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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 » Platform » Page 8

Platform

Why I Wouldn’t Represent Bible People

By Dan Balowon September 6, 2016
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Taking a cue from the media ads for various prescription drugs, including a legal disclaimer in any communication protects everyone from legal jeopardy or in this case, condemnation.

God inspired the Bible and the thoughts expressed in it are exactly as God intended. No one shall add or take away anything. The following satire is intended for entertainment value only. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of any other person on the planet. If you take this too seriously, you need to get outside more.

I realize good satire doesn’t need to be announced ahead of time. But since I am not a writer of good satire, I feel compelled to do so, since our sound-bitten, share-a-phrase-out-of-context-on-Twitter communications culture could make me look pretty crazy after writing this post. And trust me, I don’t need to be made to look crazier than I am.

So, here we go… Why I, as a literary agent, wouldn’t represent various writers of Scripture and other Bible people:

Moses

Sketchy background. Accused of killing a man then fled the jurisdiction and never brought to justice. Claims to have spoken directly to God and hears from him regularly. Is relentless until he gets his own way. Nothing but negative comments from surviving members of Pharaoh’s court. Could be a very high maintenance author.

Joseph

An interesting man for sure, but for all the good stories he has to tell, there is still the unresolved charges brought by a Mrs. Potiphar. Frequent visions put his sanity in question. Complicated relationship with family could cause permissions issues with stories he might write.

Joshua

Strong personality but killed a lot of people.  Honestly, I’m a little afraid of the man. Claims to have stopped the sun from moving for a period. Sure, like that ever happened. Probably exaggerates wildly. I would question his honesty and integrity.

Daniel

Good guy but claims to have visions and makes frequent predictions. Authors who make predictions are difficult to work with. He might need to pass a drug test before anyone agrees to publish him. According to references in Babylonia, he doesn’t compromise what he believes in, which might make him difficult in the editorial process.

David

Where do I start? Famous guy with a super platform, but he’s got issues. Seems to be constantly making mistakes and apologizing. Would probably get a contract cancelled for some moral failing. Frankly, some of the things he has done would make Godly people embarrassed to read.

Solomon

Yikes. The wives, the concubines, the whole Ecclesiastes dark perspective and then the Song of Solomon project would be reason enough for a Christian publisher to never publish him. Some things should not be covered in a Christian book. Sure, a wise guy with deep things to say, but you just know one of his wives would do a tell-all book and blow it all up.

Matthew

Writing out of his field. Should be writing about finance and business ethics, not history. Based on his past as a tax collector, he probably has integrity issues.

Luke

Same general issues as Matthew. Should be writing about medical issues, not history. No platform for a book about Jesus’ life. Book of Acts is completely out of his area of expertise. Should not have been involved in the Bible project in the first place.

Peter

No theological credentials or platform. Should never be published. Emotionally unstable. Definitely a high-maintenance client. Might be your best friend one day and deny he knows you the next.

Paul

Potentially a best-selling author, but more trouble than he is worth. Really knows his stuff, but he invokes God’s leading at the drop of a hat, and there’s the issue of standing idly by as Stephen was martyred. Has all the credentials, but will be a problem for editors. Constantly in trouble with the law. A nightmare for publisher PR departments. Disappears on trips for years at a time. Nine-year period in Tarsus still unaccounted for professionally. Too high-maintenance.

 

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Category: Agents, Humor, PlatformTag: Humor, Platform

Keys to Killing Your Social Media Presence

By Karen Ballon July 27, 2016
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Okay, we all talk about how to make social media work for you. But lately I’ve noticed some things that don’t work at all. Some of which have been tied to the whole political climate nowadays. Others, though, have been around for a long time, and I’ve just kind of hit the wall with them. But all of them have been really effective tools—if the goal is to ensure people quit those FB pages, blogs, or …

Read moreKeys to Killing Your Social Media Presence
Category: Platform, Social MediaTag: Platform, Social Media

What’s Your Third Book?

