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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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Steve

A Is for Attribution: And, With, or Ghost?

By Steve Laubeon August 21, 2023
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Sometimes it is helpful to review publishing terms to make sure we are all talking about the same thing.

The cover of a book invariably will state the author’s name. Every once in a while there are two or more names listed (i.e., Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins). The use of “and” or “with” is the code word that tells the reader what type of professional relationship is between these names on the cover when it comes to how the book was written. Each is a “collaboration” but is not identical.

AND

If the names are connected by an “and,” they are co-authors. Each with top billing. They have worked hard to create a book that reflects both of their perspectives on the topic. It is a true collaboration with ideas and writing coming from both co-authors. Sometimes one of them is the writer and the other is the idea person, but it is still collaborative.

WITH

Books that use a “with” connecting the names on the cover mean that the first name is the principal person. It may be their story, their idea, or any number of variations of that. The second name is the writer. They are hired either by the principal person or by the publisher to put the book together.

There are several highly skilled “with” writers in the industry, also known as collaborators, who have a special talent for writing other people’s stories. If you look carefully at the covers of those books you may start noticing the same names on a variety of books, after the “with.”

Note, however, that the principal is the person whose story is being told. But cover credit is given to the writer who has made the story readable.

GHOST

There is a third type of collaboration that is hidden from the reading public. This is where the writer receives no cover credit for their work in writing the book. There are a lot of well-known books that are written by someone who is not credited on the cover. I wish I could rattle off a bunch of titles or author names to “shock” you with the practice. But that would be unfair, and in some cases, we have nondisclosure agreements to prevent that information from getting out. I have worked with organizations with a writer on staff who does the writing of the books for that organization, but the writer does not receive a “with” credit on the cover. It is that person’s “day job” to be the writer because they have the requisite skill-set.

Rather than distract from the intent of today’s post, let’s say that the issue of ghostwriting can be a little controversial. A few claim that it is a form of lying to the public or at least being deceptive. Others find it perfectly acceptable. And, still others draw the line at novels, saying that ghosting non-fiction is okay, but fiction is not.

Let us simply say that it is a fairly common practice for people with tremendous ability as speakers and leaders but who have neither the time nor expertise to write their own books. So they hire someone else to write their books. In essence, they use a contractor to build the book. To carry that metaphor a little further, we might know the name of the Madison Square Garden, but we don’t know the name of the contractor who built it.

If you want fantastic insight into the ins and outs and behind-the-scenes of ghostwriting and collaboration, I highly recommend Cecil Murphey’s Ghostwriting: The Murphey Method (on sale at the link provided).

WARNING

Be very careful before you get involved in any of the above three relationships. Make sure you have the business aspects of your relationship spelled out in a contract. We will not let our clients go very far with a collaboration project unless there is a contractual agreement between the parties. I once saw a friendship dissolve between two writers when the publisher switched the names on the front cover of the book. The person who was now listed second claimed they had written most of the book and should get the primary listing and accused the other writer of engineering the swap of names.

Read a cautionary tale about the need to have things crystal clear in writing from the beginning. I wrote a blog post about the lawsuit between the original people involved with the novel The Shack.

 

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Category: Book Business, Steve, The Publishing LifeTag: Collaboration, ghost writing

All Wrapped Up

By Steve Laubeon December 19, 2022
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When I was a boy, my family had the tradition of opening our gifts on Christmas Eve. But another tradition was that there would be one more gift waiting for us the next morning, Christmas day, from “Santa.” I have a vivid memory, as a little boy, of being disappointed one Christmas Eve that the thing I wanted most was not among my unwrapped presents. However, I knew, I was just certain, that it …

Read moreAll Wrapped Up
Category: Christian, Faith, Personal, SteveTag: Christian, Christmas, Faith

My Editor Made My Book Worse!

By Steve Laubeon May 16, 2022
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by Steve Laube

You just received a 15 page single spaced editorial letter from your publisher. They want you to rewrite most of the book. But you disagree with the letter and are spitting mad. What do you do?

