Blog

Fun Fridays – April 26, 2024

By Steve Laubeon April 26, 2024

Today’s six-minute video explores the making of paper, from forest to scribe.

I have visited large printing press operations and seen the warehouses stacked with massive rolls of paper waiting for use. I eventually learned that different types of paper are key to different types of books. Think about the difference between thin Bible paper and the glossy paper in a magazine like National Geographic. It all starts in this manufacturing process.

Enjoy a few minutes about one of the foundational elements of the writing journey.

We Have a Failure to Communicate

By Dan Balowon April 25, 2024

Recently, I was listening to someone speak to a group of grade school children and was struck by how many words and phrases the kids likely had no idea of their meaning. Even if you speak clearly and slowly, a six-year-old will probably not understand the phrase “Take the left fork in the road,” and much less “substitutionary atonement.” It’s in the same communication category as traveling to …

Category: Book Business, Branding, Get Published, Pitching, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

Fun with Book Terms

By Bob Hostetleron April 24, 2024

I love books (good thing, since I’m a writer and literary agent). I love reading them, of course; but I also love holding them, buying them, touching, holding, smelling, studying, even just seeing them on the shelf. So let’s have some fun with book terms. I find them fascinating. Maybe you will too. Here’s an even dozen: ARC An ARC, or Advanced Reader Copy, is a prepublication copy of a new book …

Category: Book Business, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

Music to Write By

By Steve Laubeon April 22, 2024

Some write in silence. Some write with music in the background. Some write with music playing through their headphones (or earbuds). I’m curious to know what you, our readers, listen to while writing or if you write in silence. In the comments below, let us know your favorites. Maybe we can discover some new musical inspiration together. I read somewhere that Stephenie Meyer, author of the …

Category: Creativity, Personal, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, music, Writing Craft

I Was Wrong

By Steve Laubeon April 21, 2024

Tweet20

“I was wrong.” Three words that are really hard to say…especially in public. In the business community and the marketplace, it takes courage to admit mistakes. A Famous “Oops” One of the most famous business mistakes came when Coca-Cola tried to retire the “old Coke” and release a “new Coke” flavor almost exactly forty years ago in April 1985. They shocked the world with a reinvention of their …

Category: Career, Communication, TheologyTag: Career, Communication

Fun Fridays – April 19, 2024

By Steve Laubeon April 19, 2024

Clever video about a seemingly lowly device. Avoid connecting the metaphor to theological ideas, but they are present. Instead, think of your journey as a writer and the calling you have to use the gift you have been given and leave God’s mark on the world with the work of your hands. Do any of you use a pencil to write your thoughts? If so, what kind of pencil do you use?

Category: Fun Fridays

Before Pressing SEND

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 18, 2024

I love seeing work from talented authors. Reading a marketable proposal from a hardworking author interested in a long-term career makes me take notice. Are you this author? If so, what I’d like to help you do today is to keep you from being rejected because of a misstep that’s easy to avoid. The manuscript is too short. Gift books can be brief, but fiction is different. I often …

Category: Book Proposals, Pitching

Story Structure Part #10

By Lynette Easonon April 17, 2024

This is it, folks. The last post in this series. If you’ve hung around this long, thank you! I really hope you’ve found it interesting and helpful. Last time we talked about the falling action of the story, and now we’ve come to the end. The Resolution What is the resolution of the story? “The End,” right? Well, yes. But it’s not wrapping everything up; it’s wrapping everything up well, so the …

Category: Writing Craft

Deadlines and Taxes

By Steve Laubeon April 15, 2024

Two certainties in the life of a writer. Deadlines and taxes. You know what a deadline is. It has the word “dead” in it for a reason. In addition to the reality of taxes, the April 15 income tax filing deadline for those living in the United States is intrinsic to the reality. (And since today is April 15, I thought it appropriate to revisit some key bits of information.) What about those taxes? …

Category: Book Business, Legal Issues, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Contracts, taxes, Writing Craft

Fun Fridays – April 12, 2024

By Steve Laubeon April 12, 2024

There is no sound in today’s video. You simply have to watch carefully. It is only a minute long. Afterward, you will doubt your powers of observation. [If the video does not appear in your email newsletter, please visit the site itself to view it.]

Category: Fun Fridays