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Agent Spotlight: James McGowan of Bookends Literary Agency

By on July 29, 2022   /   Articles, Editor / Agent Spotlight  

I’ve been a long-time fan of the YouTube videos with James McGowan, Jessica Faust, and other agents at Bookends Literary Agency and am thrilled to be interviewing James about his career as an agent and a writer. But before we move on to the interview, here’s a brief bio about James and his work.

James McGowan began his career right where he is: at BookEnds. He joined the team as an intern in the summer of 2015, and as the joke goes, they couldn’t get rid of him. He has worked in all departments at the agency and is now a literary agent representing a talented list of award-winning authors and illustrators. James’ list focuses on illustrated projects for young readers (board books, picture books, chapter books, and middle grade) as well as adult nonfiction and mystery/suspense novels.

In addition to being an agent, James is a children’s author. His debut picture book Good Night, Oppy! launched from Astra BFYR in 2021. He is born, raised, and currently living in Staten Island, NY. He is a professional snacker, a huge fan of Jeopardy!, and fluent in sarcasm. To learn more about James, his wishlist, or upcoming client books please visit the BookEnds website or his personal website. To send a query, please use QueryManager. And to find a growing archive of thoughts no one asked for, follow James on Twitter and Instagram.

 

Dorian: Welcome, James, to The Mixed-Up Files! Can you tell us about your path to becoming a literary agent?

James: This is the most boring story since it was pretty linear. I realized I wanted to work in publishing halfway through undergrad, and hit the ground running on applying to internships. And, like anyone applying to a publishing internship knows, I had very little luck. Except for BookEnds, who scheduled an interview, asked me for a reader’s report, and pretty soon offered me the summer position. I instantly loved the team at BookEnds and we all clicked really well. I interned with them for a second semester, and a few weeks after I graduated college, I asked Jessica Faust if she had any openings. By the end of the month, she brought me on as her assistant. From there, I just climbed the ranks to agency assistant, worked in every department at the agency, and in 2018 I started taking on my own clients. I could not imagine myself working anywhere else.

 

Dorian: Not boring at all! Please tell us about Bookends and how our readers can access all the agency’s informative videos on YouTube.

James: Sure! BookEnds is a literary agency consisting of nearly a dozen agents and a dedicated support staff. We represent everything in fiction and nonfiction for the youngest to the oldest of readers. Our team is super collaborative and devoted to our work. We also are dedicated to educating and informing authors about the publishing industry. We know that it is sometimes not the most transparent business, so through our Blog and YouTube channel, we hope to arm authors and illustrators with everything they need to know in order to succeed. You can find us at www.bookendsliterary.com and on YouTube!

Jessica Faust and James McGowan having an animated conversation in one of their YouTube videos.

 

Dorian: What middle-grade books influenced you the most when you were growing up, and what contemporary books do you wish had been available then?

James: Growing up, I read a ton of series. I loved being invested in a long series of books and awaiting the new one every year. I read anything Rick Riordan wrote, of course. I also was a huge fan of Jenny Nimmo’s Charlie Bone series, and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. I read the Spiderwick Chronicles, The Giver, A Wrinkle in Time. I loved Louis Sachar. I was (and continue to be) obsessed with RL Stine.

I’m really excited by the middle-grade books publishing now, though. There is a lot more available to children in all genres, and it’s exciting to see new representation in this age range. I hope this middle-grade boom creates even more lifelong readers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorian: R.L. Stine was an obsession in our house, too. I remember racing to the bookstore after school with my daughter when a new Goosebumps book was coming out. What genres, themes, or subjects are you mostly looking for in manuscripts?

James: In middle grade, two things I’m super excited about right now are middle-grade horror and humor (contemporary or otherwise). Bonus points if you have both! I love stories about a band of friends coming together to accomplish a task; I love sibling stories; I’d love to see a book celebrating cousin relationships; wacky humor at a summer camp or school or afterschool program. Fun set-ups and settings. My door is pretty open! I want to be surprised.

