• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

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

  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Interview with Steve Laube
    • Statement of Faith
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Guidelines
  • Authors
    • Who We Represent
    • Awards and Recognition
  • Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Christian Writers Market Guide Online
    • Christian Writers Institute
    • Writers Conferences
    • Freelance Editorial Services
    • Copyright Resources
    • Research Tools
    • Selling What You Write
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • FaceBook
  • RSS Feed
  • Get Published
  • Book Proposals
  • Book Business
  • Writing Craft
    • Conferences
    • Copyright
    • Craft
    • Creativity
    • Grammar
  • Fun Fridays
Home » Book Proposals » Page 28

Book Proposals

Ebook-Originals, the Next Step in Traditional Publishing Strategy

By Steve Laubeon July 19, 2012
Share
Tweet
30

Guest Post by Sue Brower

Our guest today is Sue Brower. She is Executive Editor at Zondervan in charge of fiction and thinks she has the best job in the world…she gets paid to read all day!  Zondervan is currently looking for completed manuscripts to fill the Zondervan First fiction eBook platform.  The ideal stories will primarily have romance-driven plots and vivid, realistic characters.  We are also looking for proposals in the Contemporary, Historical, Suspense, and Romance categories for our print program.  Sue lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her husband Todd, dogs Pepper and Ollie, and cat, Shep.

__________

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how much the book market has changed in just a few short years.  Some bad, but mostly good because of all the new opportunities for innovation and creativity in publishing. Traditional publishing (print books sold through retail stores) is holding its own, but now there are so many more vehicles for authors to get published: print, epub-only, self-pub, etc.

A diehard fiction fan, I swore I would never give up my printed books and I didn’t believe that there would come a day when I wouldn’t be able to spend hours in a bookstore just browsing.  I love the way books smell; I love the way they feel.  Then the company I work for, Zondervan, gave me an IPad so that I could get comfortable with the format and so I could experience books electronically.  For a while everything I read was on my IPad; current books, as well as manuscripts I was considering for publication.  I thought it was so cool…for at first.  Then, a book was being released by my favorite author and I just had to have it in hardcover.  It wasn’t enough to have it loaded in perpetuity on my IPad, I wanted to be able to hold the story in my hands.  I enjoyed it more, become involved in the fantasy just as the writer intended.

So now, where do I read the majority of my books?  I would have to say, that my “disposable” reading is done on the IPad. Novels I want to “experience” are going to be in printed format.  If I want to be absorbed in what I am reading, it has to be on a printed page.  But boy is it fun to now have millions of titles at my fingertips whenever I want them.  E-publishing has done that for me.

What does this mean for the writer?  Publishing is about more than just traditional novels.  We are now content providers in a variety of formats.  As an acquiring editor I can look at publishing short stories, and novellas as well as serializations.  I can acquire more new authors and midlist authors.  I don’t have to wait a year to release a manuscript—I can do it in three months.  What I can’t and won’t do is sacrifice good storytelling and editing.

I am having so much fun playing in this new publishing field.  With our new imprint, Zondervan First fiction, we are able to provide readers a quality reading experience from a variety of new and established authors. We will publish original stories in the eBook format for the Christian audience.  Authors will have a chance to be edited and published by an established publishing house and readers will be introduced to new voices.  What more could you ask for?  I would love to hear your comments on ebook publishing and how it has changed the way you approach your writing career. The first title in our Zondervan First program is Love in Three Quarter Time by Dina Sleiman, one of Tamela Hancock Murray’s clients.

Oh, and by the way, we are still printing books for retail sales!  While electronic sales are growing exponentially, print still outsells electronic in every category.

For more information on Zondervan First fiction and our submission guidelines, please go to www.zondervanfirst.com.

Leave a Comment
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Defense of Traditional Publishing, E-Books, Get Published, TrendsTag: ebooks, publishing, Strategy

A Few Tips on Social Media

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon July 5, 2012
Share
Tweet
30

This may seem like an interruption to my series on writing proposals, but it is not. I plan to address the Marketing section of a proposal in the near future. However, before writers can think about marketing in general, they need to understand social media because an author who has mastered social media will be more attractive to a publisher. They want to partner with savvy authors. Thomas …

Read moreA Few Tips on Social Media
Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, Marketing, TamelaTag: book proposals, Social Media

Who Am I? – About the Author

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 28, 2012
Share
Tweet
30

The author biography section in a book proposal seems to be one of the least anxiety-provoking sections, yet I often see areas that could be improved. Here are a few ideas on how to make your author bio section the best it can be.

