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Ooh, my first interview. I feel important. I’m coming for you, Oprah.
What's your name?James McGowan
Where do you go to school?
CUNY- College of Staten Island
What are you studying?
English-Writing
What kind of books do you most like to read?
I’m a big YA reader. I love pretty much all subgenres, from Fantasy to Contemporary. I’ll also take this time to tell you that Harry Potter has been proven to be the best book series on the face of the Earth. Proven by me. Just now.
I also love a good Psychological Thriller. If you can keep me confused for 200 pages and then reveal a killer in the last 50, I’m down.
What's the last book you read (not including a submission)?
So, I’m always juggling reading. The last book I’ve completed was THE YOUNG ELITES by Marie Lu. I’m still on LEGACY OF KINGS by Eleanor Herman, and loving it immensely.
What interests you about a career in publishing (assuming you'd like a career in publishing)?
It took me a lot of sitting and wondering to figure out what I finally wanted to do, and I didn’t even figure it out when I was sitting and wondering. When I finally discovered that there were people behind the books besides the author, I was immediately hooked. I’ve tried my hand at writing a thing or two (and those of you who can do it have been touched by an angel), but to no avail. I began to immerse myself in the publishing industry and researching the logo on the spine of every book. I’m just interested in all that I haven’t read. I want to see the behind the scenes of the things I love most and discover everything I haven’t already.
What lead you to BookEnds?
Long story or short story?
Short story- I realized no one would hire a college grad without some experience, and did my research into agencies I would like to be a part of.
Long story- I was born on a snowy night in late Decem— I’m kidding. After reading the acknowledgments in Divergent and discovering my career goals, I researched all positions in the industry. I came to the logical plan of applying to internships in the agenting world first, before applying to a House for an internship. I can’t decide where I would rather be. I’ve applied to many agencies before coming across Jessica Faust on twitter. I’ve read every word on the BookEnds website, including the internship post and what made me apply was how nice the posting was. Seriously, go look- so nice. So I applied, and I had a good feeling after polishing my cover letter to as best as I could. The excitement was real when I got an email back.
What has surprised you most about your internship at BookEnds?
Truthfully, I am endlessly surprised by the amount of knowledge that the BookEnds ladies hold in their brains. I am constantly learning new things. I always try to contribute at meetings, but at many of them I just to sit back and watch. Seriously, my head bobbles back and forth from agent to agent. The way they talk about market trends, submissions, contracts, royalties, everything from legal to industry news… it amazes me. I understand an internship is a learning opportunity, but I never, in a million years, would have expected to learn as much as I have.
What have you enjoyed the most at BookEnds?
Okay, two answers.
1. My weekly run-ins with Buford the BookEnds Mascot-Dog. Quite the character.
2. Just being in the office and listening. The one-on-one conversations that I’m able to have with any of the agents, about any topic are truly enjoyable. They’ve allowed me to come into my own more in the publishing world, and I could talk, or sit and listen for hours.
What do you think authors or other prospective interns might like to know about the BookEnds team?
I think authors and fellow students/interns to be need to know that this is the agency that should be at the top of your list. Everyone here loves their job, clients, and work.
Authors- These agents are some of the most helpful, knowledgeable and creative people that I’ve had the pleasure of working for.
Interns- You’ll never feel uncomfortable in the office. Everyone is down to earth and personable. You’re constantly learning, and if you’re going to spend time interning, at least make sure you are getting the most out of it.
I’m also going to take this time to publicly thank every agent for everything they’ve taught or done for me. I appreciate all the guidance and working opportunities you’ve given me. I’m proud and grateful to have begun my publishing career at BookEnds.
After nearly completing your internship, what are your thoughts on being an agent or working in publishing in general?
After almost finishing (sadly) my internship at BookEnds, I have many thoughts about the field. For instance, Agenting is the most freedom any human could ever have in a professional position. It’s fun and creative and ever changing. You abide by your rules and only take on projects you love.
As far as the industry, in general, I’m happy that I’ve found something I love and am passionate about, and that it is within my arm’s reach.
Hey, if you’ve made it this far into the post without checking Twitter or Facebook, Thank you for reading!
And what’s a self-respecting Tweeter without some self-promotion? Follow me here!
Over and out,
James
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The other day I read a submission that I thought was really strong and had great potential. However, given my already busy client list I didn't think I was going to be the best agent for the project. This book needed someone who could be truly passionate about it, who had a love for the genre and who had the time and desire to really work with the author on the project. Instead of just passing however, I passed it on to another agent at BookEnds. Someone who fit every one of the criteria I thought the book needed.
