Helping to Change the World…Word by Word
The Steve Laube Agency
Helping to Change the World Word by Word
Sometimes I feel like I’m doing what this guy does in this video.
Solving three Rubik’s Cubes…at the same time…while juggling them.
The video is six minutes long so don’t feel bad about skipping to the end. It is the metaphor for the agenting and writing life that we’re going for today… Enjoy!
I appreciate the people I interact with on social media. Rarely has anyone been unkind. However, I often see articles about social media behavior with the theme, “Please Be Civil!” and “Stop the Hating!” The writers come from a place of disquiet because they feel harassed when they see unhelpful, angry posts. That’s understandable. Here is what I try to do to help my social media outlets remain an …
Did you know there are nine ways for a batter to reach first base in the game of baseball? A few are obvious, of course. The batter could get a hit. Or a walk. Or even be hit by a pitch. But those are not the only options. The batter could reach on a fielding error. Or hit into a fielder’s choice, a play in which the fielder could throw him out at first but instead chooses to throw to another …
It is well-documented, Jesus spoke about money more than any other subject, as recorded in Scripture. He knew it was part of everyone’s life and used it often to teach a myriad of lessons. Still, money can be a polarizing topic. One of my favorite sports books is Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis. It is the story of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A’s …
Jeanine asked, “Please help me to get a picture of what happens to a manuscript that has been submitted (via email) to your office, from the time of its arrival to the time of the agent’s acceptance/rejection.” Thank you for the question Jeanine. I will first give a silly but kinda true answer of what happens in the agency as follows: We avoid looking in the incoming proposals inbox …
A few weeks ago at the Blue Ridge conference, Steve Laube gave a keynote speech during which he asked, “Except the Bible, what book changed your life?” More than one book changed my life, but the first one that popped into my mind was Looking Out for Number One by Robert J. Ringer. Despite the ruthless title, the content is practical. The message isn’t, “Step on anyone and everyone to get to the …
Several decades ago, the British magazine, The Linguist printed a graphic with the phrase, “The strongest drive is not to Love or Hate; it is one person’s need to change another’s copy.” In the cartoon, the word “change” was crossed out and replaced first by amend, then by revise, alter, rewrite, chop to pieces, then back to “change.” I am not sure whether the cartoon necessarily struck a …
With Summer in full mid-form and some planning the rest of their year’s writing efforts, I thought it might be a good chance for you to post below any question you might have about the publishing business. Editing? Proposals? Why so many rejections? How does it all work? Will Amazon doom us all? Are bookstores dying? etc. I only ask that you keep within the topic of writing and publishing. I …
Did you know that a classical piano solo can tell a story? Watch this one unfold!