 

Dorian: Please tell us about your picture book, Good Night, Oppy and if you have any other projects in the works.

James: Yes! OPPY was such a fun project to work on. I’ve always been a lover of space exploration, and the Mars Rovers are the epitome of brilliant human engineering. When the news broke that Oppy’s mission was complete, I just had to write something. Everything came together pretty quickly, and the book launched (ha) in September of 2021. I enjoyed that process so much, I’ve been working on a couple more space projects that I hope I’ll get the opportunity to share with everyone soon.

Dorian: What tips do you have for writers who are in the querying stages?

James: So many tips, but my best one is to keep moving forward. Send new queries out as rejects arrive, research other agents, learn more about the industry, read new books, work on the next thing. Publishing is not an industry for staying still.

Of course our blog and YouTube have a ton more information for you!

For those interested in books and publishing, I highly recommend you check out the blog and videos! Thanks, James, for taking the time out of your busy schedule for the interview!

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Interview with Rob Sanders, author of BLOOD BROTHERS

By on July 27, 2022   /   Author Interviews  

Today, I’m delighted to introduce Rob Sanders and his latest book to Mixed-Up Files readers. While known mostly as a picture book writer, Rob ventured into middle grade with his new verse novel, Blood Brothers, which releases this week. Before we get on with the interview, here’s a bit about Rob and his work. (For purchasing information, mouse over the titles and covers of Rob’s books.)

Rob is a teacher who writes and a writer who teaches. He is known for his funny and fierce fiction and nonfiction picture books and is recognized as one of the pioneers in the arena of LGBTQIA+ literary nonfiction picture books.

Rob’s nonfiction books continue to break new ground, including the first picture books about the Pride Flag, the Stonewall Uprising, a transgender Civil War soldier, a gay presidential candidate, and the first gay marriage in America. His work also continues to introduce readers to heroes of the LGBTQIA+ community—from Harvey Milk to Gilbert Baker, from Cleve Jones to Bayard Rustin, and more. His fiction explores friendship, relationships, standing up for others, and being allies.

He serves as co-regional advisor for SCBWI Florida and is a frequent speaker, teacher, mentor, coach, and critiquer. He is also a member of the SCBWI Impact and Legacy Fund Steering Committee.

 

Dorian: Congratulations on your middle-grade debut! Can you tell us a little bit about Blood Brothers and your inspiration for the story?

Rob: Thanks, Dorian, and thank you for helping me celebrate my middle-grade debut. Blood Brothers is a middle grade historical fiction novel written in verse. Blood Brothers is the story of the Johnston brothers who are tainted. Untouchable. The bad blood flowing through their veins is threatening to kill them. So are their neighbors. The Johnston brothers have been kicked out of everything—school, baseball, scouts, even church. Calvin—the oldest of the brothers and the story’s protagonist–is trying to be the man of the family, the superhero who saves the day, but he’s really Mr. Frozen-in-one-spot, Mr. Never-speak-up-for-himself. When a judge’s ruling allows the brothers back in school, Ashland’s anger erupts into a fireball. The only silver lining is that Calvin’s best friend, Izzy, lives 65 miles away at the beach and has no idea about his secret. But news has a way of spreading . . . just like HIV. The story is told over a 16-day period in August of 1987.

The story was inspired by the Ray brothers of Arcadia, Florida, who were contemporaries of Ryan White. Just like Ryan, the Rays were hemophiliacs who contracted HIV through tainted blood transfusions. I had forgotten all about the story until I was doing research for one of my nonfiction picture books and ran across a photo of the Ray brothers. I wrote a poem about that photo and that poem eventually became the first poem/first chapter of Blood Brothers. Of course, before that happened, I found myself diving deep into the stories of the Ray brothers, Ryan White, the early days of the AIDS epidemic, and more. I felt compelled to write about the fictional Johnston brothers in an attempt to understand what I discovered in my research and out of a fear that maybe communities, churches, and schools might not treat kids in similar situations any better today.