When I do something like this I often wonder what the author will think. Does the author later think less of the offer she receives because it isn't the agent she submitted to, although it is the agency? or Does the author think this is a great opportunity because her project definitely landed in the right hands?
As we see when we receive responses to rejections, every author is different. Some will be offended that the agent they first submitted to didn't want it in the first place and others will be elated that the agency as a whole felt so strongly about the book.
Like everyone else, an agent only has a finite number of hours in the day and can only represent so many clients and give them the attention she feels they deserve. When reviewing submissions, we at BookEnds are reviewing for ourselves first and the agency second. We all work very closely together and that doesn't just mean bouncing ideas off each other, it means working hard to get as many great books published as we can, and helping each other build a strong career as an agent.
When we pass a project on to another agent within BookEnds it doesn't mean we didn't think it was great and are tossing our trash onto someone else's pile. In fact, it's the complete opposite, we think the book has some real potential and were excited about its possibilities, but feel it needs to be with the right agent, not any agent.
I'm going to pre-empt some questions here and say that we don't always pass everything on so if you feel there are two agents at BookEnds who might be right for your book feel free to query them both. Never at the same time, but if the first passes there's no reason you can't try the second. Just don't tell anyone else I said that. ;)
--jhf
We are off for the weekend celebrating Independence Day and hopefully taking some time for relaxing reading. I'll be finishing up Charlaine Harris's Midnight Crossroad and considering what I should read next.
Have a safe and happy holiday!
--JHF
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.
It's Friday and it's been another great week at BookEnds. To celebrate I'm going to share the recipe for one of my favorite drinks . The Moscow Mule. I discovered this quite a number of years ago and it's my go-to. I've also managed to make it a favorite for a number of friends.
The Moscow Mule
1 oz vodka--whatever your favorite brand works
1/2 oz lime juice--I always recommend fresh squeezed
Ginger Beer--for those who don't know this amazing drink, ginger beer is not in fact a beer but a soda. More along the lines of root beer. Depending on what brand you buy it can be very tangy and spicy. You might want to try a few different brands to find your favorite. We prefer Fever Tree.
Traditionally the Moscow Mule is served in a copper mug. We use rocks glasses. Add all the ingredients over ice, stir, finish off with a lime wedge and enjoy. I think you'll like this one.
Skol!
--jhf
The last in a five-part series introducing the BookEnds team.
Buford
BookEnds Hound
Tagline: I'm a big-headed beast with an even bigger heart.
How long have you been at BookEnds? since June 2014
Do you have a favorite book? I don't read, but when I first came into the office I immediately grabbed
Sally MacKenzie's
Loving Lord Ash and carried it away with me. I think it was the adorable little dog on the cover that got me.
If you're going all out, calories don't count, what's your Starbucks treat of choice? I've never been inside an actual Starbucks (although I have lounged around on the patio), but I would probably say anything with peanut butter, cheese or bacon.
Name five things on your desk bed right now: a bone, remnants from a bone, a stuffed animal, remnants from a stuffed animal and peanut butter smears
Where did you live before coming to BookEnds? for a while I lived in Newark, NJ in the shelter there until some nice people from
St. Hubert's came to get me and find me a Forever Home. I was there for just a few weeks before the Fausts came and snapped me. I have to say. It's not bad here.
Jessica Alvarez
Literary Agent, BookEnds
Tagline: Whipping novels into submission.*
If your dream submission were to arrive in your inbox today what would it be? I have to admit, my tastes are fickle. Today’s dream submission could be different than tomorrow’s. I have an eclectic list, and that variety is really what makes me love my job so much. Right this very second, I’d love to find some sexy, funny contemporary romances with great hooks and great writing. It should be so funny that it would be dangerous for me to drink and read at the same time.
Book Concepts you never really want to see in your inbox: I’m typically turned off by sports-themed books, books with protagonists in the performing arts (musicians, actors, ballerinas), and those with chefs. But I should never say never. I’ve sold books I love that contain all of those. Andrea Laurence’s FACING THE MUSIC has a rock star heroine. Melissa Cutler got me twice with a chef heroine in THE TROUBLE WITH COWBOYS and a trio of hockey playing heroes in her Bomb Squad series.
What was the last book you read and what did you think of it? ONE KICK by Chelsea Cain. I really enjoyed it. I’m a fan of tough, kick-ass heroines who are complicated and damaged, and Chelsea delivered that for me. The heroine has a slightly shady romantic interest, and I’m also attracted to books that have morally ambiguous characters. Minerva Koenig’s NINE DAYS is a perfect example from my list of a book that has all those elements.
