Steve Laube

Fun Fridays – March 9, 2018

By Steve Laubeon March 9, 2018

It is Spring Training time for Major League Baseball. Fifteen teams come to Arizona (the other 15 are in Florida) for the month of March. A lot of fans come to watch (1.9 million last year).

In honor of a new baseball season we just have to watch the classic “Who’s on First” by Abbot and Costello. When I was in high school I remember performing this with my Dad at a church get together held in our home. We laughed so hard we could barely finish.

Below that is another version of the classic you may enjoy.

Below is a parody of the above classic with Johnny Carson playing President Reagan and Fred Holliday playing Jim Baker, his chief of staff.

Your Money is Your Business or Keep a Lid on How Much Money You Make

By Steve Laubeon March 5, 2018

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How much should author friends reveal to each other about contracts or other business dealings when they have business with the same publisher?

I think it is a huge mistake to reveal the amount of your advances to other authors. This is similar to finding out the salary of the co-worker in the office cubicle next to yours. When I was a retail store manager we had major problems when salaries …

Category: Book Business, Career, Communication, MoneyTag: Book Business, Contracts, Facebook, Gossip, Money, rumors

Fun Friday – March 2, 2018

By Steve Laubeon March 2, 2018

I’m trying to imagine this young lady pitching her book to me during an appointment at a writers conference. Imagine how much she could present in only 15 non-stop minutes! There have been times where someone’s nerves kicked their verbal presentation into high gear and they ended up emulating her talent. Please don’t do that! I would prefer a tranquil conversation. If you start …

Category: Fun Fridays

Six Questions for a Literary Agent

By Steve Laubeon February 26, 2018

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1. What should a client expect from you as an agent?

That I will work hard.
That I will keep on top of the ever changing marketplace.
That I will maintain my integrity as a businessman of honor and honesty.
That I will protect your interests.
That I will tell you the truth, about the industry, about your writing, about your ideas.

Category: Agency, Book BusinessTag: Agents, Book Business, Proposals, Rejection

Fun Fridays – February 23, 2018

By Steve Laubeon February 23, 2018

There are two videos today, related to each other, that tell a wonderful story. Watch the first to see how an idea for literally serving a community of children becomes a mission. Raised in France and Italy, Bruno Serato came to the United States with $200 in his pocket in 1980. Twenty-five years later his momma came to visit and everything changed. (More after the video.) Five years after the …

Category: Fun Fridays

Fun Fridays – February 16, 2018

By Steve Laubeon February 16, 2018

The bookstore that makes no money! I want one in my neighborhood…

Category: Fun Fridays

What’s on Your Shelf?

By Steve Laubeon February 12, 2018

A series of interview questions that dig into my reading life. What’s on your nightstand right now? I am an extremely eclectic reader and have dozens of books waiting for attention. In fiction I’m currently reading Run Program by Scott Meyer a science-fiction story of a newly developed artificial intelligence program that “gets out” of the lab and is now running loose on the Internet – with all …

Category: Personal, ReadingTag: Books, fiction, Nonfiction, Reading

Fun Fridays – February 9, 2018

By Steve Laubeon February 9, 2018

Did you know we lost 10 letters from the English alphabet? Amaze your friends with today’s video. Better yet, write an entire sentence using these old letters and feel medieval and scholastic at the same time. Here is my attempt: In þe morniŋ ƿas þe æther around uƒ. Enjoy.

Category: Fun Fridays

Once in a Blue Moon Publishing

By Steve Laubeon February 5, 2018

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Someone called the other day and asked, “If I’ve self-published my book and want you to consider it for representation, should I even bother sending it? Or am I toast?” I answered, “It depends.” [For you regular readers, do you think that should become the motto of the Agency?] The question suggests it is an either/or proposition…determined by a set of rules that cannot be broken. The reality is …

Category: Book Proposals, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Independent Publishing, Movie rights, Traditional Publishing

Fun Fridays – February 2, 2018

By Steve Laubeon February 2, 2018

This video is too funny! Wouldn’t it be hilarious if you could program your “Digital Assistant” like this? Oh wait…I think that day might be closer than we can imagine. Meanwhile enjoy this creative satire!

Category: Fun Fridays