Copy and paste the link below to view the photo that inspired Rob along with an article on the Ray brothers: https://www.maryellenmark.com/bibliography/magazines/article/life/the-castaways-fears-about-aids-drive-three-boys-from-home/L

 

Dorian: Why was it important for you to tell this story?

Rob: I was an adult working in a church in Texas when I heard on the evening news that a family with three HIV-positive boys had been burned out of their house. As I sat in Texas listening to the story of those boys, I realized that I lived in a town like theirs. I worked at a church like theirs. I knew kids who went to a school like theirs. I wondered if our school would kick them out. I wondered if our church would turn the family away. I wondered if people I knew would treat three boys with such hate. I wondered if I might. While I hoped we would be different, I couldn’t say for sure that we would be. More than thirty years after the fire at the Ray’s home, I wonder how people would treat a family like theirs today. I wonder if things have changed. I hope they have. But to make things different for people with HIV/AIDS, we have to be educated and aware. We have to intentionally take steps to be different. I hope Blood Brothers might start a discussion that could make today’s generation be the first that we can say, without a doubt, would not fear kids like Ryan White, the Ray brothers, or the Johnstons, and would treat them with respect and be brave enough to stand up for them.

 

 

Dorian: Did you have to do much research for Blood Brothers?

Rob: I write lots of nonfiction, so research is my thing. Of course, I read everything I could find about the Ray brothers and Ryan White. I found magazine and newspaper articles about the early days of the epidemic, worked with a pediatrician friend, a retired nurse who had worked in pediatric AIDS, and another nurse who worked in the burn unit of a local hospital. A good friend of mine is a social worker for an HIV/AIDs organization, and she became a valuable source in my research. And another friend—a longtime Floridian—became my go-to for questions about the flora and fauna of Florida. I scoured government sites for statistics about HIV/AIDS—both historical and current—watched old news reports and documentaries, and more. So, yes, a lot of research went into the writing of the book, and I went back to my sources at various times for vetting.

 

Dorian: Why did you choose the verse novel format?

Rob: I don’t know if I chose the format or if it chose me. For some time, I’ve been writing poems about significant anniversaries, events, and people in the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s been my personal way of connecting to my history and celebrating it. So, when I saw that photo of the Ray brothers, I responded by writing a poem. (Granted, the boys were not part of the LGBTQIA+ community, but the treatment they received because of the HIV/AIDS status does connect.) I was in a critique group at the time which included one member who had published a novel in verse and a couple of others who were pursuing the genre. It just seemed like the perfect fit with the story because it was intimate and personal and provided a way of addressing a heavy topic without overwhelming the reader with text. Given the choice, I would much rather overwhelm them with emotion.

Dorian: This question is a two-parter: How different was it writing this book compared to writing your picture books? And how did writing picture books prepare you to write a verse novel?

Rob: Well, the novel took longer—that’s one big difference! The novel format gave me more time and space to explore the plot, develop characters, and create an emotional impact. You do all that in picture books, too, but in a condensed way and with illustrations that help support the story and take it to deeper levels. My picture book writing style is lyrical and brief, and I use lots of stacked phrases and sentences that guide the reading experience. All that certainly is related to writing in verse. The research skills I’ve developed when writing nonfiction picture books also came in handy when writing my novel in verse. There were two things I had to focus on even more when writing the novel as compared to when writing picture books. One was “sitting in scene” and squeezing every ounce of emotion out of every moment. The second was to strive to always find the best word, phrase, or comparison, the perfect simile, the just-right way to create an image, and so on, and to always work to raise the poetic quality of the text.

 

Dorian: What middle-grade books inspired you as a child?