If you're going all out, calories don't count, what's your Starbucks treat of choice? Oooh, a toffee nut latte with a drizzle of caramel and sea salt. And whipped cream. Just writing those words is making me want one...
If you could move your office anywhere in the world where would you like to work from? It’s a tie between a villa in Tuscany with a view of an olive grove out my office window, or the beach. I’m lucky that I get to work on books that could be beach reads all year round, so why not have my environment match the work?
Kim Lionetti
Literary Agent, BookEnds
Tagline: Puts the “chic” in book geek and the “bestseller” in storyteller…
What book characters would you want to have as your love interest, best friend and arch nemesis?
Love interest — Darcy is too easy an answer, so i’m going with Julian McCabe from Phyllis Whitney’s SNOWFIRE, because he’s dark, enigmatic and damaged, just like I like all of my heroes. Plus he’s got a cool house with a tower.
Best friend — Cassie Sullivan from Rick Yancey’s THE 5TH WAVE, because she’s kinda insecure but still kickass and would totally come in handy in an alien apocalypse.
Arch nemesis — Tracy Flick from Tom Perrotta’s ELECTION. There’s nothing I hate more than stuck-up know-it-alls, so I’d love to be the one to take her down a notch. But then again I’d probably eventually feel sorry for her and take her under my wing.
What movie could you watch a thousand times and never get sick of? Hey Girl, I could never get too much of Ryan Gosling in “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”
What’s the number one thing that jumps out at you in a submission that you’re loving? Dynamic characters. When an author can make me believe that the darkest most tortured hero or the funniest, most outrageous heroine or the quirkiest, most lovable sidekick is real, they have me hooked.
What genre of books/movies is your cup of tea? I’m not sure I have one. I have eclectic tastes, but generally, I like anything that makes me feel. If I laugh my butt off, cry my eyes out or jump out of my skin, then I am a fan.
What books/movies do you stay away from? Personally, I’m not a fan of anything that screams “Look at me! I’m clever, clever!” I’m turned off by any form of entertainment that makes me feel as if it was created more for self-interest than for an audience. That’s pretty much why I hated “Being John Malkovich” and “Inception."
The first in a five part series introducing the BookEnds team.
Jessica Faust
President & Founder, BookEnds Literary Agency
Tagline: I'm part Vampire, part Beast, all professional pain in the ass.
**credit to Janet Reid and Kim Lionetti for helping create this tagline.
Book Concepts you can't resist: dark, creepy and different serial killers, magical realism ala Sarah Addison Allen, a never-seen-before cozy hook
Book Concepts you never really want to see in your inbox: anything to do with the mob/mafia, vampires, rockstar/muscian/actor heroes (or heroines)
If you're going all out, calories don't count, what's your Starbucks treat of choice? Definitely a decaf venti, 2 pump salted caramel mocha with whipped cream (iced if it's warm out) and since calories don't count I'd probably go for a cinnamon roll, chocolate croissant or, when in season, a cranberry bliss bar. Just reading this over gives me a stomach ache.
Name five things on your desk right now: royalty statements, a pint glass of water, L'Occitane hand cream, Publisher's Weekly, and my purple Montblanc pen.
If you could move your office anywhere in the world where would you like to work from? I love Sweden and Southern California and could happily live in both, but I think my dream office/home would be a cabin on a lake in Minnesota. I'm a Nice Viking Girl at heart.
Today, for lack of any really official date, BookEnds is celebrating 15 years. While I never doubted we'd make it this far and this long, I can't believe it's already here. It feels like just last week I was riding the subway in Brooklyn hashing a scheme to get out of the rat race and do things the way I wanted to do them. Thankfully Jacky Sach was a big enough sucker to think I had a good idea.
When we first dreamed up BookEnds we had the idea to start a packager. In many ways it was what I was already doing as an editor for The Complete Idiot's Guides series. I was dreaming up ideas, finding authors and selling the book to the Publisher. By starting BookEnds I would be able to do that on my own with a bigger canvas.
BookEnds was first conceived on that subway ride in May 1999, but it wasn't until October that I officially walked out of a publishing house office for the last time (as an employee). I have to confess, never once was I afraid. Never once did I doubt that we'd have success.
It was in the Spring of 2001 that we decided that packaging wasn't enough for us. We felt confined by what we could do and frankly, really missed working closely with authors and their ideas. It was at that time that we transitioned our business model to an agency and never once did we look back. I can still remember a mailbox stuffed full of partials and manuscripts. In fact, I can still remember receiving the manuscript for some of our first clients, many who we're still working with today.
