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
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Lucy Crowe @AuthorLucyC
@BookEndsJessica #askagent Published first novel with a small press, sales less-than-stellar. Should I claim this novel when I publish again? Much of my blog is based on itI don't think you can hide it or pretend it doesn't exist if that's what you're asking. So I'd just own it. #askagent
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Brooke Hartman @BrookeHartman79
@BookEndsJessica @bookendslit If an agent asks to see more of your work after liking a project (specifically speaking picture books here, but i suppose it could be for anything) and you submit it, how long should you give them to review it all before you follow up? #askagentEven with a resubmit I would defer to whatever timeline they list on their website. We list ours here: bookendsliterary.com/faqs/ #askagent
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Kristin Otts @kbotts
@BookEndsJessica 1. What’s the ideal length for a synopsis, in your opinion? 2. We all know that queries need to be snappy, back-cover-copy quality summaries; but is it ok / even desirable for synopses to be...dare I say...boring? #askagentI think a synopsis is a little boring. It should highlight the key details of the story (including how the hook plays throughout). I think 1-5 pages depending on how tight you can write it. #askagent
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Becky Finlayson @beckyfinlayson
@BookEndsJessica One more question if I may... any common pitfalls in the cover letter or synopsis to avoid? #askagentI would focus on keeping it professional and writing a super strong blurb. If you do those two things you can't really lose. #askagent
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✨Moniza Hossain✨ @moniza_hossain
@BookEndsJessica In your professional opinion do you think it's a bad idea for Writers to use non-English words in a fantasy book with an Asian setting? #askagentNo. In fact, I think if you have an Asian setting using non-English words makes perfect sense. The key, of course, is to use them in a way that readers can understand without extensive translation. #askagent
Literary Agent
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Rosalyn Ransaw @RosalynRansaw
@BookEndsJessica @bookendslit How does writing/querying a graphic novel work if you’re not also an illustrator? Or is it generally more of an “author/illustrator” only thing? Thanks! #askagentHmmm. Graphic novels are not my expertise. I'm going to defer to @inthesestones on this one. I suspect at some point she'll pop in to answer #askagent
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Becky Finlayson @beckyfinlayson
@BookEndsJessica What kind of things are you open to? Is ya fantasy one of them? #askagentI am not personally looking for YA Fantasy, however many agents at @bookendslit are. You can find out more on our website bookendsliterary.com/submissions-2/ #askagent
Literary Agent
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Becky Finlayson @beckyfinlayson
@BookEndsJessica What kind of things are you open to? Is ya fantasy one of them? #askagentI am looking primarily for adult fiction & nonfiction--suspense, thriller, mystery, women's fiction, upmarket, literary & general fiction and many sub-genres of all of those. #askagent
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Claudie Wilson @cawilsonaz
@BookEndsJessica On the issue of comps in queries - I've done extensive research, but my novel is so different (on purpose) from anything I can find. Will a strong pitch be enough, or do I need a comp that might not be on point? Thanks! #askagentI do not think comps are ever necessary. They can be helpful, but the pitch alone should be enough #askagent
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AC Arthur @ACArthur
@BookEndsJessica @bookendslit Oh yay! I have a question. If you've queried agents with one story, but while you're waiting to hear back, receive an offer for another story, should you let the agents that you queried know? (hope that was understandable) #askagentIt was. I think if you want to find the best agent it never hurts to let any agent who has your work know that you got an offer and give them a chance to read the story you got the offer on. #askagent
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Stephanie Lau @StephLauBooks
@BookEndsJessica @bookendslit Does the 2-3 sentence blurb being too short still apply to picture book queries?I'm going to hand this question off to @TracyMarchini #askagent. I think picture book queries can, in fact, be shorter.
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Reed Rothe @ReedRothe
@BookEndsJessica Any advice on compressing a tandem narrative containing several important characters into a query. Focus on characters that appear early on? Try to squeeze in everybody and risk muddying the water? Focus more on plot and premise?Read cover blurbs from other books with multiple viewpoints to get ideas. How you write yours will depend on your book. #askagent
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The Nopes @the_nopes
@BookEndsJessica @jamerrson Hello. When an agent requests a full MS, what is the expected response time? I know that ”immediately!” is the first answer that comes to mind, but what if the author is doing a chapter rewrite and didn't expect the full request? Would 1 to 2 weeks be acceptable?The author shouldn't query if she isn't always expecting a full request. Once querying begins rewrites should end. That being said, I think submitting within one month is okay. Anything later & the agent might be less enthusiastic. #askagent
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Allison Janda @AllisonJanda
@BookEndsJessica @BookEndsJessica #askagent If an agent asks for a full and ultimately rejects without asking for an R&R, is it appropriate to resubmit after a rewrite or is a rejection a rejection a rejection? 😀 Thanks!I'm a big fan of "it never hurts." If it's an agent you really want to work with, resubmit. #askagent
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𝕊𝕋𝔸ℂ𝔼𝕐 𝔹ℝ𝔼𝔸𝕌𝕏 @StaySeeBro
@BookEndsJessica @LynGoodpaster @jamerrson Should the synopsis be double spaced?When in doubt always double-space. #askagent
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Yvonne J. Smit @yvonnejsmit
@BookEndsJessica @Wannabe_Holly How about narrative non-fiction? The non-fiction bit becomes confusing as most agents don't explain what it is that they are looking for when it comes to this genre.#askagentNarrative nonfiction will typically need to be approached as if it were fiction. In other words, you'll need to write the entire book. #askagent
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AC Arthur @ACArthur
@TracyMarchini @BookEndsJessica So if an author writes in multiple genres its a good idea to check what everyone at the agency reps.Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. I would worry about finding rep for the one book you're pitching and let other things fall into place as your career moves forward in those directions. #askagent
Literary Agent
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GatNy @eowyn_nygaard
@BookEndsJessica I recently finished my manuscript and am editing, any advice/resources to make sure I format it correctly before responding to requests for partials or fulls? #askagentformatting you mean like spacing and margins? Whatever would please a professor/teacher would please us. #askagent
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Lyn Goodpaster @LynGoodpaster
@BookEndsJessica @jamerrson You addressed that a synopsis is critical when querying. Is there an ideal length? Many agents don't specify. #askagent Thanks for hanging out and answering our Qs!I don't think there's an ideal length. Shorter than 10 pages, ideally around 3-5. I prefer them short. #askagent
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AC Arthur @ACArthur
#askagent If you make an offer to represent an author for one genre and then the author writes a book in a genre that you don't rep, what would you advise author do with that story?but at @bookendslit we have agents who cover almost every genre so the ideal situation is you could work closely with two different BookEnds agents for all of your work #askagent