tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post4923755713261625533..comments2023-11-02T06:57:11.400-04:00Comments on BookEnds Literary Agency: When Reading Submissions . . .BookEnds, A Literary Agencyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06287278822065839469noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-19597342850995486412011-11-15T13:59:48.776-05:002011-11-15T13:59:48.776-05:00Never take down this post!
I was trolling the blo...Never take down this post!<br /><br />I was trolling the blogosphere for information about writing reader's reports when I came across your post. I intern at an agency that has this unspoken rule that the agents can't be friendly to the interns. Instead of a poster that says "Don't Feed The Birds", there seems to be a common sentiment of "Don't Acknowledge The Interns". It's a pretty disheartening environment, where we receive no feedback on any of the projects that we work on. The only way to know whether or not our reader's report are up to snuff is whether or not they ask us to do another one.<br /><br />Thank you. Thank you so much for not only taking the time to write this post, but for also recognizing that an internship is supposed to be a learning experience, and not just free labor for the agency. Your post is definitely handy, and your site is invaluable.<br /><br />Keep up the good work. Aspiring writers aren't the only readers that depend on your knowledge and empathy. Aspiring professionals depend on them as well.Sharon Gailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00864204376519791868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-54272835698004083282011-11-11T14:28:07.524-05:002011-11-11T14:28:07.524-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Sharon Gailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00864204376519791868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-9806581387822142892010-05-03T17:26:47.064-04:002010-05-03T17:26:47.064-04:00Thanks for this very detailed post! I'm applyi...Thanks for this very detailed post! I'm applying for internships now, and I have to write a reader's report for one interview. I already knew what the elements of a reader's report are, but having this clear list gives me focus and helps direct my thoughts.Esther Shaindelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05242006741798295812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-40547902088248949382010-04-21T00:04:46.673-04:002010-04-21T00:04:46.673-04:00Before I took up an internship with an agency, I h...Before I took up an internship with an agency, I had no idea what I'd be getting myself into. For some reason, I had a misguided concept that the only good literature was ivory tower stuff. As soon as the submissions started rolling in, I was astounded by the honesty of some styles and the sleekness of others, the witty dialogue of some scenes and the descriptions of others. My reading tastes expanded so much that I enjoy pretty much anything these days, thanks to all the great, brave writers out there who send their work in.<br /><br />It also didn't take long to understand what interested my agent and what didn't interest my agent, which I think is what interning boils down to. Agents are severely bogged down by anxious, and sometimes impatient writers. Though the querying stage or reading partials and fulls are not exactly time sensitive, people's emotions are at stake and agents need all the help they can get. Despite the fact that interns are a second pair of eyes for the stressed agent, interning still opens up a whole new arena for a lot of us greenhorns. I read more keenly for the market nowadays, whereas I didn't have a single clue about target audience or trends.<br /><br />One thing my boss told me is that stories gotta have a little bit of everything, and by a little bit of everything, she means, drugs, sex, and rock n' roll. And the final arbiter of whether I should recommend anything is: <br /><br />"Does this story make me want to run on stilts down the street naked shouting at the top of my lungs about how great this book is?"<br /><br />If not, then it gets a rejection. This rule of thumb has saved me a lot of grief and sleepless nights. I tend to be too lenient and compassionate of writers' endeavors.<br /><br />I wish I had caught a hold of your guide to reading submissions earlier, because I spent my first month blind as a bat. Thank you for writing this, Jessica.Puffyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15210961051978625235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-1705411875133933442008-11-05T11:39:00.000-05:002008-11-05T11:39:00.000-05:00This was a wonderful post. It's one I am going to ...This was a wonderful post. It's one I am going to add to my writer's book.<BR/><BR/>Thanks so much.<BR/><BR/>JulieJulie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-14914266579033746942008-11-04T16:39:00.000-05:002008-11-04T16:39:00.000-05:00It's all a matter of opinion no matter who reads i...It's all a matter of opinion no matter who reads it, agent or not. It's either a hit or miss.The Rejection Queenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01288683065588449736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-16802180791461473932008-11-04T14:16:00.000-05:002008-11-04T14:16:00.000-05:00Just wanted to let you know, your blog has been an...Just wanted to let you know, your blog has been an inspiration (and education) in so many ways. So... <BR/><BR/>I nominated this blog for the <B>I Love Your Blog </B> award. <BR/><BR/>There's details on my blog.<BR/><BR/>Thanks, Jessica, for all you do...<BR/><BR/>Smiles,<BR/>ChironChironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03350218547511690377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-83723901539918621262008-11-04T13:36:00.000-05:002008-11-04T13:36:00.000-05:00Wow! Thanks for sharing this. I feel like I have a...Wow! Thanks for sharing this. I feel like I have a much better understanding of what you're paying attention to when you're reading a submission.Dianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01920175688407593776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-17951737327787810222008-11-04T11:36:00.000-05:002008-11-04T11:36:00.000-05:00This is very helpful, thank you for posting it!This is very helpful, thank you for posting it!Melanie Hooyengahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08781235493983907234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-86863100757452483622008-11-04T11:31:00.000-05:002008-11-04T11:31:00.000-05:00I was glad to read that you do read all queries th...I was glad to read that you do read all queries that come to you -- another benefit for an author who has done his or her homework. I realize that interns are carefully chosen, but having my publishing career in the hands of college student worries me a bit, to be honest. I know everyone starts somewhere.Amy Sue Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13854920309673361956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-58953282094611661572008-11-04T11:07:00.000-05:002008-11-04T11:07:00.000-05:00I wish I had read this post before I started doing...I wish I had read this post before I started doing reader reports. I made it up as I went along, but your list would have been a nice place to start. Thanks for the list now though. If I ever have to do reader reports again ...