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Home » Book Proposals » Page 2

Book Proposals

Are You Pitch Perfect?

By Steve Laubeon December 2, 2024
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A critical key to landing a book deal is the presentation of your idea in such a way that the editor or agent is completely sold on the concept.

In musical terms, perfect pitch is the rare talent to name or pick out a note without having any reference point. This is illustrated by this youtube video where they clear your mind, then give you a tone, and ask you to name the note; most people fail this test. Just like most writers haven’t figured out the best way to pitch their idea.

Off Pitch

The pitches that are “off” are easier to reject. They aren’t “musical” at all. For example:

“I am a novice with an abundant bevy of stories, I am just happy for exposure.[sic] In the right hands I am sure my stories can be molded into gold.”

After naming several bestselling books the author wrote:
My book “is what you might get if you mixed the DNA of their mission and writing styles. I’ve taken the best of their bestsellers, married them, and now…are blended together to form…”

Received a pitch for a novel written from a dog’s point-of-view. That isn’t so bad. But the material was mailed to my office wrapped in a plastic “Dog Waste Bag.” I felt the need to wash my hands.

The cover letter included in bold print the sentence “I do not want my work involved with anyone attempting to dominate it.” In other words, the author was not willing to be edited. At least they were honest about it!

Another topped the last one with this sentence: “If you think there are errors, you are wrong, there are none.”

A Little Sharp

Sometimes an author’s tone takes a strident turn or makes unrealistic claims. For example:

“This book is nonfiction with a message that is so remarkable that it could quickly and justifiably become recognized as ‘the most important book ever written.’”

The subtitle of the book pitched is “You’re Not Who You Think You Are,” but the author is a collaboration of “by Holy Spirit and __author name__.” I won’t reveal the name. Only that their claim of co-authorship is a little much.

In the description of the novel, the author writes about how two boys, playing around, throw a “Molotov cocktail” at an abandoned shack for fun. To their horror they see someone is inside and is aflame. This terrible scene is vividly described. Therefore, what makes the pitch stop working? The last sentence of the pitch says, “A novelist I hired to help polish the book concluded: ‘It’s laugh-out-loud funny.’”

The pitch described their book in this way:
“My novel is in the Christian Western genre. By that, I don’t mean a syrupy Amish prairie romance where the worst thing that happens to some hapless townsman is that he gets ‘drive-by’ hollered at. There are no quilting circles in this story…feminine characters of this work do not neurotically torture themselves into sleeplessness over ‘Does he really love me?'”

A Little Flat

Unfortunately, I cannot provide examples of this kind of pitch since this is more commonplace. Just like when you are singing, it is more common to be flat that it is to be sharp.

The “flat” pitches are those that are okay, but they just lay there. They don’t have a unique storyline. Or a title that is “uninteresting.”

The hardest part is that the writing may be great. It is either the topic (for nonfiction) or the storyline (for fiction) isn’t strong enough.

Or the storyline or topic may be fine, but the writing isn’t good enough to support it.

Perfect

If you’ve ever watched the early season shows on American Idol or any of the other first-round competitions, you get to see what the judges see. The ones that are pretty good move to the next round, and we all cringe at the “flat” or “sharp” or “off” pitch musicians.

But every once in a while there is someone whose presentation is amazing.

I’ve had pitches like that presented to me over the years. Their pitch was perfect. There was a combination of passion, personality, and giftedness that caused the tuning fork in my brain to start humming.

My hope is that your pitch will soar and the editor or an agent begin singing along–in perfect harmony.

 

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Category: Book Proposals, PitchingTag: book proposals, Pitching

Why Does It Take Editors and Agents So Long to Read My Proposal?

