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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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The Writing Life

Evaluating Surprise Contract Offers

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 19, 2025
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If you don’t work with an agent and you receive unexpected interest in your books, here are guidelines that may keep you from signing a contract that doesn’t further your career:

  1. Make no hurried promises over the phone or email. Take the time you need to assess the offer and interest. Legitimate book publishing normally moves slowly, so anyone demanding immediate decisions should be regarded with suspicion. Books take time to write, so an author must not feel compelled to make a career decision during a quick conversation.
  2. Search the Internet to see if this person is who they say they are. Look everywhere. If you are only able to find people with that name or a close match working in a different field but not publishing, run away.
  3. Search the Internet to find the publisher. Again, look everywhere. No website or any way to find them? Run away.
  4. If you find a publisher’s website, read every word. An expensive website doesn’t mean the publisher is right for you. Don’t let emotions about being connected to a glitzy business carry you into a poor decision.
  5. Who is the publisher? Most publishers who offer edits and guidance for a fee are legitimate businesses. Numerous authors who work with these publishers buy many books they sell directly to their readers. While this model is perfect for some authors, it is not a traditional deal where the publisher incurs the bulk of the production expense and takes most of the marketing load.
  6. Still unsure? Ask around. Ask your author friends if they know this person and business. No one knows everyone but your author friends do, or they can find someone who does.
  7. Check your emotions. Scammers trade in emotion. They want authors to feel wanted and loved enough to part with their money. One method is to promise authors much more money than they dreamed they could earn through writing. The more money you’re being offered, the more you need to seek professional publishing advice. Everyone wants to think they’ve just been discovered and are finally being paid what they’re worth. While this could be true, a professional will ensure an impartial assessment and evaluation of your offer.

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.

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Category: Contracts, Get Published, The Writing LifeTag: Scams

Upon Further Review

By Dan Balowon February 13, 2025
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Every author or publisher assumes that the response will be positive when they send an about-to-be-published book out to professional book reviewers in the media. This is partially correct since many media outlets won’t comment on or publish a negative review. To illustrate, years ago I recall hearing from a book reviewer at a major Christian periodical that they would not publish a review because …

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Category: Reviews, The Writing Life

Beginnings and Endings of Novels With Angela Hunt

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on February 11, 2025
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Have you ever started reading a book and just couldn’t get past the first few chapters? Or maybe you enjoyed the book, but the ending left you feeling empty inside. It just didn’t quite work. Beginnings and endings can make or break your novels. If you want your reader to finish your book, you’ve got to start well. You’ve got to hook them in with a beginning that piques …

Read moreBeginnings and Endings of Novels With Angela Hunt
Category: The Writing LifeTag: Angela Hunt, Characters, Writing Craft

Fun Fridays – February 7, 2025

By Steve Laubeon February 7, 2025
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Today’s funny: A pastor, a rabbit, and a priest walked into a restaurant. The rabbit says, “I think I’m a typo in this story.”

Read moreFun Fridays – February 7, 2025
Category: The Writing Life

Writer’s Block Becomes Writer’s Talk

By Steve Laubeon February 3, 2025
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Seth Godin once wrote in a blog post: No one ever gets talker’s block. No one wakes up in the morning, discovers he has nothing to say and sits quietly, for days or weeks, until the muse hits, until the moment is right, until all the craziness in his life has died down. What a liberating concept! It reminded me of a great book by Joel Saltzman, If You Can Talk, You Can Write. Of course, …

Read moreWriter’s Block Becomes Writer’s Talk
Category: Common Questoins, Craft, Creativity, The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: Writers Block

How to Write Your First Novel – an Interview

By Steve Laubeon January 20, 2025
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write your first novel book cover image

Thomas Umstattd Jr. interviews Steve Laube   Thomas: So, you’re thinking about writing a novel. You’ve tried your hand at writing a few times, but the story just hasn’t come together. Or maybe you wrote and wrote, but you didn’t quite like what you wrote. The method of starting to write and hoping for the best is the hardest way to write a novel. It’s like trying to …

Read moreHow to Write Your First Novel – an Interview
Category: Steve, The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: Craft, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

Secrets of a Successful Author Aren’t Secret

By Dan Balowon December 12, 2024
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Because being a book author is more of a self-taught profession, those who are successful at it are often analyzed by aspiring authors to find out how they did it. Sometimes even asking, “What’s your secret?” If an author responds honestly, they will reveal that their pathway to success is not secret, nor does it contain shortcuts or easy-to-follow checklists. I remember watching a documentary …

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Category: Book Business, Common Questoins, Get Published, The Writing Life

Keep Vigilant Online

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon December 5, 2024
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Since authors must maintain an online presence and many receive scam messages, I’m addressing online safety today. On impulse during a recent trip to the library, I checked out Keanu Reeves Is Not in Love with You by Becky Holmes. The author relates how she communicated with scammers and victims in this lively and well-researched book. The book focuses on romance scams; but the advice …

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Category: Legal Issues, The Writing Life

Teamwork Makes the Publishing Work

By Dan Balowon November 21, 2024
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One hundred years ago today, Christopher Tolkien was born to Edith and John Ronald Reuel (JRR) Tolkien. He was the third of four children and the youngest son. Christopher was deeply involved in his father’s work, editing it and drawing the maps used in the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) books. At one point, his dad invited him to join the famous writer’s group The Inklings. Here’s an interesting …

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Category: Book Business, Publishing History, The Writing Life

How to Be a Successful Author-Entrepreneur With Kara Swanson

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on November 12, 2024
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Become an author entrepreneur by learning to leverage transferrable business skills to build a sustainable writing career.

Read moreHow to Be a Successful Author-Entrepreneur With Kara Swanson
Category: The Writing Life
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