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The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Archives for Tamela Hancock Murray

Tamela Hancock Murray

I Have No Book. What Do I Talk About?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 29, 2025
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Many authors feel stymied by the dilemma of not having anything to talk about to build a platform and interest in a book that isn’t under contract. Yet as wordsmiths, authors can create entertaining and meaningful content to find a tribe. To wit:

  1. Talk about other people’s books. What are you reading? Why? What did you like about the book? Why is this one of your favorite authors? Author interviews are also fun.
  2. Show us pictures of your office pet. Who doesn’t love seeing a cute pet, or even a cantankerous pet?
  3. Where have you traveled lately? Photos posted after you have returned from a lovely trip, even if you traveled only a few miles from your house, always provide great visuals.
  4. How is your book coming along? What is a struggle for you? What gives you joy? Have your characters gotten from Point A to Point B today, as planned?
  5. What gives you joy? Cheerful posts to make others smile should keep them interested.
  6. Bible verses that inspire you. Ask your readers to post their favorites too.
  7. Discouragements, Disappointments, and Difficulties. Within reason. Discovering that authors don’t always live in a fantasy world helps readers relate to you.
  8. Your book. Why are you writing this book? What do you hope readers will love about your work, once it’s published?
  9. Your publishing journey. Share the ups and downs in an uplifting way.

These are only a few ideas. The goal is to provide content your potential readers will enjoy. Let them know you care about them, and make your visit to their IN box worth their time.

To brainstorm more, sign up for author newsletters. What do they say and share that appeals to you?

I hope our blog readers will share ideas too.

 

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Category: Branding, Marketing, Platform

Platform Now, Agents Later

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon September 17, 2025
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Many authors, understandably, seek to discover if there’s enough interest in their work for them to toil to build a platform. If there is no interest in Devotionals for Grasshopper Farmers Who Crochet, then why go to the trouble and expense? One, if you discover on your own that exactly fourteen people will buy your devotional, and ten of them are your mother and her friends, that’s a good thing. …

Read morePlatform Now, Agents Later
Category: Platform

Too Early for an Agent?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 20, 2025
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In speaking with authors and receiving proposals, I often learn that authors WILL: Establish a website Find endorsers Start a newsletter Start a blog Line up speaking engagements Hop on social media These plans are great. Unfortunately, they are plans. They are not what is already in place to show a publisher how the author will be a partner in selling the book. We prefer to: Visit an author …

Read moreToo Early for an Agent?
Category: Marketing, Platform, The Writing Life

Choosing Nonfiction to Read

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon July 30, 2025
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An unscientific Internet search shows that currently, four million books are published each year, with the U.S. leading the pack with over 275,000. So choosing which books to read can be daunting. I struggle to read every book that interests me, much less those on the fringes. I try to be careful with nonfiction. Since I’m interested in a number of topics, I quickly go down the proverbial rabbit …

Read moreChoosing Nonfiction to Read
Category: Personal

Honoring the Lord with Our Leisure Time

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 25, 2025
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Anyone looking for entertainment can find it everywhere: television, streaming, social media. And, thankfully, books! With so much fun, we all must be discerning when choosing what to consume, and how to spend the portion of our time allotted to leisure. To that end, recently I’ve chosen to spend some of my free time reading classic books I missed for one reason or another. Through this process, …

Read moreHonoring the Lord with Our Leisure Time
Category: Inspiration, Personal

Say auf Wiedersehen to Your Darlings

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 28, 2025
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I was in the middle of an important call on my office phone when my cell phone sang its little melody. SCHEDULING DEPT I hadn’t scheduled any appointments, so I let it go. The phone summoned me again less than a minute later. SCHEDULING DEPT Goodness! This must be urgent. I hung up on the other person with a promise to call back. SCHEDULING DEPT turned out to be a salesperson calling from a home …

Read moreSay auf Wiedersehen to Your Darlings
Category: Pitching

The Right Conference for Me?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 16, 2025
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I joke that if I didn’t like my husband, I could arrange to be away at writers conferences 90% of the time. The truth is, Christian publishing blesses industry professionals with many excellent opportunities, including classes, worship, professional speakers, the chance to meet top agents, editors, and writers, along with mentorships and fellowship, to name a few. Each conference is unique and …

Read moreThe Right Conference for Me?
Category: Conferences

Think Like a Marketer

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon March 19, 2025
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When we submit a book to a major publishing house, we forget how much money we are asking them to invest in us. Consider the publisher’s commitment to pay top editors for several rounds of edits, artists for the cover design, and the sales team for marketing. I’m leaving out key people, but you get the idea. Emphasizing your marketing knowledge and ability helps a proposal shine. When writing your …

Read moreThink Like a Marketer
Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, Marketing, Pitching

Evaluating Surprise Contract Offers

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 19, 2025
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If you don’t work with an agent and you receive unexpected interest in your books, here are guidelines that may keep you from signing a contract that doesn’t further your career: Make no hurried promises over the phone or email. Take the time you need to assess the offer and interest. Legitimate book publishing normally moves slowly, so anyone demanding immediate decisions should be regarded with …

Read moreEvaluating Surprise Contract Offers
Category: Contracts, Get Published, The Writing LifeTag: Scams

Tips for Mentoring Writer Friends

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 29, 2025
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You’ve undoubtedly done everything listed below since you’re one of our readers. However, based on the many unsolicited submissions we receive, many new authors still need to follow good advice. If you’re mentoring new authors, we suggest recommending the following: Please Read and Follow Our Guidelines As Steve Laube says, “We are not hiding.” We feature our …

Read moreTips for Mentoring Writer Friends
Category: Get Published
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