Sometimes humor and parody strike a little too close, but funny nonetheless. Enjoy this very clever send up of how to become a successful Christian music artist!
Fun Fridays – January 27, 2016
Blog
Comparisons: A Losing Proposition
Do not compare one person with another: it is a hateful thing to do. – St. Teresa of Avila I think this is one of the hardest of St. Teresa’s 69 maxims. After all, we make comparisons between others every day. Some are not healthy, such as, “Who is my favorite in-law?” Does it matter? Should you form an opinion to justify treating one person better than another? Or worse, use an unfavorable …
New Year, New First Lines!
Are you as stunned as I am that we’re already weeks into 2017? I figure the beginning of an all-new year is a great time to share our all-new first lines! I love seeing what you all are working on, so jump in and share the first line—and ONLY the first line—of your current work in progress. Fiction, nonfiction, children’s book, whatever. Let the sharing begin! Here’s mine: His first breath …
How Self-Publishing Has Changed Authors
As a literary agent, not a day goes by when I don’t encounter the changes in thinking from authors caused by the expansion and availability of self-publishing. It’s understandable, because there are over twice as many books self-published every year in the United States than are published by traditional publishers. Traditional and self-publishing generate over one million new books every …
A Roundup of Some Queries
Periodically we try to show you some of the more unusual things we receive, unsolicited, by our agency. These are by no means all of them (not exhaustive…just exhausting). Just a few to help those who read this blog avoid the same mistakes. Disclaimer: We do not suggest that any of these writers are insincere. In fact it is evident they believe in what they are presenting. But at the same …
Fun Fridays – January 20, 2017
I’ve said for years that the “separation” between the Christian and the General publishing markets is more of a hedge than a wall. And yet it can still be daunting to traverse.
Unreliable Statistics
Facts can lie…depending on how that are presented or understood. Today I’ll keep this blog post focused on writers choosing a literary agent, based on one question. When choosing a literary agent, authors need to make assessments. Some authors ask agents questions such as, “How many deals did you make last year?” or other questions requiring a response involving some sort of number. …
The Seeds of Great Ideas
Thanks so much for sharing your tips and sources for ideas last week. What fun to read your thoughts and insights. I’d invite you all to review those comments from time to time, considering if one or more of them might not help you expand the ways you develop ideas. For today, though, I want to encourage you to give something a try, and that’s an Idea Journal. This isn’t a regular journal. It’s …
Media Changes and The Writer
The other day, a copy of the new Yellow Pages and phone directory was delivered to our house. As I picked it up off the front step, I was reminded it has been years since I even looked at one. The recycling container has it now. I suppose I will regret tossing it if I lose internet access for a long time, or if I need to level a wobbly table, but the fact a Yellow Pages edition is still produced …
Ask Me Anything – TeleSeminar Invitation
If you could ask me ANY question you wanted about writing or publishing for the Christian writer, what would your question be? Here is your chance. I will be the guest on a live 70 minute TeleSeminar hosted by Terry Whalin tomorrow, January 17th at 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern Time. The event is free. All you need to do is write your question at http://www.askstevelaube.com. In exchange for entering …