# jenn (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 3 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover jenn. Page: Feed: --- ## [This is a super niche question so no worries if you’re unable to answer, but I read recently that Jewish fiction in particular has been on a notable downward, with the statistic in particular being that “between 2023 and 2024, there was a 76% decline in fiction deal announcements to large presses that mentioned Jews, Judaism or Israel.” Do you or your colleagues have any insight into this statistic? Does this unpopularity apply mainly to Jewish fiction, or to Muslim and/or Christian fiction writ large?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/825234078644224000) _2026-08-17 · Ask the Agent:_ This article seems to be the source of your statistic. The author here is talking about Jewish-themed adult fiction specifically, and talks about agents both in the US and Israel. I am not doubting her stats, I just have no idea! I rep kids books, US-only, so my perspective will be different. Personally, I have sold kids books with some kind of Jewish content / themes in the past few years.… ## [Hi, I’m writing an upper middle grade fantasy. It’s about cats with supernatural elements. It’s similar to Warriors, but it’s still different. It will appeal to both kids and adults. If an agent or publisher accept middle school story, then does that include xenofiction as well? Another thing, I used Grammarly to help with grammars, but the story is still written by me. I’m learning about grammars as I write my own story. Is Grammarly a problem for agents and publishers?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/825212176587522048) _2026-08-17 · Ask the Agent:_ Agents and publishers don't use the term "xenofiction" -- we call books like the Warriors series Middle Grade Fantasy or Middle Grade Animal Fantasy. If an agent or a publisher works on Middle Grade Fantasy, that would likely include Animal Fantasy unless they specifically say on their wishlist that they don't like Animal Fantasy or stories with talking/anthropomorphized animals. Using Grammarly… ## [Hi Jenn! There’s an editor I’ve been wanting to work with FOREVER. They’ve moved to a lot of different imprints and even genres and age categories. Right now, they’re working in a genre that… isn’t really my thing. I could TRY to write something, but it’s not naturally what I would want to write. Should I try anyway? I don’t really know what else to write… but I also don’t want to write a whole thing and then have it turn out bad and unsellable.](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/825210192865247232) _2026-08-17 · Ask the Agent:_ Let's say you are picking a wedding dress. You've stumbled upon your "dream" dress in a vintage shop, but unfortunately, it just doesn't fit whatsoever . It's way too tight, way too short, just made for a differently shaped person than you are. Being that it's a vintage dress, it's a one of one, you can't just order another one in your size. OK. So what are your options? Change the dress? Maybe.… ## [Everything Goes My Way...Even When It Doesn't](https://jennmckinlay.substack.com/p/jenn-mckinlay-news-362) _2026-08-17 · Jenn McKinlay · Jenn’s Substack_ Jenn McKinlay -- August 17, 2026 ## [Greetings from Iceland, where I’m currently on vacation! It’s come to my attention that some scam…](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/824916448693698560) _2026-08-14 · Ask the Agent:_ Greetings from Iceland, where I’m currently on vacation! It’s come to my attention that some scam artist is impersonating me with a fake gmail account. Luckily a writer realized that it was unlikely that I would reach out to them cold using a non-work email addy, so they wrote to my real email to check, which is how I found out! ANYWAY, I’m sorry to say that there are a lotta scams out there, and… ## [Hi Jenn! Kind of connected to the question about writing nonfiction. What makes nonfiction feel like YA vs adult? I remember you mentioned Death in the Jungle, about Jonestown, and that wass YA. Why? I read it (it was good!) and didn’t notice anything that made it particularly “YA.”](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/824736917175353344) _2026-08-12 · Ask the Agent:_ Let’s take Death in the Jungle and compare it to another book on the same topic, Road to Jonestown, which was written for adults. RtJ is significantly longer — 500-some pages/17 hours audio vs DitJ at 300-some pages/9 hours audio. It’s been a long time since I read RtJ but if I recall correctly it was more comprehensive — trying to tell as much as possible about everything. To me, DitJ was more… ## [Hi Jenn! I don’t know how else to ask this, but is there a you for the adult world? I so often wish I could ask you questions, but you work more in kidlit, and my questions are about the adult market! I love how you take the time to give such thoughtful answers. I wish there were a you for the adult market too!](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/824735304258863104) _2026-08-12 · Ask the Agent:_ Not to my knowledge! (But I could be wrong). Sorry! ## [Maybe a dumb question, but if I write a fictional story based on general facts (like “Tweetie is a bird living in North Carolina. She usually eats these kinds of seeds, found only in that state”), I don’t need to cite my sources, do I?