By Steve Laubeon October 28, 2024
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Recently, a writer posted this question: I submitted a proposal to a publisher 6 months ago. The guidelines said that a response would be provided at the end of 4 months. At the end of 5 months I sent an email query to confirm that they had actually received the submission–still no response. Now I am at the end of 6 months.…Do I give up? I wish I had a magic wand to solve this problem for …

Read moreWhy Does It Take Editors and Agents So Long to Read My Proposal?
Category: Agency, Book Business, Book Proposals, Common QuestoinsTag: book proposals, Rejection

Write Your Passion

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 21, 2024
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When authors approach me with several ideas, I enjoy hearing their thoughts. I appreciate the tremendous creativity that goes into developing many books. I always give authors with tons of ideas the same advice: Write your passion. What if the book of your heart has no chance of being sold to a publisher, though? Write it anyway. Write with abandon, for your eyes only. Then write the next book, …

Read moreWrite Your Passion
Category: Book Proposals, Career, Pitching

New Book Proposal Course

By Steve Laubeon August 12, 2024
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I have some exciting news to share! The Christian Writers Institute has released an all-new edition of my “Elements of an Effective Book Proposal” course. Completely revised and expanded to provide even more value and insight. Why This Course Matters I have long taught that writing a book proposal is one of the most critical steps in securing a publishing deal. Whether you’re a …

Read moreNew Book Proposal Course
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Career, Get Published, Pitching, Platform, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

Hooks and Gimmicks

By Bob Hostetleron August 7, 2024
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Someone recently asked me (as if I know stuff), “What’s the difference between a hook and a gimmick?” I had to think about it, an action to which I’m unaccustomed. But I’m pretty sure I gave a good answer. Sure, why not? But as I often do, I decided to ask my Steve Laube Agency colleagues for their perspective, and as always was delighted by their answers: Tamela Hancock Murray said, “A hook is a …

Read moreHooks and Gimmicks
Category: Book Proposals, Pitching

Know Your Genre When Making a Pitch

By Steve Laubeon August 5, 2024
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Awhile ago I received a call that illustrates a common error a writer can make when making their pitch: the problem of not knowing the genre in which they are writing. The call went something like this: Writer: I’m calling to see if your agency handles westerns. Agent: That is a tough genre to sell in the current market, but a lot would depend on how well you can write it. Writer: Some …

Read moreKnow Your Genre When Making a Pitch
Category: Book Proposals, Branding, Conferences, Get Published, Marketing, PitchingTag: book proposals, Genre, Get Published, Pitch; Genre; proposals, Pitching

Unsolicited Proposals: Aka “The Slush Pile”

By Steve Laubeon July 1, 2024
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All literary agents receive dozens of proposals each week. Most are via email these days, but some still come via the post. Last week was a relatively slow week; my office received only 28 unsolicited proposals via email and two in the post. For the month of June, it was around 170 total unsolicited proposals received. (Unsolicited means proposals that are not from our existing clients. We get a …

Read moreUnsolicited Proposals: Aka “The Slush Pile”
Category: Agency, Book Proposals, Get Published, Rejection, SteveTag: Get Published, Pitching, Proposals, Rejection

What About Affinity Groups?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 27, 2024
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When showing author platform, many writers talk about affinity groups. That is, hobbyists, organization members, and people in a particular stage of life who might buy the book. For instance, an author may say that her devotional book titled Single Parents Who Fly Kites will appeal to: 1. Kite flyers 2. Single parents 3. People who work in kite factories 4. People who love windy days 5. Members of …

Read moreWhat About Affinity Groups?
Category: Book Proposals, Marketing, Pitching, Platform

I’m Not Interested in These Kinds of Writers

By Bob Hostetleron May 29, 2024
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I love my work as a literary agent. It’s a joy to represent some of the best authors writing today (and the rest of the best are represented by other Steve Laube Agency agents). But there are some kinds of writers I’m not interested in representing. Here’s a short list: Careless writers, such as the person whose cover letter began, “I am submitting my payer book propsal.” Or the proposal that …

Read moreI’m Not Interested in These Kinds of Writers
Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, Pitching

Is Your Submission Complete?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 8, 2024
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Too often, I see great submissions that aren’t complete. Why not include everything when you first submit? Here are a few tips: What will happen in the novel? We need a book summary, even when you’re submitting a complete manuscript. Yes, I know seeing the ending ahead of time may be a spoiler for a reader; but as an agent, I’m accustomed to reading spoilers. I even enjoy …

Read moreIs Your Submission Complete?
Category: Book Proposals, Pitching
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