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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 Proposals » Page 6

Book Proposals

Publishing in Generalities

By Dan Balowon May 25, 2022
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While agents and publishers accept book proposals because they contain a number of specific things they like, most book proposals are turned down because of a general reason.

For example, refer to the “Who We Are,” section of this website. Each agent has a set of filters we use to focus our efforts. The filters reflect our strengths and/or personal preferences. Outside of these, we decline.

Publishers also have standards for book proposals they don’t consider. If something appears outside of their stated filters, it won’t even be read and considered regardless of the author’s ability, platform, or anything else. It simply isn’t the type of book they want to publish.

I don’t know what the actual percentage is, but my guess is a high percentage of decisions by agents and publishers are based on general principles, rather than on the details of a specific proposal. For instance:

“I represented a book like this before, and it didn’t sell.”

“We published a book like this before, and it didn’t sell.”

“We already have a book like this.”

Generalities govern more than agents and publishers.

In general, Christian books sell less than non-Christian books. It makes sense, since the majority of people in the world are not Christians.

Overall, women buy and read more Christian books than men, so books written for women sell better than those for men.

In general, publishing decisions are made by people who have a profound interest in books, love well-written projects, and are relatively difficult to please.

In general, publishers generate a substantial majority of their revenue from a relatively small number of projects they publish. You’ve heard of the 80/20 rule? In publishing, it is probably closer to 80/5, where 80% of publisher revenues come from 5% of their products.

In general, few books succeed in a dramatic way. According to Bookstat, 2.6 million different books sold online in 2020; and only 268 of them sold more than 100,000 copies, which is .01% or one for every 10,000 books.

In general, books sell more in their first year and decline in sales afterward.

In general, traditionally published books sell better than author-published books.

The life of an author is governed by a series of generalities as well.

In general, those who work harder and longer to develop their writing will see more success than an author who doesn’t work at it as diligently.

In general, those who work to develop a platform to promote their books do better than those who do not.

In general, a small percentage of authors become financially successful writing books.

I am fighting the temptation to focus on the exceptions to the “rules” and generalities that seem to govern so much of book publishing.

Sure, there are writers who come from nowhere and succeed. Their first book hits the top, and it’s a wild ride from there. But when you consider the thousands upon thousands of books published every year in the US Christian publishing industry, focusing on the three or six or ten that defied the odds isn’t something on which to build a stable career or company.

Maybe consider exceptions as an example of serendipities that pop up everywhere in the life of a Christian, allowed by God to remind all of us He is still there and active. Generally speaking, of course.

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Category: Book Proposals, Career, Get Published, Inspiration, The Writing Life

Two Mistakes Made in Some Book Proposals

By Steve Laubeon May 2, 2022
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by Steve Laube

Putting together a great book proposal takes a lot of work. I suggest writers look at them as if they were a job application, and they are. You are trying to get someone to pay you to write your book via a stellar "job application" or book proposal.

But every once in a while we get something that is not going to work, for obvious reason. Here are two mistakes:

1. Divine …

Read moreTwo Mistakes Made in Some Book Proposals
Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, PlatformTag: book proposals, Get Published, Platform

How to Make Me Stop Reading

By Bob Hostetleron April 20, 2022
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Once upon a time, I finished every book I started reading. I had to. I felt an obligation. If I didn’t finish it, it wouldn’t “count” as a book I’d read. Right? Then, maybe ten, maybe twenty years ago, I changed. I think I realized how many books there are in the world that I want to read and how little time I had left in life to read them. And I reasoned that plowing through a book I’d lost (or …

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Category: Book Proposals, Craft, Writing Craft

Watch the Jargon

By Dan Balowon February 17, 2022
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In early 2018, a corporate consulting firm, Grant Thornton, did a detailed analysis of Fortune 500 company websites, press releases, and social media. What they found was not surprising, but still proved how the use of business jargon (commonly used phrases) pervades the corporate world. What was the most commonly used phrase by Fortune 500 companies? “Best in class” Rounding out the top ten most …

Read moreWatch the Jargon
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Branding, Marketing, Pitch, Pitching, The Writing Life

Thank You for Your Submissions!

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 12, 2022
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Our office receives submissions every day, usually seven days a week, from authors hoping for representation. We know sometimes we take longer to respond than we’d like. For our delay, we apologize. We are well aware that writer time moves much more slowly than editor time or agent time. The rate of speed from manuscript submission to publication hasn’t improved much since writers mailed …

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Category: Book Proposals

A Peek at an Agent’s Emails

By Bob Hostetleron November 3, 2021
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As a literary agent, I send and receive a lot of emails. A lot. And that’s not even counting the emails offering my helpful diet tips and donut recipes. My emails aren’t always so practical, but it recently occurred to me that some weary or woeful writers might be helped by a peek at some of the wise and witty responses I’ve sent to clients and nonclients (because I’m just that kind of guy). Here …

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Category: Agency, Agents, Book Proposals, Career, Pitch, Pitching

Why I Represent the Author: Agent Edition

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 14, 2021
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My reasons for representing an author may differ from why I read a certain book. Content: When I see something fresh and different, but not so far out that no one can relate, an author has my attention. Talent: Although my office must decline talented authors every day, writing talent will get authors a close look. Proposal: A professional proposal shows me the author has taken the time to learn …

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Category: Book Proposals, Career, Pitching, Platform

Books, Hooks, and Good Looks

By Bob Hostetleron September 30, 2021
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I love hooks. As a writer, I work hard on my hooks. When I was a magazine editor, the hook was often the best way for a writer to make a good first impression on me. And now, for me as a literary agent, the hook is the first and one of the most important criteria I use in evaluating a book pitch, proposal, or manuscript. A good book hook will often prompt me to give a project a more careful, …

Read moreBooks, Hooks, and Good Looks
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Career, Get Published, Pitch, Pitching, Platform, Self-Publishing, Social Media, The Writing Life

Start with Your Winning Argument

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon September 23, 2021
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A few years ago, I received a call from someone who otherwise never contacts me. “You need to pay expenses for Dick and Jane. They’ve done so much for us!” Dick and Jane had done a lot for the caller, but they had done nothing for anyone I love. While I’m not so coldhearted as to hang up the phone based on this flawed opening, the caller had opened with an unconvincing pitch. Writers can make the …

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Category: Book Proposals, Marketing, Pitch, Pitching

Should I Personalize My Query?

By Bob Hostetleron September 1, 2021
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I’m frequently surprised by the things other industry professionals say. That could mean I’m still (and always) learning. Or it could be an indication that such people are much smarter than I am. Nah, that can’t be it. I was recently a tad nonplussed to see a fellow literary agent state that the personalization of a query or cover letter or email was a waste of a writer’s time. I must …

Read moreShould I Personalize My Query?
Category: Book Proposals, Pitching
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