fans of...”If you've got them use them. Otherwise don't worry about it. #askagent
Literary Agent
RB Frank @WritingOutLoud2
@BookEndsJessica @bookendslit Hi Jessica. My query to one of your agents has been in No Decision since April. I followed up on QT on 8/09 and asked if I should consider it a pass. I’d like to query another Bookends agent if it is but I haven’t gotten a response. How should I follow up if it’s filtering?And, honstly, you can also, just query another BookEnds agent, but you didn't hear that from me ;) #askagent
Literary Agent
RB Frank @WritingOutLoud2
@BookEndsJessica @bookendslit Hi Jessica. My query to one of your agents has been in No Decision since April. I followed up on QT on 8/09 and asked if I should consider it a pass. I’d like to query another Bookends agent if it is but I haven’t gotten a response. How should I follow up if it’s filtering?There are a couple of ways you can handle this. You can follow-up through QM to ask if it is still under consideration. You can withdraw and query another agent at BookEnds or you can wait it out knowing an answer will come. #askagent
Literary Agent
Melissa Charles @2TheImp
@BookEndsJessica @bookendslit Some agencies ask to be notified if another agent requests a full. Some only with an offer. What's your thinking on that?I always assume if I request a full someone else is too. I only need to be contacted if there’s an offer. #askagent
Literary Agent
Allie Greenberg @absolutestartup
@BookEndsJessica What genre are you interested in publishing #firsttimerYou can learn more about the entire @bookendslit team from our submission guidelines bookendsliterary.com/submissions-2/ #MSWL #askagent
Literary Agent
Ken Poirier @theking4mayor
@BookEndsJessica Can you expand upon what you mean by career shift?No writing career is linear. IE: Some changes created by market shifts--death of chick lit or new adult. Some by author desire--shift from romance to women's fiction. Some a decline in series sales, you need to write a new series... #askagent
Literary Agent
T. William Phillips @TWillPhillips
@BookEndsJessica @Natalie_Lakosil Well hello. I think you might be looking for me. Any interest in an autobiographical novel about a guy suffering from PTSD due to his disabled brother’s death only to have that PTSD triggered by the birth of his disabled daughter?Query away! bookendsliterary.com/submissions-2/ #askagent
Literary Agent
Mark Salzwedel @markdsalzwedel
@BookEndsJessica I got rejects from three of your agents for my space opera. Is it worth it to query my other novels still-- #LGBT #scifi, #magicalrealism, and non-sequential #timetravel?Always! So many clients were once rejected by us. It's the nature of the beast. Persistence is what will get you in the door. #askagent
Literary Agent
Gem Writing @WritingGem
@BookEndsJessica Are you wanting new authors or experienced/ well known authors?I'm wanting good authors with great books. #askagent
Literary Agent
Peter Taylor @PeterTayl
@BookEndsJessica My agent & I teamed in 2009 for adult calligraphy books. With her blessing I now seek a specialist children’s book agent. She’s willing to part or only rep adult n-f. Must we part before I query @bookendslit? If I’m unwanted, I fear being agentless for another adult craft book.If you have your agent's blessing, you don't need to part ways before querying something else. I'm sure the agents at BookEnds, Jr will love hearing from you. bookendsliterary.com/submissions-2/… #askagent
Literary Agent
Brenda McQueen Neil @BrendaLynnNeil
@BookEndsJessica Would you be interested in a substantially revised book you previously rejected?I'm always happy to see another query, even if it's a requery #askagent
Literary Agent
Angela Fitzpatrick @AngelaHappiness
@BookEndsJessica My book #GenieAcademy is finished and in second-edit following beta-read. It's a YA Fantasy set in the Scottish Orkney Islands. I am preparing synopsis etc to start querying but was aiming for a UK agent. Would my British voice work with US YA Audience? #MSWLAll I can suggest is query and find out, but I don't see why not. #askagent
Literary Agent
VBOwrites @vbowrites
@BookEndsJessica When you say career shift are you referring to a writer changing genres or writing to a trend?It could be either or both. Unfortunately, there isn't always a way to predict how the business or the market changes. #askagent
Literary Agent
Robin Facer @writerobinwrite
@BookEndsJessica Well-timed! A group of us from @WF_Writers we’re just talking about ideal length for WF. In your opinion, is 95-100K at all concerning? (Assuming, of course, that it’s a tight 100K.)Not at all. I think anything under or at 100k is fine. I wouldn't go over. #askagent
Literary Agent
Ginger @GMarieMerante
@BookEndsJessica Hi Jessica! How long for a reply on a full request from Bookends, on average?As per the website, you should hear in 12 weeks/3 months, but I know some of our agents are behind @bookendslit #askagent #amquerying -- don't hesitate to check in if its been longer
Literary Agent
RB Frank @WritingOutLoud2
@BookEndsJessica Hi Jessica~ you’re so accessible. Thank you! I have a question about contracts. Do they have a time period attached to them? Say, one or five years and if so, is that a negotiable and renewable thing? I know there is usually a release clause for either side. Thanks.Every agency is different. @bookendslit does not have a time period attached to our contracts since our goal is to build a long-term career together for many years and many books. #askagent
Literary Agent
Debra Lynn Shelton 📒📚🎼🎵 @debralynnlazar
@BookEndsJessica Jessica - I have a question: we often hear about stats on % of queries that result in full requests, but how about % of fulls that lead to offers of representation? Inquiring minds want to know. Tx!!!I probably only offer representation to 5-10 (that might be high) authors a year so I guess if I request 10% of all queries, I probably offer on 1% of those? Is my math right? #askagent
Literary Agent
Mitch L. Larkins @MrBeardsly
@BookEndsJessica My worry is the genre I've been writing for, litRPG, is fairly obscure (as far as I know), should I even call it that in my queries? Or should I stick with ageneric "sci-fi/fantasy" label? Do agents hear of a sub genre and end up Googling it? Or just give it an instant pass?If you worry an agent will have to google the sub-genre then I wouldn't use it. Use the genre as they are labeled at B&N. That's failsafe. #askagent
Literary Agent
Choosing an Agent with A Wide Range of Genre Interests #askagent bookendsliterary.com/2018/08/17/cho…
Literary Agent
Liv @LivvHawaii
@BookEndsJessica Any tips on submissions for magazines? I’ve been told I need to go through an agent for submission, yes?I don't know that magazine writers use agents. To the best of my knowledge, I don't know agents who submit to magazines. #askagent