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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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Home » Book Proposals » Page 22

Book Proposals

Why I Don’t Critique Your Work

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 30, 2016
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A fantastic blog post from Ramona Richards reminded me why I, as a literary agent, don’t offer critiques on rejected proposals.

Believe me, as someone who used to write books, I understand the disappointment of the unhelpful rejection letter. So much that I blogged about it (click to read it).

I appreciate writers who are looking to learn more about craft, style, and what will make their books marketable. My heart aches in compassion when I receive a follow-up letter from a writer asking for help after my assistant sends a bland rejection letter. I really do want to help, but like a critique partner who means well, I might do you more harm than good. I really, really do not want to join a chorus of critique partners who, if they disagreed with one another, made you conflicted about what to do to improve your work. And I realize that any letter leaving my office might carry even more weight, in your mind. Unless I have a genuine feeling that we can work together after a few tweaks of your story, I don’t want to offer an opinion, only to have the agent you eventually do sign with, disagree.

You are a creative and ultimately, what you write is the story you should write. What this means is a willingness to learn and take advice, but also to maintain your voice. During the submission process, listen to advice that seems good, but don’t change everything about your work just to please one agent or editor who’s passed on your work. Better, keep trying with YOUR best effort and see which editors and agents value your talent. Work with that team to present your greatest work to the reading public.

Your turn:

Have too many critiques ever caused you to lose your voice?

Do you work with a critique group? Why or why not?

Where is the best place to find a critique group?

 

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Category: Agents, Book Proposals, Editing, Get PublishedTag: Agents, book proposals, Editing, Get Published

The Why and How of Selecting Endorsers

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 23, 2016
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Some authors find the endorsers section tricky when they write book proposals. If this describes you, or if you would like a refresher, I hope this post will be helpful. The Why: I can’t say I’ve ever sold a book based on an endorsement alone. Content is king. But the endorsers (or you can call it Potential Endorsers) section is important. To wit, here’s a quote from Mallory Ortburg’s May 3 …

Read moreThe Why and How of Selecting Endorsers
Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, MarketingTag: book proposals, Endorsements, Get Published

What’s Your Third Book?

By Dan Balowon June 21, 2016
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At some point, whenever I speak with an un-published author I will ask the question, “What is your third book?” The purpose of the question is to elicit a response to get an idea if the author is interested in being a professional author or simply publishing a book. Those are different goals entirely. Agents mostly represent professional authors, not books. Agents are “in this” for the long term …

Read moreWhat’s Your Third Book?
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Branding, Career, Get Published, PlatformTag: Career, Get Published

The Hardest Part of Being a Writer

By Karen Ballon June 8, 2016
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If there’s anything I hate to do, it’s wait. At the gas station, at the grocery store, at the doctor’s office…it’s wait, wait, wait! Drives me nuts. I want to get going, get things done, move, do something! Not just stand or sit there. If you’ve been at this writing gig for long, you’ve faced that most difficult aspect of writing. The Waiting. You scramble to refine your craft, make your …

Read moreThe Hardest Part of Being a Writer
Category: Book Proposals, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: book proposals, The Writing Life, waiting

Limitations Inherent to Non-Fiction Publishing

By Dan Balowon May 31, 2016
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Some categories of books in the Christian market have very limited potential for publication. A publisher may do just one every year or every ten years on a particular topic or category. When you send your proposal to an agent or ask your agent to pitch a title in one of these categories, our first reaction would be how limited the potential is to sell. I am not writing about the potential for …

Read moreLimitations Inherent to Non-Fiction Publishing
Category: Book Proposals, Branding, Career, Economics, Get Published, PlatformTag: Bet Published, book proposals

The Right Number of Words

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 26, 2016
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More times than I’d like, my office must send out letters advising aspiring authors that their manuscripts are too short or too long. Much of the time, the author is talented but hasn’t investigated the market well enough to know if the word count is right. Submitting a project that’s simply the wrong word count wastes everyone’s time – including yours. If we mention that your book is the wrong …

Read moreThe Right Number of Words
Category: Book Proposals, Craft, Get Published, Rejection, Writing CraftTag: book proposals, Get Published, word count

Nonfiction Checklist

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 28, 2016
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Although I represent many works of quality fiction, I also look for the very special nonfiction project. As you prepare your proposal, here is a four-point checklist that might help determine if yours could work for an agent: A Great Title Lots of nonfiction is geared to impulse buyers. If you can convince a shopper to pick your book up from a spin rack or click and place in a virtual cart, based …

Read moreNonfiction Checklist
Category: Book Proposals, Get PublishedTag: book proposals, Get Published, Nonfiction

What Makes an Agent Say Wow?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 14, 2016
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As part of an interview for the upcoming Blue Ridge Writers conference in Ridgecrest, NC, May 22-26, Tamela was asked a series of questions by Al Gansky. (Be sure to check out the new conference web site.) 1) When you review proposals what stops you in your tracks? Tamela: Since this question is aimed at writers attending a major conference, I’m answering as though you’re an author …

Read moreWhat Makes an Agent Say Wow?
Category: Book Proposals, Get PublishedTag: book proposals, Get Published

Mistakes Writers Make in their Queries

By Steve Laubeon March 7, 2016
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The pile of unsolicited proposal, queries, and manuscripts (both email and physical mail) is an unending source of delight and frustration. Delight when an amazing idea from an amazing writer arrives like a special holiday gift. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen as often as I would like. Instead there is a litany of things authors do time and again. If writers would treat their query or book …

Read moreMistakes Writers Make in their Queries
Category: Book Proposals, Career

Unpublished and on Social Media as an Author? Why?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 18, 2016
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It’s hard to get through a week without seeing at least one article on platform. Well, here’s yours for the week! We agents ask authors for a platform, but I have found that unpublished authors wonder how or why they should show a professional presence on social media. That question is understandable. Without a book, what is the author promoting? Promoting Yourself? Yes, you are promoting …

Read moreUnpublished and on Social Media as an Author? Why?
Category: Book Proposals, Branding, Career, Communication, Marketing, Social MediaTag: Facebook, Platform, Social Media, Twitter
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