Hard to believe it’s less than 30 days before Christmas!
Enjoy the full version of this year’s Hobby Lobby advert. It should make you smile. As someone wrote, “It’s an entire Hallmark movie in 1:21.”
[If you cannot see the embedded video in your newsletter email, please click the headline and go directly to our site to view it.]
Did you notice that today can be rendered as 11202020? Just thought I’d mention it. Has nothing to do with today’s video–unless you want it to! Aaron Yoder has been the world’s fastest backwards runner. He can run the mile in under six minutes, backwards. How many of you can …
by Steve Laube
Last week I was asked to define what is meant when an author is deemed “high maintenance” by an agent or a publisher. The more I thought about this the more I realized how difficult it is to quantify. Any attempt to do so is fraught with potential misunderstanding because most people are looking for specific rules to follow.
Normally “high maintenance” is a description of someone who is difficult to work with or is constantly in need of attention. It can be anyone from a “diva” to a “rookie.” The best way to express the issue is in the following word picture:
When you contract with an agent or a publisher you are granted a large measure of “Good Will” in the form of a bag of gold coins. You are free to spend these coins however you wish during the course of the business relationship. The cover design is completely wrong? Spend some coins. The marketing plan appears weak. Spend some coins. And as time goes by and positive things happen you receive more gold coins for your bag.
However, many authors make the mistake of spending their entire bag of coins the first time something goes wrong. And then the next time they need a favor or a special dispensation there isn’t any “Good Will” left.
I think there are three areas where these relationships can break down.
Today’s video is one of those brilliant and clever mashups of video clips matched to a familiar song. According to its creator, not a single clip was sped up or slowed down to match the music. It has the appearance of a master choreographer! Can you name all the movies …
Today is a special day in the United States where we honor our veterans. It is our opportunity to thank and celebrate all those who have served our country in military service. Thank you for your service!
By request, here are my Ten Commandments for working with your agent. Break them at your own peril.
Thou shalt vent only to thine agent and never directly to thy publisher or editor. Thou shalt not get whipped into a frenzy by the rumor mill fomented by internet loops, groups, Facebook, or blogs. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s success. Be content with thine own contract. Thou shalt not get whipped into a frenzy by the rumor mill fomented by internet loops, groups, Facebook, or blogs.
We normally hear this song played by strings. But what if this segment of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” was played at hyperspeed by the brass section? Enjoy today’s breathtaking feast! [If you cannot see the embedded video in your newsletter email, please click the headline and go directly to our site …
I spent the first 11 years of my career working in a local Christian bookstore. It was a huge learning experience. I like to say, “The Christian bookstore is the only place in town where there is an ecumenical meeting every day. But no ones knows about it!” Ours was …
On March 1 a worship song called “The Blessing” was first introduced to the congregation at Elevation Church near Charlotte, North Carolina (written by members of their staff). A couple weeks later, during the coronavirus lockdown, a group of thirty churches in Pittsburg performed it on Easter Sunday in a …
It’s time to start that great novel you’ve been wanting to write for years. You have the story in mind and even the names of the main characters. But what about the other bit players in your story? What names do you give them? Some authors use relatives or childhood …
