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Fun Fridays – June 10, 2016

By Steve Laubeon June 10, 2016

Watch the entire nine minute segment from last week’s “America’s Got Talent” audition. Amazing.

Now, as a writer, think of this from the judge’s perspective (or the agent or editor’s perspective). There are talented people who perform well and deserve praise. And then comes something special that stands out. Those of us on this side of the desk have experienced this many times over the years. Someone once asked a writers conference faculty panel “What is the secret to a great book?” The various panel members all smiled knowingly and agreed “We know it when we see it.”

Enjoy “knowing it when you see it.”

And after you watch the below video, find out a little more about Laura Bretan’s family and how she got her start at age seven. Then watch her blow away judges at a “Romania’s Got Talent” show in April.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCoxGV7j71c

Once You’re at the Conference…

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 9, 2016

Conferences are fun and busy. Here are some tips on how to enjoy them even more! Be Mindful of What You Eat Since many conferences have plenty of delicious food, it’s easy to overindulge. I find that if I don’t overeat, I feel better. It’s extremely important for those with allergies to avoid food with mysterious ingredients. You don’t want to find out too late that you accidentally ate a food …

Category: Conferences, Get PublishedTag: Get Published, writers conferences

The Hardest Part of Being a Writer

By Karen Ballon June 8, 2016

If there’s anything I hate to do, it’s wait. At the gas station, at the grocery store, at the doctor’s office…it’s wait, wait, wait! Drives me nuts. I want to get going, get things done, move, do something! Not just stand or sit there. If you’ve been at this writing gig for long, you’ve faced that most difficult aspect of writing. The Waiting. You scramble to refine your craft, make your …

Category: Book Proposals, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: book proposals, The Writing Life, waiting

“Dear Author,”

By Dan Balowon June 7, 2016

Authors write books to readers and once in a while a reader will write to an author. Here’s an imagined letter from a reader. As you consider viewing your work through their eyes, maybe taking a moment to actually see inside their world would change the way you approach your work. Dear author, I am no one special, I just like to read. The first books in my life were read to me, and it got me …

Category: CareerTag: Career, readers

Reaching a New Generation of Readers

By Steve Laubeon June 6, 2016

Last Friday I posted a fun song about Millennials. Earlier this year a number of articles told of a Pew Research report that declared there are more Millennials in America than Baby Boomers. There are now over 75 million people ages 18-34. Boomers (ages 51-69) are no longer the largest demographic. (And there are more 22-years-olds today than any other age group.) This was inevitable, of course, …

Category: Book Business, Career, Creativity, TrendsTag: Book Business, Career, readers, Trends

Fun Fridays – June 3, 2016

By Steve Laubeon June 3, 2016

Gotta love Millennials. This song will help you spell it correctly every time…and has a fun message too!

Category: Fun Fridays

Preparing for a Conference

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 2, 2016

When getting ready for a conference, writers agonize over creating the perfect one-sheet sales pitch, polishing manuscripts, and how they’ll conduct themselves when meeting with agents and editors. But not every preparation is writing-related. I’ve been on faculty at many conferences and I’ve learned a few tricks to help make each conference a happier one. Get plenty of rest before the conference …

Category: Conferences, Get PublishedTag: Get Published, Preparation, writers conferences

How To Make Agents’ Blogs Work for You

By Karen Ballon June 1, 2016

We at the agency love it that so many of you come here every day and read what we share with you. And we do everything we can to ensure that what we share here informs, enlightens, and uplifts you brave souls navigating the publishing world. So last week, when I read some of the questions you’d like addressed, I thought I’d give you a tip on using this blog to its best advantage. And that tip is: …

Category: Agency, ConferencesTag: Agency, Blog, questions, Research

Limitations Inherent to Non-Fiction Publishing

By Dan Balowon May 31, 2016

Some categories of books in the Christian market have very limited potential for publication. A publisher may do just one every year or every ten years on a particular topic or category. When you send your proposal to an agent or ask your agent to pitch a title in one of these categories, our first reaction would be how limited the potential is to sell. I am not writing about the potential for …

Category: Book Proposals, Branding, Career, Economics, Get Published, PlatformTag: Bet Published, book proposals

The Blue Ridge Writers Conference 2016

By Steve Laubeon May 30, 2016

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Last week was spent in beautiful mountains of North Carolina at the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference at Ridgecrest. Since I wrote in my last blog about why I go to a conference I thought it might be interesting to run those four points against last week’s experience. Teaching This was answered with a resounding yes! I taught three elective classes (on what an agent does, on contracts, and …

Category: Conferences, Get PublishedTag: Get Published, writers conferences