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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 » Pitching » Page 10

Pitching

Resist the Urge to Explain Your Title

By Steve Laubeon February 11, 2019
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For fiction writers, there is an important self-editing technique called RUE (Resist the Urge to Explain). The problem occurs when an author overwrites a scene and explains every thought, movement, etc., or fails to allow the reader to fill in the details, thereby ruining the reading experience. The concept is described extremely well in Browne & King’s Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.

Today, I’d like to look at it a little differently and apply the phrase “Resist the Urge to Explain” to the title you’ve created for your book.

Too many times an author will come up with a great idea but uses a title that has to be explained. I firmly believe that if you have to explain what your book is, few are patient enough to “listen” and will click to the next book online or their eyes will flit to the next book on the shelf.

I am frequently confronted by this problem in pitches and book proposals. At a conference appointment, someone may verbally pitch their book and I just don’t get it. The writer then spends a minute or more explaining the concept to me. My reply is, “Ah, I get it now. But you can’t make that explanation with every potential buyer online or in a store. You cannot physically do that. It needs a better title.”

Let’s use some goofy examples (these are not real pitches but ones I’ve made up on the spot):

You’ve written a book on personal finance. But the title is Gimme Sum Money. What does that mean? The title does mention money but uses the word sum instead of some. Why? The author might say, “Because it is a clever play on words and will get the reader to stop and explore.” Maybe. But more likely they will walk right past it. (It also doesn’t pass the “radio test” where the title would be misspelled if first heard on the radio.) A better title would be How to Keep the Money You Make.

Another example in fiction. The novel is a romance, and the title is Pillowsoft. Okay. But is that a brand name for a new pillow? Is it a metaphor for romance? Is it the name of a town? The title has to be explained. The reader may just walk right past it. A better title would be In Love’s Embrace. (Granted, that suggested title is rather weak; but you get my point.) Fiction will often have a nebulous title as part of its allure. However, some authors can go too far with their fiction titles and make them sound like nonfiction treatises.

Not every title has to be overly descriptive. For fun, let’s list a few below. Think how the content of the book is well expressed by the title:
Mere Christianity
The Purpose Driven Life
The Compact Guide to World Religions
Jesus Calling

The Five Love Languages
How to Be a Christian Without Being Religious
The Perfect Catch: Lessons for Life from a Bass Fisherman
The Forgotten Trinity

Put another way, when was the last time you bought a book solely on the power of the title? The title got your attention somehow. And then you spent a few seconds reading the back cover copy. Then you bought the book. The title promised you something: advice, entertainment, information, or inspiration.

In case you wonder, this is an ongoing discussion in every publishing house. The detective novelist Raymond Chandler famously wrote his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, “I am trying to think up a good title for you to want me to change.”

Below is an interesting list of famous novels that had their titles changed by the publisher:

Original Working Title Published Title
Leviathan Rising Jaws
It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet All Things Bright and Beautiful
First Impressions Pride and Prejudice
Before This Anger Roots
Trimalchio in West Egg The Great Gatsby
The Whale Moby Dick
Tomorrow is Another Day Gone with the Wind
Sea Cook Treasure Island
All’s Well That Ends Well War and Peace

 

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Category: Book Proposals, Pitch, Pitching, The Writing Life

Don’t Write Your Bio, Write a “Why Me?”

By Bob Hostetleron August 8, 2018
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Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, writers who were pitching their articles or books to editors and agents included in the query or proposal a “bio” paragraph. These writers would include such things as their education, previous publishing credits, and whatever other claims to fame they could cite. Some still do that, but for many years now my recommendation has been not to write a “bio” …

Read moreDon’t Write Your Bio, Write a “Why Me?”
Category: Book Proposals, Branding, Marketing, Pitch, PitchingTag: Author Bio, book proposal, Pitching

Is It Okay for Me to Resubmit?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 28, 2018
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When approaching agents and editors, sometimes even veteran authors are unsure if there is some unwritten rule they may unwittingly violate. I assure you, all of us in the industry appreciate your thoughtfulness. But we don’t want fear to cause you to miss an opportunity! Over the past few conferences, one statement I heard often is: “I was already turned down by someone else at your agency. I …

Read moreIs It Okay for Me to Resubmit?
Category: Book Proposals, Pitch, PitchingTag: Agents, book proposals, pitch

What Does Your Reader Need?