I always say that my best team members bamboozled me into a job. Kim Lionetti was the first. She had heard through the grapevine that I was vaguely considering hiring another agent, so wise woman that she is she called me up to "schedule a lunch date" where we talked business and she very slyly asked if we would ever consider expanding. In 2005 Kim joined BookEnds.
2010 was a time of big transition for BookEnds. It was the year Jacky Sach officially stepped down to forge another path for herself. It was a bittersweet ending. Certainly I was sad to see my partner in business and crime go, but I was also thrilled that she was moving on to do something she was truly passionate about. I'm a big believer in following your passions. I am not sure I could have started BookEnds without Jacky by my side and, yes, we are still very close to this day.
Jessica Alvarez, sensing that I would never advertise a position, sent a very flattering email out of the blue (we had never met before). She must have been reading the blog and knew what a sucker I am for flattery. After putting her through a tortuous series of interviews (I have a rule that since we're a very close team everyone has input into any hiring), Jessica joined the team in 2011.
And actually, I'm not sure Beth knows this, but I give Jessica most of the credit for Beth Campbell's hiring in 2012. Beth was one of the smartest interns we've ever had. She also made it a point to "check in" with us regularly, filling us in on her job search and just checking to see how we were doing. Naturally when it came to hiring a new assistant Beth was the first on our list (well on Jessica's list).
Tonight I will be taking my team out and toasting them. It is because they have stuck by me, called me crazy, and went along with my madcap ideas that I've gotten this company where it is today. There's no way I could have done it without them.
I'll also toast the authors who put their faith in me when I was fledging agency and now that we're established, who have taught me so much about writing, editing and myself.
Thank you to all. Here's to many, many more years!
--JHF
This is probably harder for me to believe than it is for you, but after more than two years and lots and lots of thinking I've made the decision to come back. Well I've made the decision to test the waters a bit and see if coming back to blogging is something I really want to do.
First let me start by thanking all of you who have read, are reading, who have come back to read the blog. I especially want to thank those who have stopped me over the years to tell me how much you loved and missed the blog. I can't even begin to tell you how much it has meant to me. As writers yourselves I imagine you have some idea of what it feels like to have a reader express appreciation for the work you do.
A lot has changed in the publishing world in the last two years, a lot was changing when I left. I have no doubt that because of this changing world my posts are going to be a lot different from what I wrote about 8, 5 or even 2 years ago. I'll probably write less on query letters and more on industry news. Maybe. I don't know.
In other words, I really don't have any idea what I'll be writing about or how often I'll be writing. What I can guarantee is that whatever I write about it will be the same me you've gotten to know over the years. I'll say it the only way I know how, truthfully and directly, and I'll probably get myself in trouble a time or two.
So let's get the ball rolling. Welcome to all of you who are here and please, in the comments, let me know what you'd like to hear about or what you'd like to hear me rant, rave, or generally drone on about.
It's good to be back!
--Jessica Faust (JHF)
Together Time 4 Families seeks to reinforce the importance of books and reading in the home. Activities shared on this blog are a great resource for parents looking to involve the entire family in literacy fun.
First Book’s Post Pick: Early Literacy Summer Activities
Early Ed Watch is a blog from New America’s Early Education Initiative which pays special attention to news and resources which promote early literacy in children up to age eight.
First Book’s Post Pick: Infants, Toddlers and Precursors to Literacy
Bookends is a blog created by two middle-school librarians who write well-structured and concise reviews on select books. Reviews are organized very well and the site itself is well navigable.
First Book’s Post Pick: Dinosaurs!
Imagination Soup was created by author, parent and teacher Melissa Taylor who provides great links for all types of learning styles, topics and abilities.
First Book’s Post Pick: Early Readers Read the Pictures
In my blog reading the last few days I’ve noticed a number of agents talking about people sending them query letters that are in their “do not represent” genre list, or writers sending multiple query letters after they’ve received a rejection. A few days ago, Jessica Faust at BookEnds agency posted a message entitled Please Stop, and it was about a writer who had sent her the same query letter “at least 20 times” from different email addresses and sometimes daily. Jessica says she has already rejected the query and has asked the writer to stop sending them. And if you read through the comments, Jessica isn’t the only agent who has been getting these emails. One agent apparently emailed the writer asking him or her to stop and the agent got a reply that said, “The queries will continue until ELIZABETH [the name of the book] is published.”
As a writer trying to get my own work published, it boggles my mind why a fellow writer would think this approach would work AND why someone would want an agent who is only representing them to stop harrassment. (Of course, perhaps it’s not a writer at all and just someone with waaaaayyy to much time on their hands.)
