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The Steve Laube Agency

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Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Writing Craft » Book Business » Page 17

Book Business

Why Don’t Agents/Editors Give You More Guidance?

By Karen Ballon November 21, 2012
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Proposals are hard work. C’mon, be honest. All the research and writing and preparation that goes into them? Admit it, that sometimes feels like you’re being punished for wanting to write a book. And then, when you’ve poured your heart and time and effort into making that dreaded proposal as perfect as you can, what happens? You send it to the agent or editor, and wait.

And wait. And wait. And wait.

And…well, you get the idea.

Then, FINALLY, a reply wings its way to you:

“Thank you for your submission, but it’s been determined your project, Field Dressing a Beaver in 30 Seconds, doesn’t meet our needs. Best wishes as you seek to serve God in your writing.”

What? That’s it? That’s all you get? No, “here’s why it doesn’t meet our needs,” or “this is what you need to fix to make this proposal stronger”? C’mon! Why can’t these people just give writers a little help?

Fair question. And I’m going to spend the next few blogs giving you some fair answers. Not excuses, friends. Answers. Because there are very good reasons editors and agents don’t send more than form rejections for proposals.

First, let’s talk about some misconceptions (every single one of which have been expressed to me, about me and others, over the years):

Agents & Editors don’t give writers more direction on proposals because:

1.      They don’t want to help writers.

Um…wrong. That’s exactly what they do want to do. Which is why you can meet so many of them face-to-face at writers’ conferences. When agents/editors/published writers take time away from packed schedules to teach at conferences and meet with conferees, it’s exactly because they care about writers and helping them do what they do better. Doing so always costs them, big time. Because the work, including proposals, continues to pile up when they’re out of the office. But they do it. Because they care.

2.      They’re too lazy to do more.

Uh huh. Those people who spend hours upon hours working to serve their clients and writers are lazy. Those folks who take work home, spend weekends at the office, work on the plane when traveling, burn the midnight oil more times than they can count…those lazy people?

Yeah. Nuff said.

3.      All they care about is making money, and if they can’t make money off of you, you’re not worth their time.

Okay, let me just say this: We care about a lot more than making money. Otherwise, we’d be doing something else. I mean, seriously. You know how hard it is to make money in publishing!

But there’s something we all need to keep in mind: this is a business, folks. Those making a living at the work of publishing have to put the preponderance of our time and energy into those projects and writers that will help our businesses survive. And grow. It’s called being fiscally responsible. And you know what? That’s biblical.

And let’s be honest. How would you feel if your agent didn’t have time to work on your project because he’s using his time and energy critiquing proposals from people who aren’t clients? And not just that, but people who aren’t even close to being ready to be clients? It’s not a case of some being worth our time. It’s a case of us being wise and responsible professionals.

4.      They’re sitting there doling out contracts to friends and best-sellers, and I just don’t happen to hold the golden ticket or know the right names to drop.

Yeah…no. Reality check: I did editorial acquisitions for four publishers over the course of 30+ years. I’m still doing acquisitions as an agent when I accept new clients based on their proposals. Not having a certain name or connections isn’t what makes me reject a proposal. Plain and simple, it’s about craft. And skill. And whether or not you’ve done your homework.

Okay, then, let’s get on to some of the real reasons/answers to the question: “Why don’t agents/editors give us more guidance when they reject our proposals?”

Answer #1 (and I’ll warn you right now, you’re not going to like this one):
Time Constraints

Yup, Time Constraints. That’s the first answer. And that’s the reason few of your proposals will actually make it to an editor’s or agent’s desk.

“Not fair!” you cry. “You mean they reject my proposal without even seeing it?”

In a word, Yes.

With the number of proposals editors/agents receive a month, let alone a year, there’s simply no way we can read/review them all and get our work done. Our first priority has to be the people we’ve contracted as writers or clients. And that’s a huge time commitment for one person, let alone the dozens of writers most agents and editors serve. And yet, none of us wants to risk missing out on something wonderful that may come in over the transom. So how do to it all?

Well, I’ll share that in my next blog!

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Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Get Published, KarenTag: Agents, book proposals, Editors, Get Published

I Thought I Was Rich!

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon November 15, 2012
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Recently I received a check in the mail. I opened the envelope, and discovered the amount that was larger than I anticipated. "This is great!" I thought. "Now I have a little extra to shore up my savings."