Include a portrait

When I was an intern on Capitol Hill, one of my duties was to open the mail. On one occasion, we received a resume that included a portrait, …

Read moreWho Am I? – About the Author
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Branding, Get Published, Marketing, TamelaTag: book proposals, Proposals

Will You Vouch for Me?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 21, 2012
Share
Tweet
24

As part of my continuing series on proposals, today I'll talk about endorsements. This element can cause anxiety, so I hope this post will ease your mind.

When to Ask for Endorsement

Some writers tell me, "I'll get back to you on that list as soon as I talk to the authors." Or even, "I'll let you know as soon as the authors read my manuscript and get back to me." In reality, neither time is …

Read moreWill You Vouch for Me?
Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Endorsements, Get Published, Proposals, Writing Craft

My Book is Like…

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 14, 2012
Share
Tweet
25

When I posted about writing great book proposals, I noticed a trend toward anxiety about the market comparison section. This is understandable since authors need to strike a balance between, "I am the next C.S. Lewis," and "You don't want to read this, do you?"

Aspiring to be like...

Most of the time, newer authors don't think about comparing their work to the work of others in the proposal. …

Read moreMy Book is Like…
Category: Book Proposals, Craft, Get Published, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: book proposals, comparison, competition

Do You Have Perfect Pitch?

By Karen Ballon June 13, 2012
Share
Tweet
50

Thanks so much for all the ideas for my mini-conferences. I’ll put those together soon.

Speaking of conferences, while I was at a writer’s retreat awhile back, I was struck, as I always am when in the company of writers, by the power of the right word used in the right way. On the first day of the conference, I had group meetings with the writers. This is where a group of writers come in, sit …

Read moreDo You Have Perfect Pitch?
Category: Book Proposals, Conferences, Get Published, Karen, PitchingTag: Conferences, Pitching, Proposals, Query Letters

The Synopsis Tells the Tale

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 31, 2012
Share
Tweet
35

Because the synopsis is so critical to a proposal, I decided to write this spin-off of last week's blog, "Keys to a Great Synopsis,"  in hopes of helping authors not only write more effective synopses, but to impart a bit about the fiction market, too.

When I read synopses from authors, much is revealed. For instance, I see:
Cozy mysteries that are meant to be romance.
Gothic plots presented …

Read moreThe Synopsis Tells the Tale
Category: Book Proposals, Craft, Creativity, Get Published, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: book proposals, synopsis

Keys to a Great Synopsis

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 24, 2012
Share
Tweet
25

When I posted my ideas on some Keys to a Great Book Proposal, a few writers said they were challenged to write a synopsis. I agree that writing an interesting synopsis is difficult. However, it’s not an element you want to omit from your proposal because a synopsis orients the editor to the book’s contents. Here are my answers to often-asked questions: 1.) Do I need a …

Read moreKeys to a Great Synopsis
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Get Published, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: book proposals, synopsis

The Keys to a Great Book Proposal

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 17, 2012
Share
Tweet
48

"I think book proposals are one of the most difficult things to write, second only to obituaries."

When I received this email from one of my authors, Sherry Gore, (and yes, I have permission to quote her), I could relate. I've never written obituaries, even though writing one's own is a popular goal-setting exercise. But I have written and read many book proposals so I know they aren't easy to …

Read moreThe Keys to a Great Book Proposal
Category: Book Proposal Basics, Book Proposals, Branding, Get Published, Marketing, TamelaTag: book proposals, Get Published, Marketing

The Mystery of the Slush Pile

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 19, 2012
Share
Tweet
41

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 …

Read moreThe Mystery of the Slush Pile
Category: Agency, Book Proposals, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Proposals, query, Rejection, slush pile
  • Previous
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 26
  • Page 27
  • Page 28
  • Page 29
  • Next
  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Interview with Steve Laube
    • Statement of Faith
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Guidelines
  • Authors
    • Who We Represent
    • Awards and Recognition
  • Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Christian Writers Market Guide Online
    • Christian Writers Institute
    • Writers Conferences
    • Freelance Editorial Services
    • Copyright Resources
    • Research Tools
    • Selling What You Write
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 · The Steve Laube Agency · All Rights Reserved · Website by Stormhill Media