Or your agent took a look at your manuscript and told you to cut it in half to make it sellable. What do you do?

Both examples are true stories and illustrate the universal …

Read moreMy Editor Made My Book Worse!
Category: Craft, Editing, Steve, Writing CraftTag: Editing, Writing Craft

Always Be Curious (The ABCs of the Writing Life)

By Steve Laubeon October 4, 2021
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by Steve Laube

Depending on where you live and your school district policies you may already be in a back-to-school mode or preparing for it.

It got me to thinking about the need for all writers to always have a "back to school" mentality.

Here are five things we can learn from always going "back to school."

Read moreAlways Be Curious (The ABCs of the Writing Life)
Category: Book Business, Steve, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Creativity, Writing Craft

Fun Fridays – September 24, 2021

By Steve Laubeon September 24, 2021
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Today is National Punctuation Day! In celebration, take out a comma.

Or at least visit the official site: www.nationalpunctuationday.com.

Recently I walked into a church classroom to find a list of the 10 Commandments on the board. The first line read "No other God's."
Sigh.

If you want to read a fun book on grammar and punctuation I can recommend Mignon Fogarty's Grammar Girl's Quick …

Read moreFun Fridays – September 24, 2021
Category: Grammar, Language, SteveTag: Grammar, Language, punctuation

When Editorial Errors Matter

By Steve Laubeon September 20, 2021
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by Steve Laube

Writers make mistakes. It happens. Often an editor’s job is to be the safety net and catch those tidbits that find their way into an early draft of a manuscript for any number of reasons.

The simplicity of “cut & paste” has created more opportunity for error than ever before. I've seen half sentences left in their original place because the writer failed to cut and …

Read moreWhen Editorial Errors Matter
Category: Book Business, Craft, E-Books, Editing, Grammar, Steve, Writing CraftTag: Editing, Errors, Writing Craft

The Dreaded Blank Page

By Steve Laubeon July 19, 2021
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by Steve Laube

A clean slate. An empty canvas. A fresh start. A new beginning.
Or a potential nightmare of guilt, failure, and shame.

Thus begins the process of each writing project. This blog post began with a blank page. I wondered why I ever agreed to write a blog. I procrastinated with enough excuses to be described as legion. I told myself that no one cares what I think on any …

Read moreThe Dreaded Blank Page
Category: Craft, Creativity, Steve, Writing CraftTag: blank page, Writing Craft

To Comma or Not to Comma?

By Steve Laubeon June 28, 2021
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by Steve Laube

I came across this entry in the Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss. The book is a classic on punctuation (although based on British English usage it is still a great book). Read the story below and then answer the questions in the comment section.
On his deathbed in April 1991, Graham Green corrected and signed a typed document which restricts access to his papers at …

Read moreTo Comma or Not to Comma?
Category: Book Business, Contracts, Grammar, Language, SteveTag: commas, Grammar, Language, punctuation

The Story We Bring to the Story

By Steve Laubeon June 7, 2021
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by Steve Laube

With all the discussion about the craft of fiction and the need to write a great story there is one thing missing in the equation. The one thing that is the secret to great fiction. And it is the one thing the writer cannot control.

That one thing is the story the reader brings with them to their reading experience. As a reader I have the life I have lived, the people I’ve …

Read moreThe Story We Bring to the Story
Category: Art, Craft, Creativity, Steve, Writing CraftTag: Craft, Reader, story

What if You Get a Book Deal on Your Own and Then Want an Agent?

By Steve Laubeon October 12, 2020
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One of our readers asked this via the green “Ask us a question” button.
What happens if you get a book contract before you have an agent? What if, by some miracle, an editor sees your work and wants to publish it? (1) would having a publisher interested in my work make an agent much more likely to represent me, and (2) would it be appropriate to try to find an agent at that point (when a …

Read moreWhat if You Get a Book Deal on Your Own and Then Want an Agent?
Category: Agents, Book Business, Conferences, Contracts, Get Published, SteveTag: Agent, Conferences, Contracts, negotiations, publishers
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