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/824735180726108160) _2026-08-12 · Ask the Agent:_ I mean it’s fiction. So… it doesn’t matter if you have Tweetie eating seeds from North Carolina that a similar bird would generally eat, or unicorn poop from Mars that doesn’t exist at all. Obviously for a \*realistic\* story you will want to do your research as necessary and hew close to what an actual bird of that kind would actually eat, because otherwise readers will get annoyed with you. But… ## [I had an idea to use a TV show for a comp title. The show was originally made in the ‘90s, but it got a reboot in the 2020s with the same style and tone. Do you think it’s okay to use that as a comp since it’s been made “new” again or do you think it might still be seen as too old to be relevant in today’s market?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/824511380307738624) _2026-08-09 · Ask the Agent:_ Is it popular enough that most adults would know it? If so go for it. (But do use a book or two ALSO!) ## [Hi Jenn! Newbie question. I have had some kidlit novels published, but right now, I’m feeling super burnt out on fiction. I’ve been really into nonfiction. I would love to write SOME kind of nonfiction book about a specific topic. Problem is… I don’t know where to start. I don’t really have a platform. I have an agent, but I don’t know if they’re into nonfiction. I don’t even know what age I would want to write this book for. I JUST have an interest in a topic. Where do I start? What do I do? Thank you!!](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/824028233602334720) _2026-08-04 · Ask the Agent:_ OK first of all, stop spinning out. It will all be fine. RELAX. -- Presumably you are writing children's nonfiction? it's OK to not have a huge platform for most kids nonfiction. (If you were writing adult nonfiction, that could be a different story). Don't worry about that right now. -- Similarly, you don't need to talk to your agent about this until you know what you are doing. They are much… ## [Code Faster with Clear Tutorials (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/Cjt4cnGPen4z) _2026-08-04 · **Sponsored**_ Short, step-by-step coding videos you can follow along ## [I finished major edits for my book about 7 months ago and haven’t heard anything from my editor since. I assume copy edits are next but haven’t heard anything. My agent and I separated so I’m hesitant to ask him. Is this normal? Pub date is about a year away.](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/823959961139822592) _2026-08-03 · Ask the Agent:_ It isn’t unusual for things to take a long time, but it is a little unusual for you to have no clue whatsoever what is happening. (Well, okay, THAT isn’t that unusual either, silence is very definitely the prevailing sound in publishing — but you should at least be able to KIND OF find out what is going on!) Have you asked your editor? Not in like an ACCUSATORY way or anything, just a mild “Hey… ## [Jenn McKinlay's News](https://jennmckinlay.substack.com/p/jenn-mckinlays-news-04f) _2026-08-01 · Jenn McKinlay · Jenn’s Substack_ August 1, 2026 ## [Big Sur Children’s Writer’s Workshop EAST COAST EDITION](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/823571983112470528) _2026-07-30 · Ask the Agent:_ Hey there! As you might know, my agency puts on a Writers Workshop for Children’s Book and YA authors every year in California. For a while, we were also doing an East Coast edition in Cape Cod, but we stopped doing it a few years back. HOWEVER, due to popular demand, we decided to reinstate it this year! Annnnd… there are still openings for the Fall Cape Cod workshop, October… ## [I don’t understand or know what to think about the change in the AALA policy regarding agents charging for some services… can you give us a primer? How will this change things for trad authors (the PW article mentioned self- and hybrid-authors).](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/823405521588617216) _2026-07-28 · Ask the Agent:_ If you missed it, this is the PW article to which OP is referring. For those interested in learning more about it, the AALA has provided a point-by-point breakdown of each change to the Canon of Ethics , including the old language, the new language, and the rationale for changing the language. (It's an excellent primer, far more thorough than I could possibly be, and I strongly suggest you read it… ## [Have you seen many authors step away from publishing because they’re unable to manage the emotional challenges of the job? Do you have advice for authors who are struggling with this decision? Thanks!](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/823154027731812352) _2026-07-25 · Ask the Agent:_ I've seen authors step away from publishing, but I'm not sure if they would characterize their reasons for stepping back as being "unable to manage the emotional challenges of the job." (Maybe in some cases? Maybe partly? Maybe that combined with a lot of other things?) I'm NOT trying to be a downer, but the reality is: Publishing is challenging in MANY ways. There are LOTS of valid reasons to… ## [Do you submit new projects to editors in August?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/823023832345493504) _2026-07-24 · Ask the Agent:_ Kinda, yes, with caveats. In August I'd prefer to limit submissions to things that I have to submit for a specific reason. Like, say, an OPTION book, where there's a timeline involved. Or a book that for whatever reason is exclusive to one editor, or it's a very small group of editors, or the author and editor KNOW each other and the editor is EXPECTING this project, or it is time-sensitive so… ## [Hi Jenn! Maybe this isn’t really a question for you, but I don’t know where else to go. If I write a story from the POV of an animal, but it’s just doing ordinary animal things, is that considered speculative fiction, just because it isn’t from a regular human POV? I did some research and found something called xenofiction, and that seems to suggest that anything from animal POVs is speculative? Help!](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/823022138318536704) _2026-07-24 · Ask the Agent:_ You are overthinking this. There are lots of books from the POV of animals. You call them the genre they are, just as though they were about humans, but if you want you can add "animal" to it. The ones that are fantastical, like Gaurdians of Ga'Hoole for example, Owls going to magical owl school, etc, are called FANTASY. (If you want to get more specific than that, "Animal Fantasy" or… ## [Hi, Jenn. I just learned my debut earned out, and I’m SO happy. I never thought this would happen. It wasn’t by a lot, though, and I’m wondering how likely it is that, on my next statement, it’ll turn out that people returned stock, and I’m back in the negative. Does that happen often, kind of like how second royalty statements may dip after the returned stock after that initial book release?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/822842039105454080) _2026-07-22 · Ask the Agent:_ That's awesome, what an exciting milestone! As for "will it go back in the negative" - well, if you only earned out by like $2 or something, maybe ? But don't stress about it or anything. The bulk of front list returns probably happen like 6-12 months after pub, or when the paperback comes out, so if it has been over 1.5/2 years since pub, you've probably gotten well past that big dip already and… ## [What’s the MG GN market like for author-only submissions right now? Is it still saturated, and editors aren’t really buying them? If still saturated, are there circumstances (previous GN sales, previous prose book sales, etc), where you’d be like, “you know what, I feel good about this one, let’s try it”?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/822774898824970240) _2026-07-21 · Ask the Agent:_ It's kind of a combo situation: there's just a lot in the pipeline already, and publishers have come to some realizations about the reality of publishing GN. Like, the reality is, making a GN takes a LOT LONGER than people tend to expect. Beyond the writing of the script, the editing, and all that stuff, the publisher has to FIND AN ILLUSTRATOR. Which can take a while, because many talented GN… ## [Hello! Just curious here. How common do you think it is for an author to sort of throw out something random to fulfill the option clause? Like submit something that they don’t really think is great or don’t feel would actually be a good fit because they want to fulfill the option clause, then getting out of it so the author and agent can submit widely?