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The Steve Laube Agency

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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 » Self-Publishing

Self-Publishing

Publishing Is Publishing

By Dan Balowon October 6, 2022
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Every part of the book publishing ecosystem adjusted its perspective to accommodate both traditional publishing and author-published works. It wasn’t long ago these two paths were treated as either/or decisions; but now they are both/and.

Many traditional publishers offer author-paid services, some agents have indie services for clients, and a large number of authors publish both traditional and indie. Publishers, agents, and authors have all considered how to embrace this brave not-so-new world of publishing.

Maybe the folks who did the religion Coexist bumper sticker should come up with a publishing version.

More and more, authors are pitching agents books that are already published through indie means. In most cases, they are disappointed by their results and thought they would try traditional routes with the same title.

Maybe this is oversimplifying the issue; but when a book is published indie, it is published. No going back. There are some cases when a book does very well indie published, and a traditional publisher offers to take it to a wider audience. But if a book is indie published and it does not sell well, it is best to let it be and focus on writing a new title.

An author-published book is a published book, with all the things that go along with being published. Reviews, rankings and sales data are now visible; and depending how they play out, it may be good news or bad. It has been test marketed.

This is the same as traditional publishing. Once a book is made available to purchase, the reviews, rankings, and sales data are watched like circling hawks; and, depending on the results, you and the publisher (and agent) may be encouraged or discouraged.

For sure, indie publishing gives an aspiring author a chance to prove themselves. No waiting for gatekeepers for the thumbs up or down. But if you are less than successful selling copies of your indie book, you now have a track record for all to see.

Combining indie and traditional publishing into one author’s career usually happens when an author has a measure of success with traditional publishing, then adds indie to allow for more control of their future writing and the option to write more or different than what might be published by a traditional publisher. Eventually, indie might replace traditional publishing for an author.

You can still be successful as an indie author if the traditional route stopped working well, but the reverse is not the case. If you aren’t successful in the indie route, traditional publishers are not really an option. Just stick with indie and see if you can make it work.

Many years ago, publishing was far more intuitive. Now, various information technologies track everything. Most traditional publishers would rather take a chance on an unproven author with a good platform and potential than an author who has proven to be less-than-successful on the indie path.

Finally, there will always be a big difference between an author trying to get a book published and an author with a long-term plan for content creation, seeking ways to maximize their gifts and work.

The two paths are distinct. It is best to first determine which way you seek, then make decisions on the direction best suited for you.

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Category: Book Business, Book Business, Indie, Marketing, Self-Publishing, Trends

Books, Hooks, and Good Looks

By Bob Hostetleron September 30, 2021
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I love hooks. As a writer, I work hard on my hooks. When I was a magazine editor, the hook was often the best way for a writer to make a good first impression on me. And now, for me as a literary agent, the hook is the first and one of the most important criteria I use in evaluating a book pitch, proposal, or manuscript. A good book hook will often prompt me to give a project a more careful, …

Read moreBooks, Hooks, and Good Looks
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Career, Get Published, Pitch, Pitching, Platform, Self-Publishing, Social Media, The Writing Life

Searching for Books

By Dan Balowon September 8, 2021
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Online search engines are immensely powerful, often anticipating what you want and asking, “Did you mean _____?” when it doesn’t locate what you typed. This is very helpful because making your book as findable online as possible is critical since online book sales are pretty important! Making your book discoverable online is all about keywords. Read a good explanation of them by clicking on the …

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Category: Book Sales, Branding, Marketing, Self-Publishing, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

Where Do Your Readers Come From?

By Guest Bloggeron May 24, 2021
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Today’s guest writer is Carla Laureano. She is a two-time RITA® award-winning author of over a dozen books, spanning the genres of contemporary romance and Celtic fantasy. A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked in sales and marketing for more than a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write full-time. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, two sons, …

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Category: Book Review, Book Sales, Branding, Indie, Marketing, Self-Publishing, The Writing Life

When Your Proposal Doesn’t Sell

By Steve Laubeon May 10, 2021
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by Steve Laube

It happens. Despite all efforts and good intentions not every proposal we shop will end up being contracted by a major publisher. Of course our agency tries our best to keep that from happening. We carefully choose which projects and authors we represent. And our success rate is extremely high.

But that success rate is not 100%.

Here are a few examples of projects that …

Read moreWhen Your Proposal Doesn’t Sell
Category: Agency, Book Business, Book Proposals, Get Published, Self-Publishing, The Writing LifeTag: book proposals, Get Published

Am I on a Deadline?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 25, 2021
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Many authors submit book proposals to agents and editors with the thought, If this doesn’t work, I’ll self-publish. That plan is reasonable. However, when strategizing your career, consider the timeline. As an agency, we set a time frame to respond to author queries. Often, we miss our stated deadline. In working with other publishing professionals, we are aware that this is an industry-wide …

Read moreAm I on a Deadline?
Category: Book Business, Rejection, Self-Publishing, The Writing Life

What If I Self-Published on My Way to Getting Focused?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 22, 2020
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The “Your Questions Answered” Series __________ I self-published two ebooks on Amazon and Smashwords. They aren’t/weren’t meant for a wide audience, instead geared towards Christian parents/grandparents who love a heroin addict.  Additionally, my online writing audience is growing.  Should mention of those sites be included?  Different materials from my ebooks.  One is a work-in-progress Christian …

Read moreWhat If I Self-Published on My Way to Getting Focused?
Category: Self-Publishing, Your Questions Answered Series

Do You Need to Hire a Professional Editor?

By Guest Bloggeron June 4, 2020
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Recently, a blog reader sent the following question: Tamela, as everyone knows, writing can be a desperately lonely pastime. The biggest thing I struggle with is direction or coaching. That is, “Have I developed a good story, concept, or theme? Or, am I seriously off the rails, a hopeless case?” I realize I’m talking about developmental editing but how can a writer find critical review without …

Read moreDo You Need to Hire a Professional Editor?
Category: Editing, Self-Publishing, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

What Is the Best Way to Submit My Self-Published Book?

By Steve Laubeon May 18, 2020
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Since it has become so easy to self-publish, many authors are creating their own books, both in ebook and print form. Later those authors are not quite sure what to do if/when they want to approach an agent. Or pitch to an editor at a conference. Should they just send a copy of the book with a letter? Or should they create a proposal? Or do both? Is there truly a right way and a wrong way? And if …

Read moreWhat Is the Best Way to Submit My Self-Published Book?
Category: Book Proposals, Indie, Self-PublishingTag: book proposals, Get Published, Self-Publishing

The Editorial Process

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 27, 2020
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It is important to understand the process through which a book takes under the umbrella called “The Edit.” I meet many first timers who think it is just a one-time pass over their words and that is all that will ever happen. And many who self-publish think that hiring a high school English teacher to check for grammar is enough of an edit.

There are four major stages to the Editorial Process. …

Read moreThe Editorial Process
Category: Editing, Get Published, Publishing A-Z, Self-Publishing, The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: Agents, Editors, Grammar, Proposals, Writing Craft
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