Blog

Christian Book Awards

By Karen Ballon May 1, 2012

Congratulations to our client Mesu Andrews (represented) for winning the 2012 Christian Book Award for best New Author!

Here is the list of winners:

CHRISTIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR

Nearing Home, Billy Graham (Thomas Nelson)

Category: BIBLES

ESV Student Study Bible (Crossway)

Category: BIBLE REFERENCE

Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, Glen G. Scorgie (Zondervan)

Category: CHILDREN

The Story for Children, A Storybook Bible, Max Lucado, Randy Frazee, and Karen Davis Hill (Zonderkidz)

Category: FICTION

The Queen, Steven James (Revell/ Baker Publishing Group)

Category: INSPIRATION

The Law of Happiness, Dr. Henry Cloud (Howard Books)

Category: NEW AUTHOR

Love Amid the Ashes, Mesu Andrews (Revell/ Baker Publishing Group)

Category: NON-FICTION

Close Enough to Hear God Breathe, Greg Paul (Thomas Nelson)

News You Can Use – May 1, 2012

By Steve Laubeon May 1, 2012

Amanda Hocking is Happy with her Publisher – An update from the woman whose self-published ebooks garnered a monster traditional deal.

10 Best First Lines in Fiction - Chosen by editors at the Guardian (UK). Do you agree or disagree?

How We Will Read in the Future - An excellent interview with Maria Popova, the curator for the great BrainPickings blog. (The article is about 2,500 words long …

Category: News You Can UseTag: Craft, ebooks, Google Ads, Marketing, Reading

Blood, Guts and Peanuts: What it’s Like Writing with Ted Dekker

By Steve Laubeon April 30, 2012

Guest blog by Tosca Lee

Our guest today is Tosca Lee, author of Demon: A Memoir and Havah: The Story of Eve. She is also the co-author with Ted Dekker of the NYTimes bestseller Forbidden. The next book in that series will be out this Summer. A sought-after speaker and former Mrs. Nebraska, Tosca was a senior consultant for a global consulting firm until turning to writing full-time. She holds a …

Category: Guest Post, Humor, Writing CraftTag: Collaboration, Humor, Ted Dekker, Tosca Lee

On Reading the Classics

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 26, 2012

“A classic is a book which people praise and don't read.”

This quote attributed to Mark Twain made me think of classics I didn't enjoy, but also those I did. I have a lifelong habit of choosing classics for my leisure reading.

When I was in the seventh grade, I enjoyed Gone with the Wind so much I read it a second time. Unfortunately, this intense involvement in the full story caused me to …

Category: Book Review, Reading, TamelaTag: classics, movies, Reading

Romancing the Readers

By Karen Ballon April 25, 2012

I had a conversation with a writer friend a few weeks ago. She was telling me that the book she’s writing is, at the core, a romance, and no one was more surprised than she. “I don’t know a thing about writing romances,” she confessed. “Any tips?” I sent her an email with my thoughts, and that was that. Then she emailed me a few days ago:
“I just re-read this [email] as I'm still struggling …

Category: Craft, Karen, Romance, Writing CraftTag: Craft, Romance, Writing Craft

The Mystery of the Slush Pile

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 19, 2012

When you submit a manuscript or query to an agent, you may wonder what happens to it, and what our thought processes are regarding the properties we offer to represent versus those we must respectfully decline. Every agent is different, but you may find learning about my process helpful.

I have a very smart assistant. When she reviews my slush pile submissions, she goes through a winnowing …

Category: Agency, Book Proposals, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Proposals, query, Rejection, slush pile

Three Steps to Freedom!

By Karen Ballon April 18, 2012

It’s The Most Wonderful/Terrible Time of the Year

It comes every year, and every year we wait for it with a mixture of excitement and dread. No, I’m not talking about taxes.

I’m talking about the award season.

From the ECPA Book of the Year awards to the Christy’s, the Genesis to the RITA, the Golden Heart to the Carol, and all the gazillion contests and awards in-between, online groups, …

Category: Encouragement, Get Published, Karen, Marketing, Writing CraftTag: Awards, contests, Encouragement, News

News You Can Use – April 17, 2012

By Steve Laubeon April 17, 2012

Getting by on a Writer’s Income – Lawrence Block reflects on the challenges of the writing life. An excellent article from someone with a half a century of experience.

Microsoft Word is Dead – Tom Scocca in “Slate” makes a bold claim. I would vehemently disagree from the point-of-view of writers and editors and publishers. But he may be right when it comes to office collaborations and the …

Category: News You Can UseTag: lawsuit, Money, Movie rights, Writing Life

Christy Award Finalists 2012

By Steve Laubeon April 16, 2012

We are quite excited to announce that our agency has a number of finalists in this year's Christy Awards. (Click here for the list of this year's finalists.) Congratulations to all finalists. Below are our clients who have been honored and a link to their publisher's site for more information on the book.

Susan May Warren - My Foolish Heart (Tyndale) - Contemporary Romance

Ronie Kendig - …

Category: Agency, Awards, Get Published, News You Can Use, SteveTag: Christy Awards, News