I reached for another envelope in the stack of mail. It was from the insurance company. Upon opening, I discovered that, after I deducted income taxes, the premium consumed the entire amount …

Read moreI Thought I Was Rich!
Category: Book Business, Money, TamelaTag: Money

Juggling Agent Interest

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon November 8, 2012
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Whether you have been sending queries simultaneously through email, the Post Office, or by pitching at conferences, you may be among the select few authors who garners interest from more than one agent. Congratulations! While interest from more than one publishing professional doesn't guarantee a contract, the consensus is that you have a strong proposal and a good shot at success. For the sake of …

Read moreJuggling Agent Interest
Category: Agency, Agents, Book Business, Get Published, TamelaTag: Agents, Get Published

Zondervan and Thomas Nelson Fiction Merge

By Steve Laubeon October 1, 2012
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by Steve Laube

You may have read about some of the reorganization that has begun after the sale of Thomas Nelson to Harper Collins, which already owned Zondervan. This past week there was a new development that touches the fiction publishing programs. Instead of two separate entities, there will be one fiction division moving forward. Zondervan’s editorial team of Sue Brower and Becky …

Read moreZondervan and Thomas Nelson Fiction Merge
Category: Book Business, Steve, TrendsTag: Thomas Nelson, Trends, Zondervan

The Elephant’s Goin’ Down!

By Karen Ballon September 19, 2012
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by Karen Ball

You remember the old adage:
Q: How do you eat an elephant?
A: One bite at a time!
As I’ve reviewed my calendar this week, I’ve realized that’s what I’ve got on the screen in front of me. An elephant.

Maybe two.

And they’re reaaaaallly big.

SO many things to get done before I board a plane early Wednesday morning and wing my way to Dallas for the ACFW conference. As …

Read moreThe Elephant’s Goin’ Down!
Category: Book Business, Career, Writing CraftTag: Career, Time Management

Paid Book Reviews?

By Steve Laubeon September 3, 2012
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by Steve Laube You may have read or heard of the NY Times article where an author admitted to using a now-defunct service that wrote positive online reviews for a fee. Unfortunately I was not surprised. There have been many attempts to game the system over the years. One man bought thousands of his books in various locations to launch it onto the NY Times bestseller list (Read a report about it …

Read morePaid Book Reviews?
Category: Book Business, Marketing, SteveTag: bestseller lists, Book reviews, reviews

Read All About It! – The Back Cover Copy

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 23, 2012
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When you consider purchasing a book, either in a store or online, what do you notice first? The front cover grabs your attention. Right? After that, you might flip inside to read the first few sentences of the book, and then venture to the back cover (online the back cover is displayed as the “Description”). Or you may go to the back cover before opening the book. Regardless, the back cover copy …

Read moreRead All About It! – The Back Cover Copy
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Get Published, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: back cover copy, book proposals

Ebook-Originals, the Next Step in Traditional Publishing Strategy

By Steve Laubeon July 19, 2012
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Guest Post by Sue Brower

Our guest today is Sue Brower. She is Executive Editor at Zondervan in charge of fiction and thinks she has the best job in the world…she gets paid to read all day!  Zondervan is currently looking for completed manuscripts to fill the Zondervan First fiction eBook platform.  The ideal stories will primarily have romance-driven plots and vivid, realistic characters.  We …

Read moreEbook-Originals, the Next Step in Traditional Publishing Strategy
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Defense of Traditional Publishing, E-Books, Get Published, TrendsTag: ebooks, publishing, Strategy

Getting Our Books Into the Hands of Readers

By Steve Laubeon July 12, 2012
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Guest blog by Debby Mayne

Our guest today is Debby Mayne, an accomplished novelist with over 30 books and novellas published since 2000! She has also publshed over 400 short stories and a slew of devotions for women. She has also worked as managing editor of a national health magazine, product information writer for HSN, a creative writing instructor for Long Ridge Writers Group, and a copy …

Read moreGetting Our Books Into the Hands of Readers
Category: Book Business, Branding, Guest Post, Marketing, Writing CraftTag: Books, Marekting, readers

It’s Official – Thomas Nelson is Now Owned by HarperCollins

By Steve Laubeon July 11, 2012
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The sale of Thomas Nelson is now official.

From the press release:
“Thomas Nelson will continue to operate as an independent company with its unique editorial focus on inspirational and Christian content. Details, such as how Thomas Nelson will benefit from HarperCollins global print and digital platform, will be forthcoming.”

And if you were not aware, Zondervan Publisher is also owned by …

Read moreIt’s Official – Thomas Nelson is Now Owned by HarperCollins
Category: Book Business, Get Published, Steve, TrendsTag: Sale, Thomas Nelson
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