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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 » Reviews

Reviews

But They Missed the Point!

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 25, 2021
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Sometimes rejection letters reveal that the reviewer may have missed the point of an author’s proposal.

Upon rejecting a novel:

Dear Author:

Thank you for your submission. However, we are not seeking memoirs at this time.

Or, upon rejecting a book of satire:

Dear Esteemed Academic:

Thank you for allowing us to review your dissertation on the merits of Hades. However, in October, we have plans to publish “Sheol” by recognized authority S. A. Tan so we will decline your submission with regret.

The misunderstood author wants to (and just might) scream, “NOOOOOO!!!!!”

A maligned writer’s first impulse may be to type:

Dear Clueless Reviewer:

I can’t believe I received a rejection letter from you! You don’t get the book, or me, at all. Any idiot can see that 365 Ways to Cook Your Goose is NOT a devotional collection, but a REALLY, REALLY FUNNY work of art! I mean, wasn’t the picture of myself wearing a Mother Goose outfit, sitting in a huge skillet, a real hoot? Like, I went to A LOT of trouble and expense and bribed a friend (with an apple pie made from scratch) to take those photos. They took all afternoon to perfect! Any moron can discern that you do NOT have a sense of humor! I am going to find your CEO on Facebook and talk to him directly! And let me tell you this: You will NOT be receiving an apple pie from me! Ever!

A more reserved but unappreciated author might write:

Dear Reviewer:

Thank you for your reply. I’m afraid your rejection was sent in error, however. My book, which I thought I had pitched as a collection of humorous essays, is not meant to be used for devotional reading but for entertainment. Will you please give my book another chance and review it with fresh eyes?

You can choose to write either letter or move on to the next agent. That’s your choice, although I don’t recommend pressing “send” on the first version. Speaking only for myself, my office is not infallible; and we can misinterpret an author’s intention. As an agent, once I start working with an author, part of my job is to be sure, to the best of my ability, that an author’s work is presented to editors as the author wishes readers to perceive it. In the meantime, conversation with authors who want to work with me smooths the way. As an aspiring writer, why not make as many fans as you can along the way?

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Category: Rejection, Reviews

The Book That Changed My Life

By Bob Hostetleron November 7, 2018
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Books have changed my life, many times. The Bible has done so, of course, on an almost daily basis, as it has done for so many others. But, while it tops the list, other books have had huge impacts on me. Beverly Cleary’s The Mouse and the Motorcycle introduced me to the joy of reading. C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity and Josh McDowell’s Evidence That Demands a Verdict fueled my teenage spiritual …

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Category: Book Review, Career, Reviews, The Writing Life, Theology

Fakespot

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 7, 2018
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As a reader, I enjoy perusing book reviews. I usually start my assessment of a book by reading one-star reviews to see the worst the reviewers think. One-star reviews will tell me the book’s pitfalls and problems, and are less predictable than glowing reviews. I do read across the star rankings, though. The best reviewers across all the rankings provide lots of good information. I cringe when …

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Category: Reading, ReviewsTag: Book reviews, Reading

You Are Not Your Words

By Bob Hostetleron December 6, 2017
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Writers love words. That’s a good thing. But when we become attached to our own words, that’s a bad thing. I see it often in meeting with writers and offering critiques at writers’ conferences. The writer will hand me a piece of his or her work, “to see what you think.” I’ll look it over, and identify several things to compliment about the piece. And then I’ll make a suggestion for improvement. I …

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Category: Rejection, Reviews, The Writing LifeTag: Craft, Rejection, The Writing Life

The Curse of the Writer

By Steve Laubeon November 20, 2017
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Speaking from an agent's perspective...
I have more conversations with clients about their feelings of anxiety, apprehension or insecurity than almost any other topic. Almost every writer I have ever worked with as an editor or an agent severely doubts themselves at some point in the process.

Doubts occur in the midst of creation.
Doubts occur when the disappointing royalty statement …

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Category: Career, Encouragement, Faith, Inspiration, Reviews, The Writing LifeTag: Book Business, Doubt, Editors, Get Published, Pitching, Rejection, Writing Craft, Writing Life

Why Do Professional Reviewers Dislike Bestsellers?

By Dan Balowon May 30, 2017
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One of the most interesting issues I’ve confronted in my years involved with traditional publishing is why some books sell well despite less-than-stellar reviews and why some with five star ratings barely move the sales needle. It would be similar to films which win Oscars or top honors at film festivals but are barely noticed in the marketplace. I recall attending a showing of a movie with my …

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Category: Book Sales, Reviews, The Publishing LifeTag: reviews, The Publishing Life

A Book Loved By Everyone Hasn’t Been Written

By Dan Balowon January 31, 2017
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There is no such thing as a book everyone likes and this problem is only magnified if it covers religion, politics, sports or anything else where people are deeply divided. If you think you are going to write a book, which unites all Christian believers worldwide, you better take a deep breath and realize no matter what you write, you will have detractors. While the Bible is the Holy …

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Category: Book Review, Reviews, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Faith, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

How to Post a Negative Review

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon September 5, 2013
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Posting a negative review is not the same as trashing a book. Sometimes you really are doing a service to let prospective readers know the book in question may not be right for them. Here are a few tips:

Be sure you rarely post a negative review. If you make a habit of posting bad reviews, you'll be known as a grump who hates everything and your words will lose their power.

Approach from a …

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Category: Reading, Reviews, TamelaTag: Book reviews, Reading, Reveiws

Avoid Trashing a Book Online

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 29, 2013
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When I'm thinking of buying a book, I do read the one-star reviews. There. I admitted it. But would I write one? No, and here are three reasons why:

The author is not a moneymaking machine, but a human. A mean reviewer won't see the fallout of posting a nasty review, but writers cry, get angry, sulk and fall into depressions over one-star reviews. It's not fair to use the Internet to vent at a …

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Category: Career, Reading, Reviews, TamelaTag: Reading, reviews
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