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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 » Platform » Page 4

Platform

12 Steps to Publication

By Steve Laubeon August 10, 2020
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It takes 12 strikes to achieve a perfect game in bowling. (See last Friday’s video.)

It made me think there are 12 things that need to happen in the publication process. Each must knock down all the pins to achieve publishing success. With that simplistic idea in mind, I came up with the following:

  1. Idea – A book has to start somewhere
  2. Write chapter – if not the whole book
  3. Platform building – become the focus of an audience for your book
  4. Book proposal – find the niche, perfect the pitch
  5. Agent – find the right business partner for your venture
  6. Acquisitions editor – the agent helps with finding the right editor for the right book
  7. Publication board – the editor has to convince the rest of the team to invest in your work
  8. Contract – negotiated by your agent with your input
  9. Editing steps – developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, proofreading
  10. Production steps – work done by the publisher, hopefully with your input (cover design, interior design, typesetting, galleys, ebook conversion, etc.)
  11. Marketing / sales – the efforts by your publisher to get a return on their investment, along with your help and cooperation
  12. Repeat – did you think you were only going to do this once?

Would you add or subtract a step?

Remember you can only have 12 in this game of lists.

Yes, this list is based on a traditional publishing model. But many of the steps are still there if you do this on your own. In fact, everything in steps 9, 10, and 11 would be your responsibility.

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Category: Book Proposals, Common Questoins, Editing, Get Published, Marketing, Pitching, Platform

I Have Plans to Write That Book

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon November 7, 2019
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Last week, I talked about a few reasons why I don’t plan to write a nonfiction book on style, mainly because I have no desire to develop a presence or platform as an expert on style. But what if you want to write a nonfiction book about a topic you know and love? Let’s look at the list, revised from last week, to help you decide if you should: Are you well-known outside of your immediate circle of …

Read moreI Have Plans to Write That Book
Category: Book Proposals, Branding, Marketing, Pitching, Platform, The Writing Life

7 Reasons Why Christian Authors Need to Embrace Podcasting Now

By Steve Laubeon September 16, 2019
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Podcasting is here to stay. Here are seven reasons you should take it seriously as an author.  1. Podcasting Is a Tool of Bestselling Authors Here is a list of the 10 bestselling Christian authors for September 2019. (A Bible study of Lysa TerKeurst’s book is actually #9, so I edited the list to remove the repetition.)  Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis   The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman …

Read more7 Reasons Why Christian Authors Need to Embrace Podcasting Now
Category: Audio, Book Business, Marketing, Platform, Podcast, The Writing Life

Picture-Perfect Personality

By Guest Bloggeron July 25, 2019
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Today’s guest writer is Emilie Haney, a freelance writer, photographer, and graphic designer living in Northern California. She’s a member of ACFW and writes young-adult fiction. She’s got a soft spot in her heart for animals and a love for the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. In her spare time, you can find her designing fun, bookish items for her Etsy and Society6 shops, all while …

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Category: Book Proposals, Branding, Marketing, Platform, The Writing Life

Would You Buy Your Own Book?

By Steve Laubeon May 6, 2019
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When I ask a room of writers if they would buy their own book if they saw it on the shelf at a major bookstore I am met with a variety of reactions. Laughter. Pensiveness. Surprise. And even a few scowls. How would you answer that question?

But the question is meant to ask if your book idea is unique. Whether it will stand out among the noise of the competition.

It is not a question of …

Read moreWould You Buy Your Own Book?
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Get Published, Marketing, Pitch, Pitching, Platform, The Publishing Life, Writing CraftTag: Marketing, Pitching, Proposals

What Makes You Click?

By Steve Laubeon April 29, 2019
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Below is a visual representation of some astounding statistics regarding Internet usage. A little more than twelve years ago I wrote a chapter for a writing book on how to use the Internet for research. I re-read that article recently...umm, Google didn't even exist back then (founded in September 1998), much less Wikipedia (where the jury is still out if is a reliable source for verifiable …

Read moreWhat Makes You Click?
Category: Branding, Marketing, Pitch, Pitching, PlatformTag: Digital Books, Facebook, Internet Usage

Are You a “Christian Writer?”

By Bob Hostetleron November 21, 2018
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I am a Christian writer. Sure. To some, that confession implies that I write Christian books. That happens to be true, but that’s not the only possibility. Others might infer that I am a writer of cheesy, preachy prose and poetry. I hope not, but I must leave it to others to judge. Still others may interpret the phrase “Christian writer” as referring to someone who writes only on Christian …

Read moreAre You a “Christian Writer?”
Category: Inspiration, Platform, The Writing Life, Theology

Lessons Learned As a Literary Agent

By Dan Balowon October 23, 2018
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Dan is leaving the agency at the end of this month to focus his attention on the work of Gilead Publishing, the company he started in 2016. Here are some parting thoughts. _____ I’ve been a literary agent for about 2,000 of the 13,000 total days spent working with and for book publishers over the last thirty-five years. It’s been a great experience, for sure; but as I look back at the thousands of …

Read moreLessons Learned As a Literary Agent
Category: Agents, Book Business, Branding, Career, Conferences, Craft, Creativity, Encouragement, Inspiration, Marketing, Personal, Pitch, Platform, Self-Publishing, Social Media, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

The Biggest Question About Your Book

By Dan Balowon October 16, 2018
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Authors are like small businesses. They have a finance department, a marketing department and an editorial wing. Then there’s the travel, human resources, IT and facilities management departments, all managed by one person, the author. While writing quality and author platforms are discussed at every writer’s conference, those aren’t the only factors contributing to the success or …

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Category: Book Proposals, Creativity, Marketing, Platform

Of Making Many Books There Is No End

By Steve Laubeon October 15, 2018
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This past week Bowker, the company that issues ISBN numbers for published books, released their annual statistics. They broke out the numbers for self-published books and revealed a stunning statistic. (If you want the history and explanation of the ISBN, read my scintillating post on the topic here. Each country issues their own ISBNs; Bowker is the one for the U.S.) The total number of ISBNs …

Read moreOf Making Many Books There Is No End
Category: Book Proposals, Marketing, Platform, Self-Publishing, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life
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