• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Interview with Steve Laube
    • Statement of Faith
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Guidelines
  • Authors
    • Who We Represent
    • Awards and Recognition
  • Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Christian Writers Market Guide Online
    • Christian Writers Institute
    • Writers Conferences
    • Freelance Editorial Services
    • Copyright Resources
    • Research Tools
    • Selling What You Write
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • FaceBook
  • RSS Feed
  • Get Published
  • Book Proposals
  • Book Business
  • Writing Craft
    • Conferences
    • Copyright
    • Craft
    • Creativity
    • Grammar
  • Fun Fridays
Home » Archives for Dan Balow » Page 11

Dan Balow

The Writer, Alone in a Village

By Dan Balowon September 29, 2021
Share
Tweet
8

Writing is a strange pursuit. A writer works endless hours in solitary, personal work then, after what seems like an eternity, takes their work out to a world of editors, agents, critics, and readers.

Even if you self-publish and desire to skip any outside editorial input, your work will be picked up and read by people who will either endorse or criticize, letting you know right away what they think.

Professional writers balance individual and collaborative aspects of the work. Print media writers were always at the mercy of their editors. Often, the final published column or article bore little resemblance to what was originally submitted, at least in length, if not substance.

I’m reminded of a quote from the designer of the BMC Mini automobile in 1959, when he said, “A camel is a horse designed by a committee.” The Mini was named the second most-influential car of the 20th century, after the Model T Ford. The inference from Sir Alec Issigonis is that collaboration can go terribly wrong. Sure, this can happen; but camels are still valuable and interesting animals, just a little different than the blueprints for a horse. And they can go longer without water.

The tension you feel when criticism is leveled at you in the editing process can be transformed into constructive iron-sharpening if you submit yourself to the type of creative collaboration found in small writers groups or at one of the many writers conferences held throughout the year. While you may write alone, you are part of a “village,” offering support, encouragement, and helpful critique. Since what you write in private eventually goes public, exposing it to mostly supportive constructive criticism before it goes out into the world can only be positive.

You are an individual, reliant on a village. And then you become part of the village supporting others along the way. There’s a metaphor from nature that explains this better than I could ever hope to.

Aspen trees are beautiful parts of God’s creation. But what looks like a single tree is simply an above-ground manifestation of a massive root system that connects thousands of trees. If you gaze across a mountainside or valley at a huge aspen forest, you are actually looking at one organism.

Above ground, they appear to be individual trees; but they are supported by an interconnected single root system.

Applying this to your life, family, church, or the body of Christ in general illuminates how God uses nature to give us a glimpse into some understanding of how he works.

Don’t be an unconnected solitary writer. You won’t weather the challenges.

For a great article on aspens, click here.

Leave a Comment
Category: The Writing Life

What if Platform Is the Goal?

By Dan Balowon September 16, 2021
Share
Tweet
40

We’ve been here before on this blog, discussing author platforms and how to get one. It’s a never-ending process, and it has always been a requirement for authors. If you find yourself talking about author platforms and believe “Gone are the days when an author could just write,” you are not completely accurate. Top authors from the “old days” were magazine or newspaper columnists with tens of …

Read moreWhat if Platform Is the Goal?
Category: Platform

Searching for Books

By Dan Balowon September 8, 2021
Share
Tweet
5

Online search engines are immensely powerful, often anticipating what you want and asking, “Did you mean _____?” when it doesn’t locate what you typed. This is very helpful because making your book as findable online as possible is critical since online book sales are pretty important! Making your book discoverable online is all about keywords. Read a good explanation of them by clicking on the …

Read moreSearching for Books
Category: Book Sales, Branding, Marketing, Self-Publishing, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

Men Read Too

By Dan Balowon August 26, 2021
Share
Tweet
20

I first wrote about “Writing to Men” in this post five years ago. I still hold the same opinions about this issue, but today I want to take a different angle. One of the many factors explaining why more books are not read by men and more authors don’t write to men is that we tend to view them as a singular group who are all alike. Not so for women, as there are books for just about every life …

Read moreMen Read Too
Category: Book Sales, Trends

Author Statement of Faith

By Dan Balowon August 18, 2021
Share
Tweet
12

I hope this isn’t a surprise, but if you put a hundred random, but devoted Christ-followers in a room, you would probably end up with a few differing opinions on a variety of theological issues. Hopefully, the disagreements wouldn’t be related to the essentials of the faith; but I suspect there would be some discussion over what is essential and what is not. As long as we disagree about some …

Read moreAuthor Statement of Faith
Category: Get Published, The Writing Life, Theology