Rob: I’m not sure my memory goes back that far, Dorian! The first novels that I remember being read to me were from the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. Of course, those books have not aged well, but what I really remember about the books was the experience associated with them. My third-grade teacher, Mrs. Henley, read the books to us aloud one by one, one chapter a day. I distinctly remember the anticipation she developed in us by using that approach. Mrs. Henley also took us on our first field trip which was to Wilder’s home in Mansfield, Missouri. That was the first time I think I realized that authors were real people.

Though I read extensively as a child, my next memory of middle-grade books was while I was in grad school. That’s when I discovered a local children’s book store and discovered Cynthia Voight and Katherine Paterson. I read everything they’d written. But it was when I started teaching, that I really got into contemporary middle-grade writing as I became aware of state award lists, Newbery winners, and tried to ferret out what kinds of books were of interest to my students.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorian: What contemporary middle-grade books do you wish you had been able to read as a child?

Rob: Anything by David Levithan.

 

Dorian: What are your top three pieces of writing advice for our Mixed-Up Files readers who’d like to try their hand at writing?

Rob: As I compose my responses to these questions, I’m sitting in a cabin at the Highlights Foundation where I just finished a week of teaching. I concluded my keynote yesterday by suggesting that authors be able to answer three questions about their works-in-progress. You may be able to answer the questions before beginning a project, or the answers may develop as you write and revise. But certainly, before sharing your writing with an agent or editor, you would be wise to have formulated (and maybe even be prepared to share) your answers. Here goes:

Why THIS story?

Why does this story need to be told? Why do children need to read it? Why does it need to be on the shelves of libraries? Why?

Why this story NOW?

Why is it imperative that this story be on the market now? An anniversary? Something happening in the world today? Why?

Why ME to write this story?

Why is this story in your wheelhouse? How is this a story you can tell authentically? Why are you the only one who can tell it in the way that you will? Why?

 

Dorian: Great advice! What books by you can Mixed-Up Files readers look for in the future?

Rob: I have two nonfiction picture books releasing this fall. The Mother of a Movement: Jeanne Manford—Ally, Activist, and Co-Founder of the Pflag. illustrated by Sam Kalda (Magination Press) and Song for the Unsung: Bayard Rustin, The Man Behind the 1963 March on Washington, co-authored with Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Byron McCray (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers). I have two other fiction picture books and two other nonfiction picture books under contract, and those projects are in various stages of revision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorian: Many thanks for the interview, Rob! Here are some links for readers to keep up with Rob and his work:

Website: robsanderswrites.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobSandersWrite

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobSandersWrites

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robsanderswrites/

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STEM Tuesday — Fungi — Author Interview with Sue Heavenrich & Alisha Gabriel

By on July 26, 2022   /   Fungi, STEM Tuesday  

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today, Andi Diehn interviews Sue Heavenrich and Alisha Gabriel, authors of Funki Fungi: 30 Activities for Exploring Molds, Mushrooms, Lichens, and More! Sue is a writer and educator who also hosts a book review blog at Archimedes Notebook. Alisha is an elementary music teacher and writer of fiction and nonfiction elementary through middle grade. They teamed up to bring the wonder and magic of fungi to kids through lots of hands-on STEM projects!

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AD: What inspired you to write about fungi?

Alisha: I’ve always found mushrooms and fungi fascinating! There are so many shapes and colors, and new varieties being discovered each year. Every time I turn around there’s something more to learn about fungi.  Funky Fungi book cover

Sue: My interest was piqued when I interviewed mycologist Kathie Hodge about an insect-infecting fungus for an article in a local newspaper. She took me on a fungus-looking walk, and showed me her workspace at her lab. That article never got published, but it made me think about fungi in a different way. A couple years later I met Alisha at a Highlights Foundation workshop on nonfiction writing. While out on a nature walk, we stopped to look at some interesting fungi and got to talking about potential book ideas. I ended up shelving my idea, so when Alisha asked if I wanted to collaborate on a book I said “sure.”

 

AD: There’s such a huge variety of fungi out there! How did you decide what information to include in your book and what had to be left out?

