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Jessica Sinsheimer

@jsinsheim.bsky.social
2.7K followers 645 following 289 posts

Ravenous reader, lazy gourmet, literary agent + cheese-obsessed human. Co-creator of #MSWL, Manuscript Wish List® + www.ManuscriptAcademy.com. ☕📚She/her.

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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
I got a glow-in-the-dark moon and stars set (yes, like from the nineties) and am unreasonably happy about how it already glows when I put it in the darkness of the closet. No idea where to put them--a ful sky with some constellations on the ceiling? On corners one might crash into in the dark?
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
The US...for now
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Yes! It's a real thing! The exact same book can look completely different on different days.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
I've been thinking about going to London for the cheese conveyor belt restaurant! 😀 Alas, I haven't won my idea prize (free planes for a year! Can you imagine?) yet, but if I had, I'd be interested!
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
That's beautiful! Okay, as a person always looking out for "But what if the worst thing happens," I'm not sure about the safety of posting your words on the open internet, just in case--but this was lovely to read.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Thank you! I've actually been meaning to read Tolle for years.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Also--as always, you should only do edits that feel right to you--perhaps the evil queen could have some subtle parallels with politics in our world?
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
That's really cool! And I saw your pitch in the forum--it looks great!! It always feels like cheating to request from there, but if your work is still available when I open to queries, please consider sending to me.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
I'm sorry. This still falls into the "AI as a huge plot point" caveat for me. If it were a regular, human-powered cult, that could potentially work for me, but I think you should try someone with a friendlier approach to AI characters first.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Understandable, but the mere mention of AI makes me want to do something like 1) Get up and get some chocolate 2) Get up, find my phone, mindlessly scroll 3) Get up, find my remote, watch TV, 4) You'll note the pattern starts with "Get up and..." Ironically, it also makes me want to dissociate.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
I post these in the hope that you'll see this process is far less personal than it seems. All of the above had good writing, concepts I think could sell, perhaps excepting #3. Sometimes it really is the agent, not your book. Chin up.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
The latter is a challenge, but fixable. The former is, sadly, an easy no.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Sometimes a work has all the "right" ingredients (the adjectives, settings, conflicts, characters, even aesthetics I like) and still feels wrong. Sometimes a work has all the "wrong" ingredients (too-high word count, genre against trend, plot that takes an hour to explain) and still feels right.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Yes! You can ALWAYS start again.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
3. Mentions of AI annoy me, so I don’t want your MC to be in this category. 4. Painful in ways the news is painful. I can’t have too much more of that. 5. I’m kind of creeped out by angels. Their wings look sharp. 6. I don’t work on picture books. 7. This will give me nightmares.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Reasons I've rejected writers in the past year that have nothing to do with them: 1. I can't hold this much grief right now. (Yes, I told her. I hope she sees it's a genuine "It's not you, it's me.") 2. This is based on an entire category of movies I haven’t seen, and deserves a true fan.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
My advice in three words: Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Yes, absolutely! Choose when you might hear something sad, I say.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
I like how they branded it as friendly. Like your study friend who brings you a coffee in the library at midnight during finals. :)
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
I'm so sorry that happened--but so glad it worked out! Yes! I have an email address that's so full, it's mostly "Buy this thing" or "Donate to this cause" or "Gosh, something terrible happened in politics AGAIN" and I am constantly missing real emails in there from humans. Dedicated email FTW.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Can you still send your next project even if they don't specifically ask to see it? Of course! Do your research, due diligence, follow guidelines, etc. You don't need permission. Just again, please, take this as a huge compliment. We do not say this to everyone, or just to be polite.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Okay, I just did a little math for you (thank you, GSuite tags!). I said I'd like to see the next project to 3.96% of rejected queries. And I feel like I'm pretty generous with it. So. This is RARE and SPECIAL. Please believe agents when they say this.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
And it bears repeating: 1) Agents don't have time to lie! If they say they'd love to see your next work, they mean it. 2) Any personalization AT ALL, even if it feels mean, is a compliment. They wouldn't bother if they didn't see potential.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
If you're thinking, "But Jessica, what if I get a request and I don't respond RIGHT AWAY," please allow me to reassure you: we don't need them that quickly. Yes, sometimes, I sit around hitting refresh hoping it comes in ASAP. But one business day is fast enough. Promise. Even two.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
