• 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 » Pitching » Page 11

Pitching

When the Market Is Too Tight

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon March 22, 2018
Share
Tweet2
53

Previously I posted about sending rejections saying the market is too tight as a reason for the decline. Let’s take a closer look.

Subjective?

“The market is too tight,” sounds objective, doesn’t it? As in, “There isn’t enough room for your book because no one is buying this type of book.” However, this is one time we can get philosophical and admit this reason for a decline is actually the agent’s truth. It’s not necessarily the truth.

For example, some in publishing have declared Christian fiction dead. Dead, I tell you. As dead as Microsoft Office Assistant. (The animated paperclip, not to be confused with Cortana, who’s not nearly as lively or fun.) However, I can name an array of writers, editors, and agents who are flourishing in this category.

What’s the Agent Really Saying?

The answer is that in that agent’s opinion, the market is too tight. He doesn’t know of any editors, or not enough editors, or not enough editors at major houses offering healthy contracts, to take on your book. The agent has made the decision not to waste your time or his in offering representation. While receiving the rejection stings, the agent who believes the market is too tight for your book is doing you a favor not to send you an agency contract.

Another upside? The next agent you query may say, “I’m so excited about your work! I know four editors ready to buy a book on how Amish Extraterrestrials built the Egyptian Pyramids!”

If that’s you, then you’ve found the perfect fit!

Your turn:

Is the market really too tight? On what topics?

Where do you think the current market should expand?

Leave a Comment
Category: Book Proposals, Genre, Get Published, Pitching, Platform, RejectionTag: book proposals, Get Published, Rejection

I Couldn’t Think of a Good Title for This Post

By Bob Hostetleron March 21, 2018
Share
Tweet
20

Some writers love to come up with titles for their stories, articles, or books. Some hate it. Some are good at it, some are awful. But we all have to do it, like it or not. A title can make or break a pitch, even though editors will often change our titles. So here are my twelve top tips (try saying that ten times fast!) for titling your tomes: Know your market. If you’re writing for the Christian …

Read moreI Couldn’t Think of a Good Title for This Post
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Creativity, Get Published, Marketing, Pitch, Pitching, Self-PublishingTag: book proposals, Creativity, Titles

Creative or Effective? You Decide

By Dan Balowon March 6, 2018
Share
Tweet
18

Very early in my working life, I was involved in advertising sales for a radio station.  Probably because I was pretty much a “blank slate” back then, I remember the first advertising seminar I attended like it was yesterday. People who know me well, might smile (or roll their eyes) when I’ll repeat a sales or marketing principle I learned decades ago.  They are “on to me.” At the first seminar, I …

Read moreCreative or Effective? You Decide
Category: Book Proposals, Branding, Marketing, Pitch, PitchingTag: book proposal, Cover Letter, Creativity, Marketing

Can Death Cleaning Spark Joy?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 8, 2018
Share
Tweet
20

One of the most challenging aspects of being successful in nonfiction is choosing a topic general enough to interest a broad swath of readers, but unique enough to make them think of the question in a new way so they’ll want to buy your book. Take decluttering. I follow at least three decluttering blogs. My daughter says, “How about just cleaning instead of reading about it? Then you’d get it …

Read moreCan Death Cleaning Spark Joy?
Category: Book Proposals, Branding, Marketing, Pitching, Platform, The Writing LifeTag: Marketing, Nonfiction

My 600-lb Book Life

By Bob Hostetleron November 22, 2017
Share
Tweet
32

Recently I spent a few hours visiting a relative in rehab, and the television was tuned to an episode of the television series, My 600-lb Life. This is why I like to control the TV remote at all times. The episode focused on a fairly young mother of two children who weighed nearly six hundred pounds and was hoping to engage a surgeon for weight-reduction surgery. Her first several consultations …

Read moreMy 600-lb Book Life
Category: Marketing, Pitching, Platform, The Writing LifeTag: Marketing, Platform, The Writing Life

Agents Share Their Pet Peeves

By Bob Hostetleron November 8, 2017
Share
Tweet1
32

Agents are people, too. Most literary agents, that is. And, like most people, we have our highs and lows. Our problems. Our irritations. Our pet peeves. I asked my fellow agents at The Steve Laube Agency to share their pet peeves with me for the purpose of this blog post. Boy, did that open a Pandora’s box. Tamela Hancock Murray, the “ACFW agent-of-the-year” award-winning agent, agreed to come …

Read moreAgents Share Their Pet Peeves
Category: Agents, Book Proposals, Get Published, Pitch, PitchingTag: Agency, Agents, Pet Peeves

The Damaged Author

By Dan Balowon May 16, 2017
Share
Tweet
27

Anyone can easily identify a person who has been damaged by life and in need of help. The same is true with damaged authors. If you are in this category, writing about your experiences and the lessons learned can be both cathartic and spiritually fruitful, but taking a damaged-life perspective into the professional world of book publishing will rarely work for anyone. If you know someone who is …

Read moreThe Damaged Author
Category: Book Proposals, Encouragement, Faith, Get Published, PitchingTag: Encouragement, Get Published

At What Point Would an Agent be Interested in an Indie Author?

By Steve Laubeon April 10, 2017
Share
Tweet
10

I am an indie author. I’ve written several novels, some of which have sold well and all of which have *at least* 4.7 stars. Is there a point at which an agent would want to talk to someone like me? When/why might I consider getting an agent? Thanks to Heather for the question! A number of factors play a role in answering this question. (Are you getting tired of my “it depends” answer to all your …

Read moreAt What Point Would an Agent be Interested in an Indie Author?
Category: Agents, Book Proposals, Indie, Pitching, Self-Publishing, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Agents, Indie

Frustrated by Rejection or No Response? Try This

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon March 30, 2017
Share
Tweet
22

Last week I wrote about authors who send agents submissions despite the fact those agents clearly state that they don’t represent those categories. When this happens, I sense one of three things from the author: exuberance, ignorance, or frustration. Exuberance An author who’s been successful for decades still can be exuberant about her work. That’s not what I mean here. In this case, the author …

Read moreFrustrated by Rejection or No Response? Try This
Category: Book Proposals, Pitch, Pitching, PlatformTag: Agents, book proposals, Frustration, Pitching

When Proposing a Series of Novels

By Steve Laubeon March 27, 2017
Share
Tweet
18

“Are today’s publishers more interested in an individual novel or a trilogy? Also, when submitting a proposal for the completed first novel in a planned trilogy, is it better to focus on the first novel or give an overview of the complete trilogy? Is there an upper limit to how many books should be in a series?” These are some excellent questions submitted by both Peter and …

Read moreWhen Proposing a Series of Novels
Category: Book Proposals, Genre, Get Published, PitchingTag: book proposals, Series, Stand Alones
  • Previous
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 9
  • Page 10
  • Page 11
  • Page 12
  • 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