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1st graders explore the cover before reading. Photo by S. Chapman

Last Thursday, my entire school took part in a school wide reading of I Am Jazz, a picture book about Jazz Jennings.  Students from the 4s to 8th grade all read the book aloud and had discussions about different things ranging from the idea of "you are who you are", to being supportive allies, to bathroom politics.  The classroom conversations were all different based on the age of the students and the amount of information they brought to the rug. The high school library curated a collection of books featuring LGBTQ youth, and pushed out information from the Human Rights Campaign.

I am reminded time and time again, that my school is a pretty special place.  Yes, 4 year olds can talk about what it means to be transgender, as can 7 year olds, 10 year olds and 17 year olds. There are different entry points to these discussions and different directions that they can take.

Our community read aloud came about because of the Human Rights Campaign surrounding the cancellation of a read aloud of the book to support a transgender student in in Mount Horeb, WI.  From the HRC website -

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For those who aren't a member of the romance community, RWA is the Romance Writers of America national convention. Each year it's in a new location and brings in close to 2000 writers, editors, agents and other industry pros. There are workshops, signings, appointments, cocktail parties and meet n' greets. The entire week wraps up with a giant awards ceremony.

Just typing that exhausted me.

This year RWA convenes in NYC and while that makes it more fun for the writers, it makes for more work for the rest of us. My week started on Monday and I have appointments and meetings through Saturday. It's exhausting, it's exhilarating and it's definitely productive. Like with any professional conference (Malice, Bouchercon, Thrillerfest, etc) I'll be leaving with a long to-do list.

All of BookEnds (including our intern James) will be traveling the halls of the Marriott. We'll be taking meetings, taking notes and posting a lot of what we're learning on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. So keep an eye out to learn not just what's hot in romance, but what's hot in all of publishing.

If you see any of us, make sure to take a moment to say hi. If we have a spare moment we'd love the chance to pull up a stool and talk.

--jhf

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It's amazing how much a new submission can mess with an agent's head.

We take on a new project from a new client or we finally get that fresh manuscript from a client whose books we're always excited to read. And as we're reading we're getting more and more excited about how amazing this book is and how we can't wait to sell it. And then the panic sets in. Just as the excitement rises, so does the doubt. But what if it doesn't sell, what if I'm jinxing it with my excitement? Oh crap, I just told my colleagues how amazing it is, I'm sure to have jinxed it now.

So the next time you worry that you're bugging your agent or too neurotic to talk to her don't.

--jhf

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I have one of those little squeeze balls on my desk, the kind that are supposed to help you relieve stress. This one says Squeeze a Cowboy and was a bit of swag I probably got at RWA. It was from author Rebecca Zanetti and I don't have a clue how old it is.

When I'm stressed I'll grab my ball and squeeze it. Honestly though, it doesn't seem to do me any good. It only reminds me how tense my hands feel. Or how weak they are.

Often working out will help, but its rare that I can leave the office in the middle of the day for a workout. I'd like to think wine would work, but if I'm really anxious wine actually makes things worse.

In the end I do think the best thing for stress, for me anyway, is just to walk away. Leave my desk, my house, the airport gate or whatever it is that's stressing me out. Take a break completely and come back later with, hopefully, a new perspective.

But that's just me. I'd love to hear any ideas for better handling stressful moments/days/weeks.

--jhf

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I wanted to let you all know that I'll be out of the office today. I have an appointment to have my ta-ta's checked.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, not that I probably need to tell you that, and coincidentally it's also the month for my annual mammogram. This is not normally something I'd share with my readers, but it's important. Really important.

If you're not getting exams or doing exams please add it to what I'm sure is already a very busy list of things you need to do. Make sure your mother, your daughter, your best friend, your wife, and your neighbor are getting them. Ask them. And men, this isn't just a woman's disease. Ask your doctor about breast cancer too.

We can save lives by getting an exam. Let's do it.

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Why are there never enough hours in the day? I know everyone feels this way and I’m certainly no different, however as I watch the submission piles grow and the equeries come in I sometimes wonder what I do all day. How come I can’t get any of it done? So out of curiosity I tracked myself. How long do things actually take around here. Keep in mind this is not necessarily one day’s list, but an idea of how long different projects might take me.

• Reading and responding to 25 equeries: 1 1/2 hours on a Sunday morning
• Reading and editing the first 100 pages of a client’s next project, including sending it back with a letter: 3 hours
• Reading and editing a client’s proposal (synopsis for three books only): 1 hour
• Attending the BookEnds weekly meeting: 45 minutes
• Reading daily publishing news that comes to me through email: 10 to 20 minutes (depending on how many links I click through)
• Breakfast with a client: 4 hours (including travel time)
• Introductory phone call with an editor newly assigned to my client: 15 minutes
• Receiving a phone call from an editor with an offer: 10 minutes
• Calling and telling a client that she’s just made her first deal: 15 very excited minutes
• Read Publishers Weekly: 20 minutes
• Writing a blog post: 20 minutes
• Brainstorming phone call/career discussion with client: 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Reviewing a contract from a publisher: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Lunch with an editor: 3 hours, 30 minutes (including travel time)
• Career planning conversation with client: 40 minutes

So there you have it. A peek into what I do with my time.

Jessica

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Another writer and I were talking about how unrealistic the portrayals of writers are on TV or in movies. They often lead very glamorous lives. Their editors do a lot of hand-holding. She cited Men in Trees. I thought of the movie Stranger Than Fiction.

In reality, you can be edited for years by someone you have never met, possibly never even spoken to on the phone.

Here's a little editor joke:

A writer pulls up to his to find it a smoking ruin. Cop cars and firetrucks are parked outside. A policeman pulls him aside and says, "I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your editor came to your house and raped your wife. Then he killed her and your kids, and strangled your dog. And then he set your house on fire."

The writer's eyes get starry. "My editor came to my house?"

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