A reminder that I think it's a great idea to set up an email address JUST for your submissions. This way, you won't be in the middle of dinner--or, worse, your birthday! As happened to a writer I know--and get a crushing rejection. Don't give rejections unlimited access to you. Let Gmail help.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Interesting! I've seen the lock boxes with a timer... And no, I immediately turn wifi back on if I just turn it off.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
That's true! Amtrak wifi is amazingly spotty. I thought about the Amtrak writing scholarship for this--maybe it elongates time *and* increases focus! For some reason if I unplug my router too much it stops working, and the internet guy told me to quit it. But in an ideal world, yes!
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Ha! Yes, nature's floss!
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
I learned yesterday that Einstein said as you increase your own personal velocity, time slows down. So does that mean we should spend more time on trains? I like trains. Worth a try! Luckily, I have a client in Physics. I'll annoy him with this question during our next call.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
If anyone has any tips for: 1) Slowing down time 2) Turning down the volume of the world I am very interested
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Also, why is celery? Other than "ants on a log" (peanut butter and raisins), and I guess mirepoix, I'm not really sure what it's for.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Oh my gosh! I love that they did this for you too! My mom taught at that preschool at the time. She'll love this story! Also, I'm going to ask what happened when they took it away, haha.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
I find it really hard to focus these days. I read recently that cocoa powder helps with focus, so I've been adding it to my coffee with a tiny battery-operated whisk. I figured I love chocolate-covered pistachio, so adding to pistachio milk would work, and it does! If nothing else, hey, chocolate.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Here's my two-read method: 1) I read everything in my inbox once, clicking the "Next email" button, requesting along the way. I do this because, selfishly, an immediate "Yes! Love!" is more urgent--I need to request before it gets an offer. 2) I read again, replying, giving each another chance.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Granted, before 2020, it was reasonable to expect 2-12 week waits for queries, 3-6 months for fulls. But now, well, I suspect a lot of us are taking longer, waiting for moments with focus, which are more rare, with the world so loud. That may just be me! But I suspect that's a lot of it.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
I'm not sure where the "three months is a definite no" came from, but most folks I know take much longer!
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Thank you! There's something about the world feeling *so loud* lately. It makes it harder to concentrate, and I want to be sure to give everyone proper focus. I'm not breaking any land speed records, but I am reading!
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Also, I remember my preschool had us reenact stone soup--they started with a washed stone and each kid brought an ingredient. The adults took it away and (like cooking show magic) brought back real soup...anyway, I loved that. 😃
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Thank you! Yes! It just feels disrespectful to have half my brain thinking about something else while reading something someone put years of work into. And if I'm kind of listening to my brain be like "Dystopia, other scary thing" then I may miss words in front of me. Which is unfair to everyone.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Another unusual comparison I've made lately: Books can be like soup. I tend not to like a clear broth. I like something with variations in texture, layers of flavor that build over time. The sort of thing that has not only onions and garlic and spices, but maybe some lemon juice drizzled on top.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
In terms of headspace, and because I just hung one up, I'm thinking about queries like hanging window crystals. Sometimes you have to look at them from the right angle to see the amazing effects (rainbows!) they make. Highly recommend. They come in many shapes to amuse you and your cat.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
I don't have an exact date to open, but you, Bluesky, will be the first to know! After my agency, of course.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
As I prepare to open again to queries in 2026, I wanted to mention that, with everything going on in the world (I try to only read queries when I can really focus) and my personal method (reading each one twice, in case I'm in the wrong headspace), I can't emphasize this enough: 3 months ≠ a no.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Hey Scott! Happy New Year to you too! Hope you achieve everything you'd like for your writing this year.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
I'd have to ask permission! There's a certain buoyancy, though. I suspect he's truly delighted by the work and all the things it can do.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
What a great way to pitch your work! I'm interested!
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Reposted by Jessica Sinsheimer
🦋V. Bohème🦋 @vboheme.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
Anyone else in our #WritingCommunity attending the Manuscript Academy Comps workshop tonight?✍️ Literary agent @jsinsheim.bsky.social is amazing--one might say InCOMParable😁! #5AMWritersClub #AmWriting #BookSky📚
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
Aww, thank you so much! So glad you liked it!
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
I know there are so many rules about revisions, and of course you shouldn't just keep sending them, without asking, over + over. In general, you get one per agent. THAT SAID, if I haven't read yet, you're saving me time if I read the latest and greatest ONCE, versus all versions. So, please ask.
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Jessica Sinsheimer @jsinsheim.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
And so rare! Most of the time I read them and feel bad. I think this is one of the first times I've felt buoyed.
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