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/822390411210457089) _2026-07-17 · Ask the Agent:_ this is what I would call "burning the option" - basically sending something bad so the publisher will turn it down and you are free from further obligations. I think it happens, but I don't think it happens as much as people might IMAGINE that it happens. First of all, because authors have egos; why would you want to put your name on something you KNOW isn't good or wouldn't be a good fit -- and… ## [Ship software peacefully (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/8ziDgu7VENvo) _2026-07-17 · **Sponsored**_ Connect your repo and deploy instantly — Railway handles config, scaling, and monitoring. ## [Hi Jenn! I submitted an R&R eight months ago, got proof of receipt and haven’t heard back. Should I nudge? What are the odds of the agent not having gotten around to my manuscript at all? Would they feel rushed to read it at this point and just reject?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/822205818092011520) _2026-07-15 · Ask the Agent:_ I think you should nudge. (Gently!) I feel like the odds are high that they haven't gotten around to it? Because if they HAD gotten around to it, they would have responded. It's also possible they dipped in, got called away, thought "I'll get back to this soon" and didn't get back to it. It's also possible they read it, thought "I'll take some time and formulate my thoughts" and haven't finished… ## [What do you love, like, dislike, and hate about being an agent?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/822142847123931136) _2026-07-14 · Ask the Agent:_ Love: I love working with authors, I love giving authors good news, I love working with books and seeing the potential in something and watching it become real! Like: I like that every day is different, and every project is different, and there is always something new to think about! Dislike: I dislike all the paperwork and admin and spreadsheets. (I mean, whatever, it's all FINE, it's better than… ## [Hi Jenn! How do agents generally feel about their clients requesting they submit to editors who seem to match their manuscript when the agent doesn’t have an existing relationship with the editor or imprint?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/822041267592740864) _2026-07-13 · Ask the Agent:_ Not to brag or anything , but I think most editors at normal publishers would recognize my name or at least the name of my agency. So if this is a good publisher / imprint, and it really seems like a great fit, just for whatever reason I haven't come across that person before, I'm fine with introducing myself to them! First I'd ask my colleagues if any of them know the editor, in which case I'd… ## [Hi! Sorry for the silly question but do agents have to pay to attend agent-publisher conferences, including travel and accommodation? Are there other agent-related things you have to pay for?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/821686866879430656) _2026-07-09 · Ask the Agent:_ Do you mean like attending ALA or Bologna or something like that? Some agents might have expense accounts where the agency pays for some of that kind of stuff? Like possibly agents who are not on commission, but are paid a salary? OR, agents who are doing something specific FOR THE AGENCY at the conference; for example, let's say they are selling foreign rights on behalf of the whole agency, the… ## [hi jenn, do you set “closes” for other editors on submission upon editor interest? if that means the interested/offering editor needs to wait a few weeks, is that harmful to the process or a normal part of deal making?](https://literaticat.tumblr.com/post/821685609776218112) _2026-07-09 · Ask the Agent:_ Short answer: Sometimes (kinda), and yah it's normal. Long answer: A Closing Date is, basically, a deadline: the date by which all interested editors should have their offers in. Whether or not to set a close (nice use of parlance!) depends on the likelihood that there will be multiple offers / an auction scenario. But I'm probably not even nudging other editors, let alone putting a deadline on… ## [Jenn McKinlay News](https://jennmckinlay.substack.com/p/jenn-mckinlay-news-776) _2026-06-28 · Jenn McKinlay · Jenn’s Substack_ June 28, 2026 ## [A sneak peek of The Summer Share!](https://jennmckinlay.substack.com/p/a-sneak-peek-of-the-summer-share) _2026-05-26 · Jenn McKinlay · Jenn’s Substack_ Jenn McKinlay's News - May 26, 2026 ## [How to Have a Healthy Eating Mindset and Shift Your Relationship with Food](https://www.jennhand.com/healthy-eating-mindset/) _2025-11-20 · Jenn Hand · Jenn Hand_ Are you wondering