By Dan Balowon June 21, 2016
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At some point, whenever I speak with an un-published author I will ask the question, “What is your third book?” The purpose of the question is to elicit a response to get an idea if the author is interested in being a professional author or simply publishing a book. Those are different goals entirely. Agents mostly represent professional authors, not books. Agents are “in this” for the long term …

Read moreWhat’s Your Third Book?
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Branding, Career, Get Published, PlatformTag: Career, Get Published

Limitations Inherent to Non-Fiction Publishing

By Dan Balowon May 31, 2016
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Some categories of books in the Christian market have very limited potential for publication. A publisher may do just one every year or every ten years on a particular topic or category. When you send your proposal to an agent or ask your agent to pitch a title in one of these categories, our first reaction would be how limited the potential is to sell. I am not writing about the potential for …

Read moreLimitations Inherent to Non-Fiction Publishing
Category: Book Proposals, Branding, Career, Economics, Get Published, PlatformTag: Bet Published, book proposals

Should I Still Have a Website?

By Dan Balowon May 10, 2016
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Lately, I have read a number of articles and had a number of conversations addressing the importance or unimportance of author websites. Since social media sites are supposed to be the magic marketing-potion for every author, stodgy old websites seem to be the domain only of out-of-touch sluggards. You probably have an inkling where I stand on the issue. Should an author have a website?  Yes. If …

Read moreShould I Still Have a Website?
Category: Branding, Career, Marketing, PlatformTag: Marketing, Websites

Platform, Numbers, and Content

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 21, 2016
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I love interacting with my blog readers! We enjoy great discussions and excellent questions. Last week I responded in the comments section of the post “What Makes an Agent Say Wow!” and realized later that the answer constitutes its own blog post. This was not the first time I’ve been long-winded, nor will it be the last! I’m posting my response today because the question was posed …

Read morePlatform, Numbers, and Content
Category: Career, PlatformTag: Career, Platform

Enjoying the Journey of Publishing

By Dan Balowon April 12, 2016
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The issue of competition requires regular reminders to everyone who is currently working or desires to be part of the book industry, so I am walking in the same footsteps of previous posts. An element of competition is involved in every aspect of publishing, down to the smallest detail. One need not be obsessed or discouraged by the competitive environment, rather the opposite, with eyes wide …

Read moreEnjoying the Journey of Publishing
Category: Book Business, Career, Platform, The Writing LifeTag: competition, The Writing Life

The Credibility Gap

By Dan Balowon March 22, 2016
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This was a tough post to write. I felt at times that I was arguing with myself on these issues, but maybe in today’s “journey” through the topic of author credibility you will sense the struggle that Christian authors confront and maybe some truth with be revealed in the process. If you were a mathematics professor at a junior college and had a revolutionary insight related to something about …

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Category: Book Business, Career, Platform, The Publishing LifeTag: Career, Credentials, The Publishing Life

Gather ‘round The Platform

By Dan Balowon February 23, 2016
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The issue of authors needing large social media platforms before they can be considered by certain publishers (and therefore agents) has been a source of frustration for some and a challenge for others. For few, it is an energizing, motivating pursuit. Agents at this agency have blogged about it here for years. We’ve all given presentations at conferences on the subject. Questions about platform …

Read moreGather ‘round The Platform
Category: Branding, Get Published, Marketing, PlatformTag: blogging, Marketing, Platform

Why Should I Follow Your Guidelines?

By Steve Laubeon February 15, 2016
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Recently we had someone write and say that forcing an author to follow our guidelines when submitting a proposal is the height of arrogance. An artist should be allowed artistic freedom of expression and cramming ideas into a pre-prescribed format is squelching that creativity. While I understand the frustration and the amount of work involved in creating a proposal, there are reasons why we ask …

Read moreWhy Should I Follow Your Guidelines?
Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, Marketing, PlatformTag: book proposals, Get Published, Guidelines
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