<BR/><BR/>Stephaniesrublehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09258955808195282768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-21952282318719167322008-11-04T11:01:00.000-05:002008-11-04T11:01:00.000-05:00Fascinating. I love reading about the inner workin...Fascinating. I love reading about the inner workings of an agency! I'm about to go apply these questions to my own work.<BR/><BR/>And I'm totally with you on the internship thing. I learned more slaving away at my university newspaper (loved every minute of it) than I ever did in any of my journalism classes. Plus the knowledge I gained at the paper is what landed my day job.Anna Clairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08774415814789806840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-26477856619128874462008-11-04T10:17:00.001-05:002008-11-04T10:17:00.001-05:00I wonder how Dorothy Dunnett's books would have pa...I wonder how Dorothy Dunnett's books would have panned in the list.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-6806244690182033712008-11-04T10:17:00.000-05:002008-11-04T10:17:00.000-05:00This is perfect. I am so excited to see this infor...This is perfect. I am so excited to see this information. It makes me feel better about submiting my work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-471164475850878722008-11-04T09:59:00.000-05:002008-11-04T09:59:00.000-05:00Thanks for the look inside your agency. Given the ...Thanks for the look inside your agency. Given the amount of responsibility your intern has (gulp!), it would appear that you would need to be as careful about choosing him/her as you would about signing a client. Maybe more so.Richard Mabryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15993592219849830777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-88619594699262056962008-11-04T09:54:00.000-05:002008-11-04T09:54:00.000-05:00I read all of my own queries. However there are a ...I read all of my own queries. However there are a lot of queries that come to BookEnds that are not directed to a certain agent. Those are typically handled by our assistant.<BR/><BR/>You're right. I reject a lot of queries, but I also request a lot, probably around 100 or so a month. <BR/><BR/>The intern really doesn't make a final decision. I make those (refer to yesterday's post), but the intern can give me a heads-up on which projects might be worthwhile for me to read quicker or which she feels have the most potential.<BR/><BR/>--jhfBookEnds, A Literary Agencyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06287278822065839469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-67527672567640782512008-11-04T09:45:00.000-05:002008-11-04T09:45:00.000-05:00What a great post! One thing that I learned when r...What a great post! One thing that I learned when reading contest entries, is that you can quickly tell whether or not it's a story you're going to want to finish...and that's not something you can really put a finger on, so it must be voice. I read two chapters for a friend the other day, and still can't get them out of my mind. I can't wait to see what she writes next. If I were your intern reading for you, I'd be shoving the story under your nose and saying, "READ THIS NOW!"<BR/><BR/>Totally off-topic--if you're a US Citizen and a registered voter, don't forget to vote. Maybe then all the political ads will go away...Kate Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05486916548114546095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-52317304898369395992008-11-04T09:15:00.000-05:002008-11-04T09:15:00.000-05:00Thanks for sharing this. I feel a lot better about...Thanks for sharing this. I feel a lot better about the prospect of interns reading my work first knowing you are guiding their judgment.Jean Wogamanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14464446396668373473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-16040890699484850282008-11-04T09:12:00.000-05:002008-11-04T09:12:00.000-05:00it is always fun to read about the behind the scen...it is always fun to read about the behind the scenes aspect of agenting. thank you for this very insightful post, like anita said I do feel like it's a cheat cheat to bring our own writing up to snuff. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-51137192243519557882008-11-04T09:08:00.000-05:002008-11-04T09:08:00.000-05:00This is all good info. I guess I'm wondering how t...This is all good info. I guess I'm wondering how this all works--when exactly the intern is involved. <BR/>I assume you, Jessica, are reading the query and making the request--does the partial/full then go to the intern for the decision? I guess I feel that this business is so subjective, even a trained intern might bypass something that you personally might like. The other thing I'm thinking is that you get a lot of queries, but it seems you do not request a lot of material-- so why would you want to have the intern read it instead of reading it yourself? I suppose the answer is time--but I assume that if you are really quite taken by a project from the query, it goes directly to you?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-1047735501001058272008-11-04T08:53:00.000-05:002008-11-04T08:53:00.000-05:00This is great, thank you! It seems like a really ...This is great, thank you! It seems like a really useful checklist to give to a critique partner(s) and although I'm no where near that stage yet, I'm certainly book marking it. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for a very informative blog overall!Theo Lynnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15149961412999042483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-81737022708759890132008-11-04T08:40:00.000-05:002008-11-04T08:40:00.000-05:00Hmm...how much begging to get that interns opinion...Hmm...how much begging to get that interns opinion? Sounds like some darn good feedback! And from a total stranger-so even better! Strangers will tell you the gods honest truth.<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/><A>www.EverybodyNeedsALittleRomance.com</A>Keri Fordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03342480359177235075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23051453.post-62649808386462844792008-11-04T08:38:00.000-05:002008-11-04T08:38:00.000-05:00When I first started reading this post, I felt lik...When I first started reading this post, I felt like I was reading a "cheat sheet" of sorts, but then I realized that everything you're asking the interns to consider is everything I'm hoping to include in my manuscript anyway. The post provides me with an excellent checklist, one I'll refer to again and again before submitting.<BR/><BR/>THANK YOU!Anitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06333494452915600562noreply@blogger.com