15 Years

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