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The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Justin Beiber and Leisure Suits

By Dan Balowon September 9, 2014
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Recognizing the difference between a cultural “trend” and a “phenomenon” is an important skill of anyone working in book publishing, both employees of publishers and authors. Why? Because book publishing in virtually every form does a very poor job responding to a phenomenon, which is generally short-lived. Often a phenomenon has come and gone before a book can be written and published on the subject.  If you don’t know the difference between the two, it could be frustrating.

Some publishers are built around fast-turnaround publishing, like a book honoring the winner of the Super Bowl that is available to fans within a month after the game.  Most publishers are not set up to do that kind of work.

A phenomenon comes and goes, leaving no tracks. Social media and the internet in general have created more “fifteen minutes of fame” situations than ever before.

Writing about a phenomenon can be enticing for an author.  You see a hot, popular topic in the moment and an opportunity to sell a lot in a short time. But authors and publishers, more often than not, will catch the phenomenon in its downhill slope and be disappointed in the results.  Rarely does a book catch the “wave”. Other media are better at doing that.  Even self-publishing struggles to catch a wave as it still takes time for an author to craft 50,000 well-chosen words.

Writing about a phenomenon is still okay, you simply need to know the risks involved and recognize that the book will not be selling long-term.

As a writer, how do you determine whether a certain issue is a phenomenon or trend? How can you tell if it something worthwhile to address in a book rather than a blog post or an article in some other media?

Here are some ways to differentiate them:

  • A phenomenon receives all sorts of media coverage. Trends do not…you need to dig for them.
  • If it is spectacular and cool, it is probably a phenomenon. Trends can be subtle.
  • A phenomenon is generally unexplainable. A trend can be studied and even predicted to an extent.
  • A phenomenon can be described as, “This too shall pass.” Trends are, “This will change things.”

Examples of each would be:

  • A trend is that sales of popular music continues to grow among young people. A phenomenon is Justin Bieber.
  • Leisure suits were a phenomenon. Increased use of synthetic fibers in clothing was the trend.
  • Increasing use of social media is a trend. A particular social media is a phenomenon. (technology speeds up the life-cycle of companies. Anyone use MySpace?)
  • Increased use of technology in all areas of life is a trend. A particular piece of technology is a phenomenon. (The iPad didn’t exist five years ago)
  • What is happening in A church is a phenomenon. What is happening in THE Church is a trend.

Often, a publisher or agent will review a proposal and see it as a phenomenon. It is still valid to be addressed in writing, but maybe not in a book that releases 6-12 months from now.  They might suggest an article or blog post…or self-publishing if they are unable to respond quickly enough.

Sometimes a phenomenon will last long enough to be written about in books. But if your goal is to create a book that spans the decades, then you might be disappointed. Publishers or authors who focus too much on phenomena-messages have virtually no carryover in sales from year-to-year.  So, like most things, balancing the approach is best.

Consider using different media tools for different messages. You will be frustrated if you think every message must end up in a printed book that someone will buy. Maybe a short eBook given away for free is better to get the message out this one time.

Like a carpenter who brings one tool to a job, one media type does not fit all.

The goal is to get something you wrote into the hands of others. There are exceptions, but books are best suited for messages about trends.

 

 

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Category: Book Business, Branding, Creativity, Marketing, The Publishing Life, TrendsTag: Book Business, The Publishing Life

Setting Your Setting

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon September 4, 2014
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Avid readers know that some stories seem to rely more on setting than others. Sometimes, the setting is so prominent it feels like a character. In other books, the setting is a bare-bones backdrop to the story. But no matter how subtle, the setting has more impact on your story than you may realize because it’s where your characters live. They must act within it and react to it regardless. …

Read moreSetting Your Setting
Category: Craft, Writing CraftTag: Craft, setting, Writing Craft

Synopsis Made Easy – I Promise!

By Karen Ballon September 3, 2014
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Okay, fellow proposal peeps, it’s time to jump in and work together on crafting a perfect proposal. Many of you echoed what I’ve heard over and over through the years: “I hate writing the synopsis!” This is especially painful because you need a short synopsis/summary that runs around 50-60 words—but still gives the gist of your story, mind you–and then a more detailed synopsis that can run a …

Read moreSynopsis Made Easy – I Promise!
Category: Book Proposals, Craft, Creativity, Get Published, Marketing, Writing CraftTag: book proposals, Get Published, synopsis

Is it Possible to Read Too Much?

By Dan Balowon September 2, 2014
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Amidst all the public voices and rhetoric swirling around these days is a healthy focus on the need to make reading more a part of every life.  From celebrities sponsoring reading campaigns to Amazon providing pre-loaded Kindles to schools in Africa through their Worldreader  program, it is a good thing for sure. Illiteracy is not good for any society. However, I asked a question in the title of …

Read moreIs it Possible to Read Too Much?
Category: Book Business, Book Review, Reading, TrendsTag: Reading

Fun Friday – Aug. 29, 2014

By Steve Laubeon August 29, 2014
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A Sign Language interpretation of the hit song “Happy.” Created and produced by deaf campers at the 2014 Deaf Film Camp in New York. The camp is dedicated to deaf and hard-of-hearing teens with an interest in filmmaking. This video should indeed make you feel “happy.”

Read moreFun Friday – Aug. 29, 2014
Category: Fun Fridays

3 Reasons Why Rejection is Good

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 28, 2014
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I’ll be the first to admit that rejection doesn’t feel good, so how can it be good? Well, a rejection: …allows you to close the door and move on to the next opportunity. …shows that the other person doesn’t share your enthusiasm enough to be your partner. Learning this allows you the freedom to find the right partner. …may be a sign of God’s will. His …

Read more3 Reasons Why Rejection is Good
Category: Career, Get Published, RejectionTag: Rejection

You Are Not Alone

By Karen Ballon August 27, 2014
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts about proposals. Clearly, a lot of us struggle with this side of being a writer. As I was thinking over what to write for tackling those problematic proposal elements, I rediscovered the video below, made in ’09. It was created by best-selling authors Angela Hunt, Kristin Billerbeck, Robin Lee Hatcher, and Terri Blackstock. These authors, back in ’09, had written a …

Read moreYou Are Not Alone
Category: Book Proposals, Career, Get Published

Mao and the Four Pests

By Dan Balowon August 26, 2014
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In the late 1950’s , Chairman Mao Zedong of China implemented the first stages of his Great Leap Forward, an effort to move China away from a predominantly agrarian society to a modern industrial and political power. One of the first parts of the GLF was the Four Pests Campaign. The Chinese government identified four scourges on their society and set out to eradicate them.  They were: rats, flies, …

Read moreMao and the Four Pests
Category: Book Business, Career, The Publishing LifeTag: Career, The Publishing Life

Fun Fridays – August 22, 2014

By Steve Laubeon August 22, 2014
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Today is the 33rd wedding anniversary of my wife and I. The comic below is perfect to mark the occasion. Happy Anniversary Lisa! [click through for a larger picture]

Read moreFun Fridays – August 22, 2014
Category: Fun Fridays, Personal

Who is Your Audience?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 21, 2014
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Recently I went shopping for a new watch. Thankfully, I later discovered I could have the old one repaired and am taking that route. However, since I’m a literary agent, I can relate everything to books, so here goes. At high end stores a salesperson was immediately available. While I was trying on watches, I was given statistics such as, “This watch is Swiss made. The band is solid 18 …

Read moreWho is Your Audience?
Category: Book Business, Branding, Craft, MarketingTag: Audience, Branding, Marketing
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