Alisha Gabriel examines fungi

Alisha finds some funky fungi!

Alisha: When the editor liked our pitch and asked to see a proposal, Sue and I jumped into the research feet first. First, we determined how to break up the chapters by topic. There are certain types of fungi that had to be included in each chapter and simply couldn’t be left out of the book! After that, it became much more difficult to narrow down.

 

AD: What do hands-on projects add to the reader’s experience of your book?

Alisha: This book is part of the Young Naturalists series from Chicago Review Press and all of the titles include 30 activities. The activities are important to help readers extend their learning, and to gain even more enjoyment, as they discover more about fungi!

Sue Heavenrich examines fungi

Sue gets hands-on with fungi!

Sue: As a science teacher and, later, homeschooling parent, I know that many kids learn best by doing. That’s what this book addresses. By design, it incorporates activities throughout the chapters as an integral part of exploring the topic. I mean, how can you read about mushrooms and not want to cut one open to see inside?

 

AD: Some of the projects focus on an art or language activity – why is the A in STEAM so important?

Alisha: Everyone learns in different ways. In education, there’s a huge push for STEM topics, but the artistic aspect of learning isn’t always valued as highly. Sketching a mushroom, or even creating their own, will help readers focus on the minute details. And writing a poem about a mushroom can help a young reader utilize vocabulary and scientific terms, while accurately describing it and its surroundings.

Sue: Art and language are part of science. Scientists in the field often make sketches in their field journals alongside their notes – whether it’s fossils or insects. I feel that drawing a mushroom or other fungus helps develop observation skills. So does writing haiku and poetry. I think there’s a lot in science that inspires art, and art that inspires science.

 

AD: You mention a lot of different people who work with fungi or have made discoveries about fungi. Why did you include these brief biographies in your book?

Sue: Science is a human endeavor. When I was a kid, I loved reading the stories about people who discovered things: Fleming and penicillin, Jenner and the smallpox vaccine. We want to show readers that people are still discovering things about fungi – and maybe some of those readers will see that they could be scientists, too.

 

AD: There are fungi that do beneficial work and fungi that do detrimental work. Why is it crucial to our understanding of fungi to learn about all aspects of the fungal world, not just the ones that help humans?

Alisha: It’s true that some fungi attack our crops or cause human diseases, but other kinds of fungi are used to counteract them. All types of fungi play a role in the environment, even those that are yet to be discovered.  It’s important to show readers the great diversity of fungi because we never know how or when new discoveries will be made. Alisha Gabriel photographs fungi

 

AD: If you could choose a state fungus, what would it be?

Alisha: In an interesting twist, I live in Texas, which is the most recent state to adopt a state fungus! It’s Chorioactis geaster, often called the Texas Star Mushroom, because it’s only found in some parts of Texas and Japan. At first this mushroom resembles a small cigar, but when the spores mature, they burst forth with a popping sound and the sides crack open into a star shape.

Sue: I personally like the Stinky Squid fungus – it looks like an orange squid or chicken claws reaching up through the soil. Its stinky smell attracts flies that will spread the spores. But there is actually a bill in the New York State legislature to name Peck’s milk-cap (Lactarius peckii) as our state mushroom. It’s a pretty orange gilled mushroom and not stinky in the least. And it is named for Charles Horton Peck, New York State botanist from 1867 to 1915, who described and named more than 2,700 species of fungi in North America.

Want more fun with fungi? Check out Funky Fungus Friday photo posts at Sue’s Facebook page!

And Alisha’s #FungiFriday posts on Twitter!

 

Sue Heavenrich writes about science for children and their families, from space to backyard ecology. Bees, flies, squirrel behavior—things she observes in her backyard and around her neighborhood—inspire her writing.

Alisha Gabriel is an elementary music teacher and adjunct professor who has written several fiction and nonfiction books for children, from preschool to middle graders.

Today’s host, And Diehn, is an editor and marketer at Nomad Press and has published 11 nonfiction books.

 

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