Hi readers, Please drop by the BookEnds website to check out my interview. It's a nice welcoming gesture on behalf of my new literary agency! http://bookendsliterary.com/2018/07/13/welcome-to-bookends-jennifer-chow/ … [Read more...]
BookEnds Author Interview
July 13, 2018 4 Comments
Filed Under: author, interview, literary agency, literary agent Tagged With: BookEnds, Jennifer Chow, Jessica Faust
The Publishing Puzzle
November 13, 2012 6 Comments
Yattauh Mouhseui: cannot understand; puzzled, lost (lit. head in the fog) A poet named Hoh Daahm Yuh wrote this couplet:"Which is the highest of the cloudy mountains that surround me?I lost my way in the heavy fog."From then on, yattauh mouhseui became a common expression.Taipei 101 in the mist.I feel like I'm yattauh mouhseui whenever I examine the publishing puzzle. Three options exist: traditional publishing, small press, and self-publishing. (Look here for a great explanation from an … [Read more...]
Mission: Submission
November 5, 2012 2 Comments
Sihdaahn: anything will doAt times, Cantonese phrases get abbreviated. For example, "si-mouh-geih-daahn" means "without restraint of any kind." The shortened term becomes sihdaahn.Please accept my submission. When I think about submissions, I'm in a sihdaahn mode. Any positive response will uplift me. Last month, I participated in Khara House's Submit-O-Rama challenge. For October, I queried three literary magazines a week, for a total of 15 entries.Here are my results: 1 acceptance, 1 … [Read more...]
Writer’s Digest West Conference- First Impressions
October 22, 2012 4 Comments
Yatlauh: the bestIn China, from the Tang to the Ching dynasty, nine ranks of officials existed. The highest and first level was known as yatlauh. I attended the Writer's Digest West Conference this past Saturday. It was yatlauh, fulfilling and exceeding all my expectations. Let me break down my experience into three parts:1) Jamie Ford, the author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: As a keynote speaker, he discussed being true to yourself and pursuing a story that resonates with … [Read more...]
To Go or Not? A Writers’ Conference Dilemma
August 6, 2012 5 Comments
Louhsyu Laaigwai --> Mouhdehng Maaihsau: don't know how to startIn Chinese language, there exists a verbal riddle known as the enigmatic parallelism. A hungry rat (louhsyu) tries to bite a tortoise (gwai)--without success when the tortoise hides in its shell. This image of the rat trying to pull out the tortoise demonstrates the phrase's meaning of not knowing how to begin.I'm not sure where to start in terms of writers' conferences. According to this post called "The Writers Conference … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Cantonese, introvert, Jamie Ford, literary agent, Literary Orange, pitch slam, rat, riddle, Robert Lee Brewer, tortoise, writer, Writer's Digest, writers' conference
To Know It All
July 23, 2012 2 Comments
Dalaahn Sapuhn Mahndou Duk: to keep asking until one completely understands On a superficial level, this idiom refers to a crack (mahn) running to the bottom (duk) of a pot (sapuhn). However, the term mahn can also sound like the word for "ask." With the alternate meaning, the phrase then signifies someone repeatedly asking about something in order to fully comprehend it.The desire to understand.While querying, I've noticed agents also thirsting for this complete knowledge. The traditional … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Cantonese, Chinese, full manuscript, idiom, knowledge, literary agent, partial, query letter, querying, understanding
Being Mulan
June 25, 2012 4 Comments
Jiujik: acting too proud in one's speech or behaviorIn ancient times, Fa Muhk Laahn (the Cantonese pronunciation of the Disney princess Mulan) worried about her father's draft into military service. In the Song of Muhk Laahn, the verse goes:"We can't hear the sound of the shuttle of the loomwhen Muhk Laahn is weaving,But Jikjik again and againWe can hear her sighing."Jikjik is Cantonese onomatopoeia for sighing. When a person behaves too proudly, he will jiu (arouse) the jik (discontented … [Read more...]
Filed Under: literary agent, lowering expectations, Mulan, onomatopoeia, querying, rejection
