The Evolution of an Agent's List

Literary agents Jessica Faust and James McGowan discuss how an agent's list might change and shift over the years, what that means about their MSWL, and how the change in their list informs the way they read queries.
BookEnds is dedicated to making publishing a book traditionally a more transparent process, and it starts with these videos!
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Jessica Faust’s love for books is what first brought her to open BookEnds Literary Agency. It is her desire to be an advocate for all authors that pushed her to create her blog, the BookEnds KZbin channel and to maintain a vibrant presence on Twitter.
Jessica is proud to have grown BookEnds to an agency that represents authors of all genres for children and adults, allowing her to reach more readers and help more authors and illustrators achieve their dreams.
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James McGowan is a Literary Agent at BookEnds and writer for children. He began working with the agency as an intern in the summer of 2015, and basically never left. He represents a talented group of authors and illustrators working in everything from board books to middle grade graphic novels. He also works in adult nonfiction, and adult mystery and suspense projects. James is the author of GOOD NIGHT OPPY, which is available now.
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Website: www.bookendsliterary.com
Connect with Jessica: bookendsjessica
Connect with James: jmcgowanbks

[@hgoingceleb2961]

Thank you Jessica and James for sharing your unique access and generous insights into the literary world and business. I also notice and appreciate your self -deprecating humor. ❤ God bless.

[@jowas3107]

This is a great topic to point out, because all of us in different parts of the reader to maker spectrum are also always on this journey. Our reading tastes change, our writing tastes change, so it's natural to move to the next thing, and experience in one area definitely helps give confidence to new transitions!

[@janiekurtz4678]

Good video, thanks! You highlighted once more how the knowledge a good agent has of the changing market makes them very valued partners is this business! This also gives a clearer picture (as does your answer to my question last week, thanks!) on editors. I didn't really realize they were all attached to certain publishers until now! I'm still a little fuzzy on that process between working with editors and submitting to a publisher, but I'm sure you'll cover it more later :) This topic does make me think of my years teaching...Any time an educator makes a switch in subject/grade we don't start from scratch, but there's a learning curve until we're fully proficient again!

[@annworthington7253]

I love knowing you both can grow and change as agents! Keep up the good work ❤

[@dorothynesbit8864]

Good luck on your pivot James!

[@samp4050]

Do agents automatically exclude any debut authors from other countries, if the story is not set in the US? I've hd a few rejections and wondering if it's because my historical romance is a family saga set in S. Africa and not the US? Thanks Jessica and James, love your informative channel.

[@TederaWilliams-ko5cb]

If your story is taking place in South Africa maybe you should track down a literary agent from there, maybe that's why the U.S. agents are not accepting it. It could also mean that they don't see a profit from your story. Can they make money off your story? It could be either of the two why they are not accepting your manuscript.

[@TederaWilliams-ko5cb]

I also will say if you are planning on tracking down literary agents and South Africa be very careful because they're rules are very different from the United States. For example I am a black woman that's American and I speak no Spanish,but I want to make a movie in Mexico someday but I have to be very careful because I don't know Mexico rules. Mexico film industry is totally different from the U.S. film industry.

[@samp4050]

The reason I am submitting to the US is because in my country, unfortunately, I don't think there are literary agents, so it's useless even trying to get one. I am also an inventor and have various inventions I'm sending to companies in the US because unfortunately my country is not very interested in inventors, but the US is very open to inventors and many sign contracts with inventors from other countries. I hope Jessica will respond to my question regarding my first question. Good luck everyone.

[@TederaWilliams-ko5cb]

Oh, okay. I didn't know that they didn't have literary agents in South Africa. Well it's plenty literary agents here in my country the United States. I hope you find one that will be interested in your story. There was a time I used to want to have story traditional published by HaperCollins or Penguin random house but I decided to be my own book publisher by starting a home based publishing company and adapt my books into a film or TV show myself. I don't advise everyone to do that because it's risky but I am going to do it anyway because I feel like that's God's will.

[@BookEndsLiterary]

Hi! If agents work with clients internationally, they will not auto-reject debut authors just based on where they are from! Your book just might not have been a fit for the agents you were querying at the time

[@melissamackinnon1982]

To keep up with market trends, I wonder if reading Publisher’s Lunch (Publisher’s Marketplace) would help, along with reading current books.

[@rissarissaroo]

Hi! Question for a video: How do sensitivity readers work? Is that something that the author should do before querying? Or is that something that the agent/editor arranges? Thanks!

[@BookEndsLiterary]

Hi! It's up to you-if you have someone willing to provide a sensitivity read before querying, you can totally do that. But oftentimes, publishers might be willing to set it up and pay the sensitivity reader for their labor after the book has sold to the publisher

[@shelbymaalouf4261]

Pivot !!! God luck James !