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The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Book Business » Page 12

Book Business

Best Advice for New Authors – For Working with Their Publisher

By Steve Laubeon July 2, 2018
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The idea to write this post came from a conversation this past week with a client who turned their manuscript in to the publisher a week early. The editor was thrilled! Thus began a short exchange on what every writer should endeavor to do in their career. This may seem simple but is important to reiterate.

Do your best work. Always.

No shortcuts. No “mailing it in.” No “sending junk and let them fix it.”
It is called work. Not vacation.

Meet Your Deadlines

We know that “life happens” and often it is more than okay to ask for a deadline extension. But try not to make it a habit. A habit becomes a reputation. A reputation becomes a  reason for the publisher to say “no” to your next project.

I’m not talking about the request for an extra week or even an extra month. I’m talking about multiple extension requests on the same book. And on subsequent books.

I heard of one publisher who offered more advance money to the writer if they met their deadline. The chronic delays on past books caused too many in-house problems for the publisher so they offered a cash incentive! It didn’t work.

Be Polite and Professional

In the words of one author “No drama!”

It can be easy, with email, to forget there is a real person on the other end of your keyboard “send.” A 4,000 word missive on how your editor is an idiot and everyone else in the office deserves to be fired will not endear you to your publishing team. (I’m not making that one up. A real person was reduced to tears by an author’s vitriolic email.)

A polite discussion on your frustration with the cover…with delays in marketing…with slower than expected edits…with request for 24 hour turnaround for edits or marketing copy… All these things can be aggravating. But kindness and politeness can work wonders.

If you need a “Darth Vader” when all else fails…that is something an agent can provide, when (and only when) it is appropriate.

Before you hit “send” consider showing your angry letter to your agent who will likely suggest a different line of inquiry.

Make Your Publisher’s Job Easier

That may sound goofy to some. “The publisher works for me, not the other way around,” was said by one author.

So let’s put it in another context. If your day job has you in an office with other people, would you treat those people with such disdain? If you are the boss, do you wonder why staff quit so often?

If you get a task with a difficult turnaround time deadline, try your best. If it is unreasonable it’s okay to say “That’s an awfully tight deadline and since I’m in the ER right now with my child I may not be able to do this today. But I will try, even it’s not my best non-distracted work.”

Versus, “No way. I can’t, I won’t do that today.”

Having been an editor and an agent I can see both sides of the equation. Landing on the side of kindness, self-control (and other fruit of the spirit) is the right thing to do.

If the “job” becomes onerous then a conversation with those issues as the topic is needed. I’ve seen those conversations reap wonderful results and increase professional friendship and cooperation.

On the other hand, I’ve seen the nasty conversations destroy professional relationships.

Remember to Say Thank You

Need I elaborate? It is part of the advice to be polite, but needs a special reminder.

A marketing person at a publisher is likely working on 10 or more urgent projects at once. Sort of like rush hour traffic. One blown tire and the congestion brings the freeway to a halt. The marketing person didn’t put the nail in the road. But it messed up the best laid plans for that week’s to-do list.

Editors are not sitting with their feet on their desk with a favorite beverage doing the daily crossword puzzle. When I worked as an editor, I could have 20 different projects in various stages queued up. One editor who worked for me had a practice of closing the door and turning off the overhead lights…then flicked on a single lamp over the work space. The editor said, “If I let my concentration move into the shadows I can no longer focus on the task in front of me.”

The point is, we can all claim to be busy and be truthful. Recognizing and acknowledging the work that has been done well is a good thing to do.

By the way, I do think editors and marketers should, on occasion, say thank you to the authors too, but that is another post for another day.

Your turn:

Any other tidbits of advice you can lend to the discussion?

