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The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Archives for Tamela Hancock Murray » Page 10

Tamela Hancock Murray

Grateful for Workers

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon September 2, 2021
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As we approach Labor Day this coming Monday, let’s pause for a moment of gratitude:

1.   I can read! According to Live Science, as recently as 2009, 14% (1 in 7) of American adults were considered illiterate. 14 Percent of U.S. Adults Can’t Read | Live Science Historically, women were less likely to be literate than men. As a woman, I am a thankful reader.

2.   I can work longer. Writing is difficult but not physically taxing. Because writers don’t wear out their bodies early through hard labor or risk injury by using heavy equipment, older writers can choose to keep writing. Or just keep reading!

3.   Weather conditions have little impact on my work. Since he earned his livelihood as a farmer, my grandfather walked onto the front stoop every night and stared upward at the sky to ascertain the weather conditions for the following day. One year, hail destroyed the crops, leaving the family without a source of food or income. In contrast, writers can write and profit through all types of weather.

4.   Food is easy to obtain. My husband doesn’t have to hope he can shoot a hapless rabbit randomly crossing his path while I gather berries in the nearby patch. Unlike my aunt long ago, I don’t have to run into the chicken yard and grab the slowest bird, swing it in the air to wring its neck, pluck its feathers, and then fry it for dinner. Nor must we spend hours hoping to snag whatever fish bites. I prefer visiting the market and pointing to my preferred fresh fish from a variety of ten, filleted and ready for the oven. When they were small, I always told my daughters that even King Solomon would struggle to find beautiful, fresh fruit off-season that was available to us every day.

5.   I can specialize. My grandmothers had to know how to cook and preserve food for the winter months, crochet, knit, and sew to provide clothing for the family. They had to be skilled at all sorts of tasks in running a household. Likewise, the men needed to be handy, with a range of knowledge. I enjoy cooking, along with many other household tasks. However, I can crochet and embroider for enjoyment. My family doesn’t depend on my skills. Writers can concentrate on work they love: writing.

6.   I don’t have to clock in or out. Most writers set a schedule, but the luxury of not worrying about being docked for 30 seconds of tardiness is not something everyone enjoys.

7.   I work indoors with heat and air conditioning. Yeah, those things. I’m so grateful.

I realize that many people today love working at jobs that are considered traditional labor. After a long day on the clock, some of those people go home and write. My hat’s off to you!

In honor of Labor Day, let me take a moment to thank everyone who works in such jobs as farming and trucking, and in factories, warehouses, stores, and performing other labor that makes our country a great place to live. Every day, you provide your fellow citizens with the ability to live better than ever. Because of you, those of us in publishing are free to do what we love.

Thank you!

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Category: Personal

But They Missed the Point!

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 25, 2021
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Sometimes rejection letters reveal that the reviewer may have missed the point of an author’s proposal. Upon rejecting a novel: Dear Author: Thank you for your submission. However, we are not seeking memoirs at this time. Or, upon rejecting a book of satire: Dear Esteemed Academic: Thank you for allowing us to review your dissertation on the merits of Hades. However, in October, we have plans to …

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Category: Rejection, Reviews

Tips on Comparables

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 12, 2021
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The comparables section of a book proposal is one of the most challenging for many authors. Here are a few quick tips for a successful entry: Define It The comparables section shows what books are on the market that compete with yours. Know the Purpose The purpose of providing this information is to help agents and editors position your book. Agents will use this to decide which editors need to …

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Category: Book Proposal Basics, Book Proposals

It’s New to Them

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 4, 2021
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The other day, I was surprised to see an ad for a book published fairly recently regarding Kitty Genovese, a woman murdered as bystanders watched in Queens, New York, in 1964. This case was so notorious for its study of human behavior (Why would witnesses fail to act?) that people have analyzed the event for decades. Most adults know the name and reference without blinking. But what about younger …

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Category: Creativity, Inspiration, Pitching

Our Essential Work

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon July 22, 2021
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My husband and I recently attended a ceremony for a milestone event, after which we felt depressed for several days. The memory still leaves us despondent. Why? Because no one invited the Lord. No one mentioned Him in any way, shape, or form. I waited helplessly to hear His name. Luke 17:27 rang unbidden in my mind: They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until …

Read moreOur Essential Work
Category: Personal, Theology

You’re Not the First Author to …

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon July 14, 2021
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Miss a deadline because you underestimated how long a project would take. Miss a deadline because of a family emergency or your own illness. Ask for not one, not two, not three, but four deadline extensions. Have a manuscript declared unacceptable. Cancel a contract and return your advance money Feel hurt by an editor’s harsh words. Experience a major printing error. Hate your book cover. Hate the …

Read moreYou’re Not the First Author to …
Category: The Writing Life

Should I Time My Novel’s Release to a Past Event?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon July 1, 2021
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Novelists often ask me about timing their stories to the anniversary of a significant historical event. As with most questions, no definitive right or wrong answer exists. Here are a few thoughts. Does the event capture the public’s imagination? Since most Americans make yearly plans for the July 4th holiday, that event can offer perennial plots for novelists. But to time a novel to celebrate the …

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Category: Book Proposals, Marketing, Pitching

The Back Cover Blurb

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 23, 2021
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Even in the age of online shopping, the back cover blurb is essential in helping a customer choose a book. When a reader decides between two books, the one with the best back cover copy often wins. When referring to the back cover, the reader wants to know the following: What does this book reveal? Why should I care? Nonfiction Of course, nonfiction covers a wide swath, including instructional, …

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Category: Book Proposals, Pitching, The Writing Life

How Long Should My Summary Be for a Novel?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 10, 2021
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Writers often ask about the length of a book summary for a proposal. How long should it be? I can say: The summary should be as long as you need it to be. Your goal is to present your story so an editor will want to read the book and then make an offer to publish it. If you can write a compelling summary, that’s a gift you should not be shy to use. Here are a few more tips: Present your proposal …

Read moreHow Long Should My Summary Be for a Novel?
Category: Book Proposals, Pitching

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 2, 2021
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Sometimes, interviewers ask when you first knew what you wanted to do in life. As a child, I remember aspiring to be a dancer because moving to music looked fun. But when I found this “magazine” I had made for my mother when I was ten, I realized my interests (aside from trying to get my mother to buy Cocoa Krispies cereal) tended toward my future reality. In the photo, notice that the lucky old …

Read moreWhat Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
Category: Career, Personal, The Writing Life
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