The Pressure Is Off

By Dan Balowon August 5, 2021
Share
Tweet
16

Last week, I wrote about the pressure on writers to write well and compelling enough to gain and keep readers. Today, I promise to take some pressure off. For Christian writers only, if you feel the pressure to affect a reader’s life rests entirely on your own ability to write well, here are some red-letter words direct from the Creator God. From the Old Testament book of Job, chapter 38, verses …

Read moreThe Pressure Is Off
Category: Book Business, Inspiration, The Writing Life, Theology

The Pressure Is On

By Dan Balowon July 28, 2021
Share
Tweet
9

For anyone creating material in any media, pressure is high, not only to gain users but to keep users. Just because someone subscribes or buys what you create doesn’t mean they are using it. I’ve seen several studies indicating for an average book only 60% that are purchased are ever opened. Let that statistic sink in. And since dedicated e-book devices and smartphones are two-way communicators, …

Read moreThe Pressure Is On
Category: Book Business, Technology, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

Publishing’s Historical Markers

By Dan Balowon July 15, 2021
Share
Tweet
6

Seventy-five years ago this week, The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care by Benjamin Spock was first published. That’s Doctor Spock, so relax, Trekkies among us. Only a handful of books published throughout history could have other books written about them. This is one of them. It sold more than 50,000,000 total copies in several dozen languages. From 1946 to the late 90s, most people agreed …

Read morePublishing’s Historical Markers
Category: Historical, Publishing History

Coping With Publishing Conflict

By Dan Balowon July 7, 2021
Share
Tweet
8

Here’s a big secret about book publishers: Human beings work there. Even literary agencies have humans working for them. The myth circulating that asserts agents are ET beings using AI processes is greatly exaggerated. So, for the time being, since humans are still involved in the publishing process, the best way to cope with conflict (author vs. editor, author vs. publisher, author vs. author, …

Read moreCoping With Publishing Conflict
Category: Book Business, The Writing Life

Imagining Your Reader

By Dan Balowon June 24, 2021
Share
Tweet
12

Most mass communication originates in solitude. Before delivering a public speech, pressing the Post button on a text-based article or blog, delivering an audio podcast or webinar, or taping a video, the creator of the material sits alone and ponders what they will communicate. During this alone time, a content creator should also be thinking of an audience. For authors, since you are rarely …

Read moreImagining Your Reader
Category: The Writing Life
  • Previous
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 9
  • Page 10
  • Page 11
  • Page 12
  • Page 13
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 39
  • Next

Sidebar

Get Blog Updates

Enter your email address to get new blog updates delivered via email. You can unsubscribe at any time.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Grow as a Writer


Find Out More →

Popular Posts

Top Posts on Book Proposals
  • Hints for a Great Cover Letter
  • The Keys to a Great Book Proposal
  • What Steve Laube is Looking For
  • Book Proposals I’d Love to See – Tamela Hancock Murray
  • What I’m Looking for – Bob Hostetler
  • What I’m Looking for – Dan Balow
  • What I’m Looking for – Lynette Eason
  • What’s the Best Way to Submit My Self-Published Book?
  • What Is the Agent Doing While I Wait?
  • God Gave Me This Blog Post
Top Posts on The Business Side
  • When Your Book Becomes Personal
  • The Myth of the Unearned Advance
  • How Long Does it Take to Get Published?
  • What Are Average Book Sales?
  • Can You Plagiarize Yourself?
  • Never Burn a Bridge
  • Who Decides to Publish Your Book?
  • That Conference Appointment
  • Goodbye to Traditional Publishing?
  • Who Owns Whom in Publishing?
  • Ten Commandments for Working with Your Agent
  • Writers Beware! Protect Yourself
Top Series
  • Book Proposal Basics
  • Publishing A-Z
  • A Defense of Traditional Publishing
Top Posts on Rejection
  • The Slush Pile: Enter at Your Own Risk
  • Even the Best Get Rejected
  • Five Reasons Why You May Never Get Published
  • The Unhelpful Rejection Letter
  • Writers Learn to Wait

Blog Post Archives by Month

  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Interview with Steve Laube
    • Statement of Faith
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Guidelines
  • Authors
    • Who We Represent
    • Awards and Recognition
  • Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Christian Writers Market Guide Online
    • Christian Writers Institute
    • Writers Conferences
    • Freelance Editorial Services
    • Copyright Resources
    • Research Tools
    • Selling What You Write
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 · The Steve Laube Agency · All Rights Reserved · Website by Stormhill Media