 

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

Common Sense Publishing

By Dan Balowon May 22, 2018
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I will often use humor as a defense mechanism. It helps maintain my sanity, to some extent. However, I’ve noticed a number of times what might be considered a weak attempt at humor is actually true. I guess the common statement about most humor having a kernel of truth in it, might be accurate after all. I’ll frequently respond to someone questioning why something is happening by stating, “Oh, you …

Read moreCommon Sense Publishing
Category: Book Business, EconomicsTag: Book Business, Common Sense

Publishers and Theology

By Dan Balowon May 15, 2018
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One of the more complex aspects of publishing Christian-themed books is the publisher theological position or “grid” which covers whatever products they seek to publish. Just like all churches are not alike, Christian publishers are definitely not alike. Some may have groups or “imprints” focusing on a specific theological perspective, but for sure, theology is an issue in their decision-making …

Read morePublishers and Theology
Category: Book Business, Publishing History, TheologyTag: Book Business, Theology

Your Part in Your Agent Relationship

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 26, 2018
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Some writers want to work with an agent, but even after securing representation, don’t always take full advantage of the help an agent can offer. Agents appreciate authors not wanting to be high maintenance. However, it’s better to keep us in the loop than to leave us out. The expression, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” applies to so many situations that can occur! Manage …

Read moreYour Part in Your Agent Relationship
Category: Agency, Agents, Book Business, Career, The Writing LifeTag: Agents, Career, Contracts

Change, We’ve Seen You Before

By Dan Balowon April 24, 2018
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Change always seems to occur faster than you think but often slower than you think. Most things in society or life are at the same time dramatically different than they were a few years ago, but eerily similar to fifty years ago. If you are an observer or participant in the book publishing world, you can completely ignore certain trends and not be harmed at all. In fact, when you ignore the …

Read moreChange, We’ve Seen You Before
Category: Book Business, TrendsTag: Book Business, ebooks, Trends

The Bottom Line – Get It Done, Well

By Dan Balowon April 10, 2018
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Writing books is a performance business. At the end of the day, week or whatever time period applies, an author produces something on a schedule. I know many people write without any firm deadline as they are just starting out writing for illumination and enjoyment, but honestly, I can’t imagine working without a deadline and not self-imposing one. I’ll intentionally place myself in a position …

Read moreThe Bottom Line – Get It Done, Well
Category: Book Business, Career, Platform, The Writing LifeTag: Book Business, Career, Deadlines, The Writing Life

Don’t Sweat the Big Stuff?

By Dan Balowon March 27, 2018
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Author Richard Carlson and his 1996 book Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff encouraged a generation to put priorities in order and prevent someone from missing the forest for the trees. I am afraid many aspiring authors are doing just the opposite by not worrying about the big stuff either. Everything we write in this agency blog does not carry the same level of importance to everyone, but very often, …

Read moreDon’t Sweat the Big Stuff?
Category: Book Business, Career, Legal Issues, Money, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life, TrendsTag: Book Business, Career

It’s Not What You Know; It’s Who You Know

By Bob Hostetleron March 7, 2018
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It is usually said by someone who is not progressing as quickly as they would like in their career. It applies to writing for publication as much—or more so—as in other endeavors. You’ve heard it often: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” It may sound cynical. It may be discouraging. You may not want to believe it. But it’s true. To some, of course, that means everyone else gets the …

Read moreIt’s Not What You Know; It’s Who You Know
Category: Book Business, Career, ConferencesTag: Book Business, Career, The Writing Life

Penalty Flag: Illegal Use of an Exception

By Dan Balowon February 20, 2018
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Maybe using the word “illegal” is a bit over the top, but at least it grabbed your attention! Because book publishing can be such a subjective or borderline mysterious field of endeavor, many authors respond to the uncertainty by hanging their hopes for success on something which could best be described as an exception to whatever rules seem to exist.  If indeed there are any rules in book …

Read morePenalty Flag: Illegal Use of an Exception
Category: Agents, Book Business, Book ProposalsTag: book proposals, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

Three Significant Announcements Regarding E-books and Audiobooks

By Steve Laubeon January 29, 2018
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Last week there were three significant announcements from Apple, Google, and Walmart of interest to all authors. First the three bits of news and then a few observations. Apple Apple announced that their iBooks app is being renamed to simply Books. Accompanying it will be a complete redesign of the reading app, their store, and the addition of an audiobook tab to make it easier for users to access …

Read moreThree Significant Announcements Regarding E-books and Audiobooks
Category: Book Business, Book Sales, E-Books, Economics, News You Can Use, The Publishing Life, TrendsTag: Audio Books, Book Sales, ebooks, Technology
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