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Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

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Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Marketing » Page 22

Marketing

Three Steps to Freedom!

By Karen Ballon April 18, 2012
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It’s The Most Wonderful/Terrible Time of the Year.

It comes every year, and every year we wait for it with a mixture of excitement and dread. No, I’m not talking about taxes.

I’m talking about the award season.

From the ECPA Book of the Year awards to the Christy’s, the Genesis to the RITA, the Golden Heart to the Carol, and all the gazillion contests and awards in-between, online groups, Facebook, Twitter, and more are buzzing with the news of who finaled and who didn’t, who was nominated and who wasn’t. It’s a heady time for those chosen; a difficult and even painful time for those not so blessed.

This year has been especially interesting to me as a number of the books I acquired and edited over the last year or so have garnered several nominations for prestigious awards. I’m delighted for these writers, because I know how hard they’ve worked, and how talented they are. But I know, too, that those not getting happy news have also worked hard, are also talented. And I know that so many of us find ourselves smiling through the ache inside, congratulating our friends, knowing we should be happy for them, but all-too-aware of that nagging “Why not me??” in our gut.

So what’s a writer to do?

Well, let me offer you Three Steps to Freedom. Freedom from frustration, from resentment and envy—and from that voice that keeps telling you you’re not good enough.

Step One: Go ahead. Feel Sorry for yourself.

Seriously, if you’re glum because your book wasn’t chosen (or even submitted), or you’ve been writing longer than that finalist has been alive!, or you just knew this was YOUR year until you broke all your fingers in that extreme crochet tournament, or for any of the myriad reasons we have for feeling bad that we weren’t chosen or spotlighted, give yourself 10 minutes to sulk. Yes, go ahead. Rant, rave, snarl, consume copious amounts of chocolate. Get it out of your system. But only for 10 minutes. No fudging on this one, friends. Ten minutes tops.

Step Two:  Go forward. Focus outside yourself.

Best way to get over those feelings in step one is to stop focusing on yourself and start, as Scripture so aptly states it, rejoicing with those who rejoice, and weeping with those who weep. If you know those who have finaled or been nominated for awards, send your sincere congrats. Celebrate with them! A win for them is a win for us all, friends. And if you know others who were hoping against hope, only to have those hopes dashed, send them a quick “I understand and I’m praying for you.” Come alongside those who share this writing journey with you, be they celebrating or sad. Because we’re all serving the same Master, and when you reach out to your fellow sojourners, uplifting and encouraging them, He is pleased.

Step Three: Go Deeper. Examine your craft.

If you entered a contest or two or twelve, and didn’t receive the results you’d hoped for, use this experience to take a hard look at your craft. If you receive any comments back from judges, look them over with an open and teachable heart. Don’t let this discourage you. Instead, know you’re doing the work, and determine to grow in both craft and grace. God has this, just as He has every other step in our journey. Nothing is wasted in His economy, so seek what He wants to teach you in this particular step. It may be a craft issue, or it may be a heart or faith issue. Whatever it is, be teachable. And rejoice in the honor of His refinement.

And never, ever forget, no matter how rocky the road, that we who get to spend our days immersed in words, and in His Word, are among the luckiest people of all.

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Category: Encouragement, Get Published, Karen, Marketing, Writing CraftTag: Awards, contests, Encouragement, News

7 Ways Agents Measure Social Media

By Steve Laubeon February 20, 2012
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Guest Blog by Thomas Umstattd We are thrilled to have Thomas Umstattd as our guest today. His company built our web site and we unabashedly recommend their services. Thomas built his first website at the age of 13 and taught his first web design class at only 16 years old. He has been helping authors and small businesses use the web ever since. Thomas currently serves as the CEO of Castle Media …

Read more7 Ways Agents Measure Social Media
Category: Agency, Book Business, Branding, Guest Post, Marketing, Social Media, SteveTag: Branding Platform Agents, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Trends

Fresh Formulas

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 2, 2012
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Some have a hard time appreciating the talent involved in writing genre fiction. By genre fiction, I mean novels that fall into a defined category such as contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense, or cozy mystery. Many of these novels are published by mass market publishers (like Harlequin) and fit in lines they have formed for the sole purpose of selling the genre.

