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Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

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Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » The Writing Life » Page 56

The Writing Life

3 Ways to Embarrass Your Editor or Agent

By Bob Hostetleron August 7, 2019
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Nobody likes to embarrass themselves. Except for maybe some reality TV personalities. They seem to thrive on it.

But the rest of us, not so much. And editors and agents even less so.

When do the likes of us get embarrassed? When we realize a word was left out of the second page of an otherwise-excellent novel. (Seriously, I recently started a friend’s published novel; and there it was! Unbelievable!) When a book hits the bestseller list and is suddenly out of stock—everywhere. (This happened to me, once. But once was enough.) When we don’t notice the food stain on our shirt right before giving a keynote address. (Why is spaghetti always on the menu before I speak?)

And, occasionally, editors and agents are embarrassed by their authors and clients, which is never something you want to do. How does it happen? Here are three ways to embarrass an agent or editor:

  1. Abuse social media.

When you sign an agency or publishing agreement, you become a public figure of sorts; and you are the curator of your brand or byline. So don’t go on social media and call people out or share cringe-worthy content. Sure, I know you feel strongly about various issues; but remember you want people of widely differing viewpoints to find you, engage with you, read your work, and not be turned away by ill-considered rants or inappropriate posts.

  1. Fail to consult and inform.

Sure, your agent or editor said she wasn’t interested in your Sasquatch romance novel; but that doesn’t mean you should self-publish it. Publishing (and the agent-client relationship) is a partnership; and it’s an embarrassment to be pitching you or publishing you as, say, a successor to Nicholas Sparks and then discover your slasher series on Amazon.

  1. Reject critiques and edits.

One of the reasons it often takes me months of back-and-forth before offering to represent someone is because, in addition to helping a writer hone a book proposal to a beautiful sheen, I want to gauge how he or she responds to suggestions. I don’t want to get to the point where a client of mine is working with an editor and balking at valid points and careful edits. Editing always involves plenty of give-and-take, of course; but a writer who gets too prickly about accepting critiques and edits can embarrass the people who have championed him or her.

Is that fair? Are there other ways you’ve known a writer (yourself or someone besides Bob Hostetler) to embarrass himself, an editor, or an agent?

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Category: Career, Social Media, The Writing Life

036 How to Protect Your Author Platform from Big Tech Censorship

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on August 5, 2019
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Is your platform at risk of being destroyed by big tech companies? In this episode, find out what is happening and what to do about it.  What is happening  Big tech companies are censoring, shadow banning, and suspending accounts of Christian authors.  There is a chance you may already be algorithmically shadowbanned and not know it.  What is shadow banning?  This is when a …

Read more036 How to Protect Your Author Platform from Big Tech Censorship
Category: The Writing Life

036 How to Protect Your Author Platform from Big Tech Censorship

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on August 5, 2019
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Is your platform at risk of being destroyed by big tech companies? In this episode, find out what is happening and what to do about it.  What is happening  Big tech companies are censoring, shadow banning, and suspending accounts of Christian authors.  There is a chance you may already be algorithmically shadowbanned and not know […]
You can listen to this episode 036 How to Protect Your Author …

Read more036 How to Protect Your Author Platform from Big Tech Censorship
Category: The Writing Life

035 How Renae Brumbaugh Green Went from Unpublished to Bestselling Author

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on July 30, 2019
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In this episode, recorded live at the 2019 SoCal Christian Writers Conference, Renae Brumbaugh Green shares her journey of going from unpublished homeschool mom to bestselling author of 30 books.  Links: Armonia Publishing Renae Brumbaugh Green’s Website The post 035 How Renae Brumbaugh Green Went from Unpublished to Bestselling Author appeared first on Christian Publishing Show.

Read more035 How Renae Brumbaugh Green Went from Unpublished to Bestselling Author
Category: The Writing Life

035 How Renae Brumbaugh Green Went from Unpublished to Bestselling Author

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on July 30, 2019
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How Renae Brumbaugh Green Went from Unpublished to Bestselling Author
You can listen to this episode 035 How Renae Brumbaugh Green Went from Unpublished to Bestselling Author on Christian Publishing Show.

Read more035 How Renae Brumbaugh Green Went from Unpublished to Bestselling Author
Category: The Writing Life

Four Questions About Publicity

By Steve Laubeon July 29, 2019
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by Steve Laube

Publicity is the art of telling the world about you and your book. We recently received a few questions about publicity via the green button you see in the right hand column of our blog (yes, it really works).

1.) When should a writer hire a publicist?
I think an author should wait to see what their publisher will provide in this area. If you do hire a publicist make sure …

Read moreFour Questions About Publicity
Category: Marketing, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Book Business, Marketing, Publicity

Picture-Perfect Personality

By Guest Bloggeron July 25, 2019
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Today’s guest writer is Emilie Haney, a freelance writer, photographer, and graphic designer living in Northern California. She’s a member of ACFW and writes young-adult fiction. She’s got a soft spot in her heart for animals and a love for the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. In her spare time, you can find her designing fun, bookish items for her Etsy and Society6 shops, all while …

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Category: Book Proposals, Branding, Marketing, Platform, The Writing Life

034 Screen Writing 101 with Hollywood Screenwriter Bob Saenz

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on July 23, 2019
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In this episode, recorded live at the 2019 SoCal Christian Writers Conference, Thomas Umstattd Jr. talks with Bob Sáenz an actor and writer who has written over a dozen screenplays for studios like Hallmark, and Disney Channel. They discuss some screenwriting fundamentals and reveal some in and outs of life as a screenwriter. Links: Bob Saenz Blog Bob Seanz on IMDB The post 034 Screen Writing 101 …

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Category: The Writing Life

034 Screen Writing 101 with Hollywood Screenwriter Bob Saenz

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on July 23, 2019
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Screen Writing 101 with Hollywood Screenwriter Bob Saenz
You can listen to this episode 034 Screen Writing 101 with Hollywood Screenwriter Bob Saenz on Christian Publishing Show.

Read more034 Screen Writing 101 with Hollywood Screenwriter Bob Saenz
Category: The Writing Life

Why I Write: 20 Reasons

By Bob Hostetleron July 17, 2019
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Different people write for different reasons. Some for money. Some for fame. Some for posterity, and some for popularity. John, the author of the fourth Gospel, said he wrote “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30, NIV). That may be the best answer of all time to the question, “Why do you …

Read moreWhy I Write: 20 Reasons
Category: Career, Encouragement, Inspiration, The Writing Life
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