if it's even possible to have a healthy eating mindset? Maybe you've struggled with binge eating and emotional eating. Maybe you've been dieting and obsessing over food rules for the past 20 years. Maybe you just want to lose weight without going on a strict diet. The post How to Have a Healthy Eating Mindset and Shift Your Relationship with Food appeared first on Jenn Hand . ## [What To Do After Binge Eating Sugar](https://www.jennhand.com/what-to-do-after-binge-eating-sugar/) _2025-11-19 · Jenn Hand · Jenn Hand_ I remember one of my worst binges: it was after I had been eating “clean” for weeks. I was in grad school, studying nutrition, and eating “perfectly.” The post What To Do After Binge Eating Sugar appeared first on Jenn Hand . ## [I Stopped Binge Eating, and Here’s How I Did It](https://www.jennhand.com/i-stopped-binge-eating/) _2025-11-19 · Jenn Hand · Jenn Hand_ Written by Jenn Hand, Holistic Nutritionist, Board Certified Health Coach, NBC-HWC, Binge Eating Coach I stopped binge eating. And you can too. As I began to heal my food issues over the years, I stopped binge eating. I wanted to share what I’d learned with other women, so I became a nutritionist and health coach. I \[…\] The post I Stopped Binge Eating, and Here’s How I Did It appeared first on… ## [Meet Claude, an AI assistant (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/y0vH8d81HByJ) _2025-11-19 · **Sponsored**_ Chat with Claude at claude.ai — a conversational AI assistant. ## [How to Stop Binge Eating After Work](https://www.jennhand.com/how-to-stop-binge-eating-after-work/) _2025-11-18 · Jenn Hand · Jenn Hand_ If you struggle to stop snacking once you get home from work (or once your laptop is closed as a remote worker), here are 5 tips to help! The post How to Stop Binge Eating After Work appeared first on Jenn Hand . ## [Why Do I Binge On Sugar?](https://www.jennhand.com/why-do-i-binge-on-sugar/) _2025-11-14 · Jenn Hand · Jenn Hand_ Bingeing on sugar can be incredibly frustrating. We know we “shouldn’t” eat cookie after cookie, brownie after brownie, but our bodies don’t always follow what our minds are telling us we should do! The post Why Do I Binge On Sugar? appeared first on Jenn Hand . ## [Tired of Dieting? Try These 10 Alternatives for Healthy, Holistic Weight Loss](https://www.jennhand.com/tired-of-dieting/) _2025-10-25 · Jenn Hand · Jenn Hand_ If you're feeling tired of dieting, you’re definitely not alone. Maybe you've spent years hopping from one restrictive diet to another, counting calories, cutting carbs, and feeling guilty about every bite. Now you're ready for something better! The post Tired of Dieting? Try These 10 Alternatives for Healthy, Holistic Weight Loss appeared first on Jenn Hand . ## [Emotional Eating Case Study: From Stress Eating to Balance and Freedom Around Food](https://www.jennhand.com/emotional-eating-case-study-darius/) _2025-10-17 · Jenn Hand · Jenn Hand_ Darius reached out because he was struggling with emotional eating and binge eating. He had a history of addiction and, after becoming sober through a 12-step group, he transferred some of that addictive behavior into food. Essentially, he used food as a coping mechanism. The post Emotional Eating Case Study: From Stress Eating to Balance and Freedom Around Food appeared first on Jenn Hand . ## [How to Stop Binge Eating: 34 Tips from a Holistic Nutritionist](https://www.jennhand.com/how-to-stop-binge-eating/) _2025-10-16 · Story Envelope Admin · Jenn Hand_ Written by Jenn Hand, Holistic Nutritionist, Board Certified Health Coach, NBC-HWC How to Stop Binge Eating You’re wondering how to stop binge eating, then you’re probably hoping there’s a simple 4-step checklist to follow to end the bingeing and restricting. But there are many different ways to stop overeating and binge eating. And while I KNOW \[…\] The post How to Stop Binge Eating: 34 Tips from… ## [How to Stop Feeling Guilty About Eating and Start Enjoying Food for Real](https://www.jennhand.com/how-to-stop-feeling-guilty-about-eating/) _2025-10-14 · Jenn Hand · Jenn Hand_ Food guilt makes us think we need to make up for indulgences or feel anxious about eating certain foods. The post How to Stop Feeling Guilty About Eating and Start Enjoying Food for Real appeared first on Jenn Hand . ## [How to Detox If You Ate Too Much Sugar](https://www.jennhand.com/i-ate-too-much-sugar-how-to-detox/) _2025-10-10 · Jenn Hand · Jenn Hand_ If you’re feeling the effects of eating too much sugar, don’t stress! Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you reset and feel good again without any drastic measures. The post How to Detox If You Ate Too Much Sugar appeared first on Jenn Hand .