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Home » Archives for Dan Balow » Page 34

Dan Balow

Publishers are From Mercury, Authors are From Pluto

By Dan Balowon August 19, 2014
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Next time someone tells you that Christianity is not as valid as science, just remind them that not many years ago, Pluto was assumed to be a planet, but in 2006 was determined not to be one, but instead was a “dwarf planet”, of which there a several dozen in our solar system alone.

If you took a test in grade school and answered, “How many planets are there in our solar system” with the number “eight” and were marked incorrect and the grade from that test prevented you from attending college, you have grounds for a lawsuit against the scientific community.  (so says my attorney Rich Suethemall)

Ten years ago, Pluto was a planet and Jesus Christ was the Son of God who came to save us from our sin.  Today, Pluto is not a planet and Jesus is still the same. So tell me, which is more reliable, science or our Christian faith?

For the record, I answered “nine” on the grade school test about how many planets orbited our sun.  So, I was admitted to college under false pretenses. Thankfully the statute of limitations on recalling diplomas has passed.

Of course, I titled this blog post to get your attention, with credit to John Gray and his Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars book from many years ago.  My point is that publishers and authors are usually not on the same planet either. (DISCLAIMER: Placing authors on a now-defunct planet was for effect only. My attorney did a legal reading of this post and recommended I make sure that was clear.)

More often than not, authors (especially never-before published authors) are writing books on subjects that publishers are not interested in publishing.  Of course, book publishing is not a science, but a mix of science and art, which makes publishers a moving target, or orbiting planet, as far as authors are concerned.

Publishers have publishing strategies (science), but if they see a proposal their intuition says will sell (art), they will deviate from their strategy. Their heart might trump their head.

Authors, especially new authors, will write from their heart (art), crafting a manuscript based on something that is important to them, or inspired by something in their lives. Because most new authors are writing from the perspective of what they want to communicate and not from a study of market trends, authors become planets in their own trajectory.

So, how do these two planets eventually get into a closer orbit?  More often than not they do not find each other.  To prove this point, note that a couple years ago, the number of self-published titles began to outnumber the titles published by traditional publishers.

Literary agents want to sell books to publishers. So, we listen to publishers and evaluate potential new authors through the perspective of what we know of publishers’ preferences.  If publishers are not looking to buy a certain type of book and you present that same type of book that has been a passion of yours, don’t be offended when they don’t see things the way you do.  Agents are the literary equivalent to a dating service, trying to match up authors and publishers, but even eHarmonycom isn’t 100% successful.

Most authors, whether they are published or not-yet-published, rarely consider the issue of what publishers are looking for when they sit down to write.

Imagine this…you are asked to give a speech to a student assembly at your local high school. Excited about the opportunity, you set off to craft a speech that you want to deliver.  Teens these days have no respect for authority, drugs and alcohol are bad for them, sex is intended for marriage, work hard so you can get into a good college, stop putting toilet paper on the trees in my neighborhood, etc.  You plan a one-hour speech.

Upon arriving at the school, prepared to set everyone straight once and for all, you discover that the assembly is 25 minutes long and the purpose was to encourage the students following the tragic death of a popular teacher.

If only you had asked on what planet the students were living, you probably would have been more effective.

Knowing your audience is the first rule of effective communication. If you never consider what publishers are looking for, don’t be surprised or offended if you are rejected.

Agents strive to see the world through the eyes of publishers, because we want to match up authors and publishers. When we decline to represent an author, it is because we can’t envision a publisher who is looking for what you wrote.

Authors should pay attention to what readers, agents and publishers want rather than focusing only on what you want to say. All three groups want to publish books and since publishers haven’t mastered space travel yet, it is the responsibility of authors to travel to a planet a little closer to Mercury.

Agents? We live on a starship and travel to every planet on a regular route. Each of us has a phaser (set to stun) and a pet Tribble to keep us company.