By Bob Hostetleron June 13, 2018
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I attend many writers’ conferences, as an author, speaker, and agent. As a result, I meet and become friends with many fine people and outstanding writers. At a recent gathering, I enjoyed a spirited and stimulating conversation with an aspiring author who has a passion for reaching readers with the good news of Jesus Christ. I identify with that. But I’m not sure we ever got onto the same page, …

Read moreWhat Does Your Reader Need?
Category: Book Proposals, Conferences, Pitch, Pitching, The Writing LifeTag: Audience, book proposals, pitch, Pitching, readers

Author Says / Agent Hears

By Dan Balowon June 12, 2018
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Many aspiring authors communicate things they think are positive, or at least in the spirit of honesty and transparency, but end up being understood entirely different than the intended message. In an attempt to show commitment, an aspiring author says, “I’ve been working on this book for ten years.” An agent hears, “I am an extremely slow writer and once finished, enter a protracted spiral of …

Read moreAuthor Says / Agent Hears
Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, Pitch, Pitching, The Writing LifeTag: Agents, book proposals, Get Published, pitch, Pitching

The Wild Pitch

By Steve Laubeon June 11, 2018
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In honor of the upcoming baseball season I thought it would be fun to explore the art of pitching.

A couple years ago I was watching a Major League baseball game and the pitcher unleashed a horrific throw that sailed about eight feet behind the batter. It floated to the backstop without a bounce and everyone in the stadium wonder what had just happened. It looked like the pitcher lost his grip …

Read moreThe Wild Pitch
Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, Pitching, SteveTag: Get Published, Pitching, Proposals, Query Letters

Five Ways Getting an Agent is Like Dating

By Bob Hostetleron May 30, 2018
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At a recent writers’ conference, I enjoyed my first “speed dating” experience. Maybe I should clarify. “Yes, you should,” says my wife. These were “speed dating for writers” sessions, in which writers sat down for rapid-fire five-minute appointments with editors, agents, and authors (many conferences provide writers with the opportunity to sign up for fifteen-minute appointments, which pass …

Read moreFive Ways Getting an Agent is Like Dating
Category: Agents, Conferences, Get Published, PitchingTag: Agents, Get Published, Pitching

Don’t Put Everything in Your Book

By Dan Balowon May 29, 2018
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One reason platform-building is a such a problem for some authors is the feeling they must place everything important in their book, leaving little or nothing left to say for platform purposes. This puts an author in an awkward position where they either deviate from their core book-message for their platform (social media and other efforts) or they treat their platform only as a “teaser” or …

Read moreDon’t Put Everything in Your Book
Category: Branding, Career, Marketing, Pitching, PlatformTag: Branding, Marketing, Message, Platform

Your Author Photo

By Steve Laubeon April 30, 2018
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A number of questions were raised when I wrote about the “bio” portion of a book proposal and suggested that you include an author photo. Here are some practical considerations. Make it Look Professional Quality photographers will tell you that background, lighting, how you look at the camera, and what you are wearing have a great influence on how the photo appears. I once saw an …

Read moreYour Author Photo
Category: Book Proposals, Pitch, Pitching, PlatformTag: Author Photos, book proposals

Three Reasons It’s Not Too Late to Submit

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon March 29, 2018
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Sometimes I meet authors who wonder if they’ve waited too long after they’ve met with me at a conference to submit to me. Without exception (at least, without any exceptions I can think of), the answer is no. It is never too late. Why not? If you’re going to conferences and taking classes to learn, I want to see what you apply. Writers attending conferences are, in part, students. Sometimes I …

Read moreThree Reasons It’s Not Too Late to Submit
Category: Book Proposals, Conferences, Pitch, PitchingTag: book proposals, Conferences, Pitching
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