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[Agency] BookEnds, LLC / Beyond the Page Publishing

Garmani

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Requested a partial

Hello all,

I'm a newbie here, and don't mean to do more of the "same old, same old." However, I'm relying on all of your combined experience to guide me, since I'm not as wise to the ways of the agent world as you all are.

I got a request for a partial (50 pages, bio, and full synopsis) from Jacky a few days ago. Needless to say, I was very excited and sent the materials ASAP. (All via email attachment, as per her instructions.) All the research I've done on Jacky and on BookEnds has resulted in very positive reviews.

My big question is how long should I wait before inquiring as to the status of my submission? I know full mss readings can take a long time, but I don't know the protocol for shorter submissions. I don't want to offend, but don't want to seem uninterested either.

Would a follow-up be appropriate, or would three or four days after submission be too soon?

Sorry for the newbie question. I'm angst-ridden. Sigh.
 

waylander

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Leave it alone for at least 60 days.
Send out some more queries.
 

Garmani

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Leave it alone for at least 60 days.
Send out some more queries.


Thanks, guys. I'm just thrilled to have gotten the response from an agency that's so highly thought of. She responded very quickly to the initial query.

They seem out of the ordinary in comparison to a lot of the other sites. I've been impressed.
 

andracill

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She responded very quickly to my query, as well. Then it took about four-five months to hear back on the partial and synopsis. (Closer to the five month, actually) -- so do query others! :)
 

Lccorp2

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According to the website, Jessica Faust is an expert at SF/F, but the agency says they don't represent SF/F--has anyone queried them lately with SF/F titles?
 

ink wench

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Jessica requested a partial of my fantasy/mystery hybrid but rejected it. She was very fast and very polite, though. Definitely give her a try.
 

FionnJameson

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Sent in an e-query for my UF 7 days ago and got an email from J. Faust asking for my full.

Okay...time for some last-minute edits!
 

FionnJameson

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Crap. One more thing. Does anyone know what format Jessica Faust prefers when she asks for fulls?
 

cate townsend

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Crap. One more thing. Does anyone know what format Jessica Faust prefers when she asks for fulls?

Look on their website. Are you talking about whether to mail or email? If you're talking about doc formatting, go with the usual 1" margins all around, header with your name and title of book on each page, double spaced, and 12 point font (times, courier, or something similar).

Good luck with the request!
 

FionnJameson

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No, no, I was referring to whether she likes RTF or Doc. The formatting I know, it's just the actual file type that's got me confused.

:) Thanks Cate.
 

cate townsend

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Hi Fionn - sorry I missed your response. I'd email her if you're not sure what she prefers (.doc or .rtf). She's most likely back now from the RWA conference. Can't go wrong with .rtf, but Word is so prevalent, you'd probably be okay with that as well. Don't sweat it!
 

clara bow

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According to the website, Jessica Faust is an expert at SF/F, but the agency says they don't represent SF/F--has anyone queried them lately with SF/F titles?

I got a big fat form rejection on my science fiction romance. Honestly, I'd exhaust other agents first. Whenever the agents there blog about what they're looking for, SF/F is almost never on the list. Last year Jessica blogged about being in the mood for fantasy romance. She rejected mine after requesting a partial, but I'll admit it probably was more fantasy than romance at the time (I since revised it for other reasons).
 

Karen Duvall

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According to the website, Jessica Faust is an expert at SF/F, but the agency says they don't represent SF/F--has anyone queried them lately with SF/F titles?

I'd pitched to Jessica at a conference last year and she requested 50 pages, which I sent when I got home. My manuscript was urban fantasy and she does indeed represent it, however I don't think she likes dark and unusual. Her rejection letter pointed out that my heroine was "odd." Which I agree, she is, and that's why I love her so much. Different strokes for different folks. It sure wouldn't hurt to give her a try. She's knowledgeable and efficient.
 

ChaosTitan

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I queried Jessica twice, both times with Urban Fantasy novels. Both times she asked for partials. I knew she was looking for UF at those times, because I read her blog. Nothing beats doing your homework. :)
 

FionnJameson

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Just wondering: How long does it take Jessica F. to get back to full requests? I've heard that she reads reaaallllyyy slow, but this is from people who've gotten queries rejected, not from full rejections/acceptations (is that even a word?!).

JFTR, I sent in my full on the 26th of last month...so I'm not expecting a reply until at least November or so, but I'd still like to hear others' experiences on this.
 

Lainey Bancroft

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Gah! This is one of those posts where I wish I had a 'cute' name (that wasn't really mine) but...here goes.

I think many writers are sucked into the vortex of 'agent blogs, must be connected'. Book Ends took FOREVER to respond to a query (snail, a while back) when I sent an email follow up, they didn't bother to answer the email, but the snail rejection, (form, DEAR AUTHOR) came a bit following that.

I also know of a very promising author (romance RWA award winner etc. etc.) who signed with them and went nowhere!!

Do they have cool info on the blog? Absolutely! If they had all kinds of cool deals cookin', would they have time to blog 'what we're looking for'? Hmm
 

JanDarby

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FWIW, a few months back, I won a critique from the agency, through the blog, and was amazed by the quick response. It wasn't a dashed-off response, either, but contained insightful comments from two of the agents there.

Running a blog is time-consuming, but when it's done well, it can also be a good business tool for finding new clients and marketing existing clients (who do guest appearances at the blog from time totime).

JD
 

IceCreamEmpress

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Do they have cool info on the blog? Absolutely! If they had all kinds of cool deals cookin', would they have time to blog 'what we're looking for'?

Actually, yes. You can find their deals in Publishers Marketplace, and they're selling books.

Many of the biggest agencies do "What We're Looking For" posts--the Donald Maas Agency does a monthly update on it.
 

Stacia Kane

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Gah! This is one of those posts where I wish I had a 'cute' name (that wasn't really mine) but...here goes.

I think many writers are sucked into the vortex of 'agent blogs, must be connected'. Book Ends took FOREVER to respond to a query (snail, a while back) when I sent an email follow up, they didn't bother to answer the email, but the snail rejection, (form, DEAR AUTHOR) came a bit following that.

I also know of a very promising author (romance RWA award winner etc. etc.) who signed with them and went nowhere!!

Do they have cool info on the blog? Absolutely! If they had all kinds of cool deals cookin', would they have time to blog 'what we're looking for'? Hmm

Which award is a "Romance RWA award"? How long ago did the writer sign with them?

Sad to say, but not all agented writers get deal their first time out. That's just the way it goes.

My blog takes me half an hour a day tops. I really can't imagine the Bookends ladies spend hours and hours on theirs.

And as ICE has already pointed out, they definitely do have "all kinds of cool deals cookin'."
 

caromora

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Do they have cool info on the blog? Absolutely! If they had all kinds of cool deals cookin', would they have time to blog 'what we're looking for'? Hmm

Whenever authors make remarks like these, I never understand where they're coming from. Would it make sense to say, "If that agent had all kinds of cool deals cookin', would she have time to go to a movie?" or "if that agent had all kinds of cool deals cookin', would she have time to take her cat to the vet"?

It's just not logical. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that agents have time do things like go out to lunch, take bathroom breaks, eat meals, go out on dates, watch tv, surf the internet, etc. They're humans, not automatons who do nothing but "agent" 24/7. How does fifteen or so minutes writing a blog detract from an agent's ability to make sales?

The hard truth is that not every book sells, and it's not a reflection on the agent. Now, if they've never sold anything, or if they've bungled up the sale in some way, that would reflect on the agent. Otherwise it just sounds bitter.

Anyway, I got a quick R from Jessica F. back when I was actively querying. It was about three or four days, I think.