 

 

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Category: Book Business, Career, Communication, The Publishing LifeTag: Authors, Book Business, publishers, The Publishing Life

8 Things Authors Should No Longer Ask Their Publisher

By Dan Balowon August 12, 2014
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Publishing is changing faster than ever before.  Book publishers have been wrenching to find new business models that make them more flexible, efficient and adaptable to the realities of the digital publishing age. Within this fast-change world, another group who has felt the pain of shifting tectonic plates are authors who have been around publishing for ten or more years.  Some issues that used …

Read more8 Things Authors Should No Longer Ask Their Publisher
Category: Book Business, CareerTag: Book Business, Career, publishing

Etch-A-Sketch Living

By Dan Balowon August 5, 2014
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Like everyone else in the world, I had an Etch-A-Sketch when I was young. When my wife and I had kids, we bought one for them as well. (You really only need one in the house) I have great admiration for anyone who could draw anything resembling anything identifiable on it, since the only thing I could draw were stairs. The best part of an Etch-A-Sketch was also its worst.  If you messed up on a …

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Category: Book Business, The Publishing Life, TheologyTag: Faith, The Publishing Life

The World Rages

By Dan Balowon July 29, 2014
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One hundred years ago this week, the Great War began. It was the war that was supposed to end all wars. The world decided it was about time to get all their anger out at once and then go back to living in peace.  Following the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria on June 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary and Serbia decided they had had enough of civility and started fighting.  A world war …

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Category: The Writing LifeTag: Faith, The Writing Life, Theology

Acquisitions Director: God

By Dan Balowon July 22, 2014
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This subject has been covered before by smarter people at our agency, but I am hoping that Steve Laube considers imitation truly the greatest form of flattery! Every aspiring or experienced Christian author is alerted to avoid mentioning that “God told me to write this book” when speaking to an agent or publisher.  Why is that? Reason #1: Working within the Christian publishing world there should …

Read moreAcquisitions Director: God
Category: Get PublishedTag: Get Published, Pitching, Theology

Publishing in the Rear View Mirror

By Dan Balowon July 15, 2014
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Every author, either self or traditionally published would like to write a book that sells today, but also tomorrow, next week and next year. Book publishing in all of it’s forms is the art of trying to predict what readers will want to buy in the future. I use the term “art” to describe publishing because no one who has been involved in book publishing for more than two weeks thinks it is 100% …

Read morePublishing in the Rear View Mirror
Category: Book BusinessTag: Book Business, Publishing History, The Publishing Life

It’s Not Who You Know

By Dan Balowon July 8, 2014
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From the third season of the 90’s sitcom Seinfeld, this classic interchange: Car Rental Agent: I’m sorry, we have no mid-size available at the moment.  Jerry: I don’t understand, I made a reservation, do you have my reservation? Agent: Yes, we do, unfortunately we ran out of cars. Jerry: But the reservation keeps the car here. That’s why you have the reservation. Agent: I know …

Read moreIt’s Not Who You Know
Category: Branding, Platform, Social Media, TrendsTag: Marketing, Platform, Social Media

Bestselling Books in 1974

By Dan Balowon July 1, 2014
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Starting today, and every six months, we are going to take a ride in the “way-back” machine (with special acknowledgment to Mr. Peabody and Sherman), traveling back in time to grab a snapshot of what books were selling on a particular date and year. To get an idea where publishing is today, it’s good to get an idea where we have been. Forty years ago this week, half-way through 1974 here were the …

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Category: Book Business, Dan, TrendsTag: Bestsellers, Books, Trends

A Brave Heart

By Dan Balowon June 24, 2014
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The 2014 Christy Awards were held last night in Atlanta, Georgia. Check the Christy Award’s website for the winners and other information. Three years ago in 2011, when the International Christian Retail Show was last held in Atlanta, the keynote speaker for the Christy Awards was Randall Wallace, who had a novel about to release from Tyndale House. Mr. Wallace is known for his writing and work in …

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Category: Awards, Book Business, Creativity, Dan, ICRS, The Publishing LifeTag: Book Business, Christy Awards, publishing, The Publishing Life

God’s Map

By Dan Balowon June 17, 2014
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“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps” (Proverbs 16:9, NLT) This has significant implications for authors and book publishers. Over my career, I observe cases that prove that “your future is determined more by your successes than by your plans.” Anyone who knows me has probably heard me say that at one point or another, multiple times. Of course, that statement is flawed, …

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Category: Dan, TheologyTag: Christian, Planning, Theology
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