These are …

Read moreFresh Formulas
Category: Agency, Branding, Craft, Creativity, Genre, Get Published, Romance, Tamela, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Craft, Genre, Ideas, Proposals, Romance, Tamela, Writing Craft

Your Brand is Not a Limitation

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 19, 2012
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It is All About Expectations What if you bought a recording from a music group expecting their usual collection of ballads, only to hear guitar anthems? Or what if you picked up a book with a pink cover that promised a love story but ended up reading a novel where hapless and nameless victims suffered gunshot wounds on every page? You’d be disappointed, right? I would be. You don’t …

Read moreYour Brand is Not a Limitation
Category: Book Business, Book Business, Branding, Career, Get Published, TamelaTag: Book Business, Branding, Marketing, Tamela, Writing Craft

The Perils of Social Media

By Steve Laubeon January 9, 2012
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Facebook. Twitter. Shoutlife. LinkedIn. Dopplr. Google+. Plaxo. Blogger. WordPress. Shelfari. Goodreads. Writer's loops. Conference loops. Endless loops.

By the time I finish updating my status, writing my blogs, tweeting, pasting my bulletins, my newest pictures, my URLs and YouTube links, recruiting friends, recommending friends, sharing reads, rating reads, ranking reads, ranking friends, …

Read moreThe Perils of Social Media
Category: Book Business, Get Published, Guest Post, Humor, Marketing, Social Media, Writing CraftTag: Agents, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Time Management, Writing Craft

A Matter of Taste

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon November 3, 2011
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I always enjoy reading comments on our blog posts. Recently a reader posted a provocative question:
In this time of great emotional upheaval, instability, and unrest, aren't we ready for something more solid and inspiring than just different types of romance novels?
Those of you familiar with my career know that I am the author of many romance novels and stories -- and Bible trivia books!

And …

Read moreA Matter of Taste
Category: Book Business, Genre, Marketing, Romance, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Get Published, Marketing, Romance, Tamela, Traditional Publishing

Study the Market

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 20, 2011
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What is the best way to find out what is successful in the current market?

This is a good question because while as an author, you don't want to chase the market, you also don't want to write books that are so far off from the current market that they have no chance of selling. First and foremost, marketing advice from any source assumes that authors submit their best, most polished, highest …

Read moreStudy the Market
Category: Get Published, Marketing, Tamela, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Get Published, Pitching, Tamela, Trends, Writing Craft

Writing Contests: Panacea or Waste?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 13, 2011
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At a recent conference, a lovely writer who had finaled in a contest but wasn't chosen as the winner asked if she could still submit a proposal to me. I told her "Yes! Of course!"

Her question brought to mind the role contests play in a writer's career. I'm asked questions about contests at least once a month. I'll try to answer two key questions here.

Should I Enter?

When considering …

Read moreWriting Contests: Panacea or Waste?
Category: Book Business, Marketing, TamelaTag: Book Business, contests, Marketing, Tamela, Writing Craft

Conference Proposal Requests

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 6, 2011
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The recent ACFW conference (attended by nearly 700 writers and industry professionals) has writers, agents, and editors in overdrive as we all attempt to follow up on conference proposal requests. Writers are working feverishly to get proposals to editors. Some are thinking, "Surely the editor who seemed so excited about my proposal is checking email at least once or twice a day looking for it. I …

Read moreConference Proposal Requests
Category: Conferences, Get Published, Marketing, TamelaTag: Book Business, Conferences, Pitching, Rejection, Tamela, Writing Craft

En-TITLE-ment: Finding the Perfect Title (Part Three)

By Karen Ballon August 31, 2011
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Remember that old adage for retailers, “The customer is always right?” Well, for novelists seeking the perfect title, that should be “The audience is always right.”

Tip #4: Remember Your Audience! Novelists do a great job, on the whole, of keeping their audience in mind as they write. But sometimes when trying to come up with a catchy title or cover image, they go a bit far afield of that …

Read moreEn-TITLE-ment: Finding the Perfect Title (Part Three)
Category: Book Business, Craft, Creativity, Get Published, Karen, Marketing, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Karen, Titles
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