Anyway, today, agent Jennifer Jackson started a discussion on re-queries, whether it’s ok for a writer to re-query an agent if they have already been rejected. There were lots of thoughts in the comments from writers saying no they wouldn’t send a query again after a rejection, or maybe they would if they had made extensive changes to the manuscript.
Personally, I think the polite and professional thing to do is to re-query only if the agent said he or she would like to see it again if changes were made. Other than that, I wouldn’t query again for that project. If the project got rejected completely by all of my top-tier agents, then it probably wasn’t ready to submit and I’d try again with the next project and I think it’s fair to re-query an agent with a totally new manuscript.
I posted a comment saying roughly this and more on Jennifer’s blog post and I wanted to re-post it here, because I think it’s important for writers to really think about what they’re doing when they query. You want a career-long relationship with this person, and you want someone who believes in your book as much as you believe in it. If they don’t, they won’t be able to sell it properly. So, don’t just blanket-query to everyone under the sun. Not only does it waste the time of the agents — not to mention clog up the system for other writers — it also wastes YOUR time, and, in my opinion, undervalues your work. If you’ve worked so hard to make your book the best that it can be, editing and revising, making every word the best word, the characters and story strong, then given your query and synopsis the same attention to detail, don’t stop now. Research agents, and if one rejects you, don’t take it as a personal slight. Writing is subjective. Move on to the next agent in your well-researched list.
That’s pretty much what I said in the comment on Jessica’s blog post, but I’m including it here too in case you want more details. Bottom line: Don’t short change yourself. Find the best agent for you, not any agent.
I’m not an agent, and I really think it’s up to each agent to make his or her own guidelines for submissions.
But as a writer, given what I know about the industry and what I want out of an agent-writer relationship, I wouldn’t re-query an agent unless that agent had said, if you make changes, please send it to me again. That’s the only time I would re-query an agent on the same project. If I didn’t find an agent on my first project and was now going through the process with a completely different book, I think it’s fair to re-query with the new project.
As a writer, here’s my thoughts on why I would never re-query an agent on the same project unless it was invited. I want an agent who really loves my work, and no matter how much re-writing is done, the basic story or idea of a project isn’t going to change. If it does, that’s a new project. So, if an agent reads my query for Project A and doesn’t think the story has merit enough to ask for a second look after some re-writing, then in my mind, that agent isn’t that in love with the story. If the agent can see promise in the story, he or she would have asked for a second look. And, if they’re not that in love with Project A, that’s ok. Someone else might be, but either way, perhaps won’t be a good fit.
So often, I think writers feel desperate to get an agent, any agent. But they should be trying to get the right agent. There are lots and lots of wonderful agents in this business. The agent that’s right for Christopher Paolini might not be right for Ellen Booream, or whoever. Both of those writers’ agents, I’m sure, are equally wonderful, but they’re equally wonderful for those particular clients that they find a connection to through their writing. That’s what you want in an agent.
The thing is, and I’m addressing this to any writers who don’t research the agents you submit to and just send out query after query even after you’ve gotten a rejection, there are lots of agents in the business and lots of them who specialize in your particular genre. You want to find an agent with whom you can have a career-long relationship. You want someone who’s going to be your advocate, your salesmen. And for them to really want to sell your book and get you the best deal you can for your career, you want them to love your work. They should love your work. If an agent you query doesn’t LOVE your work, that’s ok. There are other agents who might love your work.
If you’ve spent all this time writing your book, revising it, editing it, having it looked over by critique groups and editing it some more, don’t stop working on it now that you think it’s ready to be published. Don’t short change it by sending it to every agent on AgentQuery.com. Do the work, do the research. Find the right agent for you. If one doesn’t get your work, that’s ok. There’s nothing wrong with that. Writing is subjective. There are lots of people who don’t like Harry Potter. Move on to the next agent on your well-researched list and query to them, and then the next until you find the agent who does LOVE your work.
Now, there’s also the fact that many writers submit their work before it’s really ready. I’ve been guilty of that. And if you get rejections from every agent on your well-researched list, that’s ok too. It just means you need a little more work. Perhaps this project isn’t the one that will get you started as a published writer. Perhaps this project is the one that gave you the experience to write the book that WILL make you a published writer. Perhaps, as is often the case with writers, this project will be published after your second book is already a success.
The point is, sending out query letters to agents who don’t specialize in your genre or who have already rejected you is a waste of your time as well as theirs.
So, do the work, be patient and be smart. Be smart for yourself. Aim for a career, and a life-long partnership with an agent.
Write On!
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