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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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Home » Writing Craft » Page 13

Writing Craft

Three Myths About an Agent’s Acceptance

By Steve Laubeon December 5, 2022
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You’ve worked hard. You wrote a great book. You pitched it just right, and the literary agent has called you saying they want to represent you and your project. Hooray! But there are some misunderstandings or myths about what happens next.

1. Your Book Will Soon Be Published

Just because an agent has said yes doesn’t guarantee success. Nor does it speed up the inexorable process. Remember that while the agent will work hard in getting your work in front of the right publishers and deal with any objections or questions that come, it can happen that an idea is rejected by every publisher.

In addition, the acquisitions process at a publisher is very process oriented. When I was an acquisitions editor, we tried to have a monthly publications board meeting. I was given time to present about eight titles at that meeting. Thus, beforehand we had to decide which titles were going to be pitched. Often I would bump an idea to the next meeting because another one took its place. For the author and the agent, this means waiting and waiting some more. Other businesses may make their decisions more quickly, but publishing has always worked in this methodical manner. Of course, there are exceptions; but usually at the expense of someone else’s project that has now been bumped to the next pub board meeting.

2. You Will Soon Be Rich

A common myth about writers: They live on easy street and vacation in the Caribbean. Few writers are able to generate enough income on their books alone to make a full-time living. You read about them because they are the exceptions and are thus newsworthy. Of course, a full-time salary is defined differently by each person because needs vary.

One author I know signed with an agent and then immediately quit their job because they knew that the dough was going to flow. A couple months later that author was in serious financial straits. Be wise with your finances. And read the article called “Author Accounting 101.”

3. You Never Have to Pitch a Book to an Editor Ever Again

While your agent has a critical role in shaping your proposals and putting them in the hands of the right editor and publisher, there is no one who can sell your idea better than you. We agents encourage writers to keep in touch with their editors and even brainstorm new ideas. That is a natural part of the editor/author relationship–if you are already published.

If you are attending a writers conference, talk to the editors. Get to know them; some are actually nice people! Editors like the world of ideas; and when they hear your passion and read your brilliant writing, they can become enamored with your project. The agent can become the “closer” in a situation like that. If in doubt, talk to your agent prior to that conference and strategize who would be the best editors to meet with. We do this all the time with our clients. I have talked with and encouraged dozens upon dozens of now-published writers at these conferences.

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Category: Agents, Book Business, Career, Communication, Get Published, Writing CraftTag: Agents, Get Published

Five Reasons Why You May Never Get Published

By Steve Laubeon November 14, 2022
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[I posted a version of this article 521 weeks ago. Amazing how true the principles remain unchanged.] There are many factors that go into the acquisition, development, and sale of a new book. But the majority of ideas never get to that point. I thought it might be helpful to review some of the most common issues we’ve run into. 1. You Won’t Do the Work Writing a novel, a nonfiction …

Read moreFive Reasons Why You May Never Get Published
Category: Book Proposals, Craft, Writing CraftTag: Get Published

Book Industry Trends

By Steve Laubeon November 7, 2022
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Publishing is partly an exercise in guessing what might be the next surprise bestseller. Some of it is an educated guess based on certain trends we see in the industry and in society at large. Any exercise in naming these trends bears the risk of expressing the obvious or being out of date the moment they are stated. So bear with me as I tinker with some of the factors that are either influencing …

Read moreBook Industry Trends
Category: Book Business, Contracts, E-Books, Get Published, TrendsTag: book industry, Trends

Attend the 2023 Write-to-Publish Conference

By Steve Laubeon October 31, 2022
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I am very pleased to announce that the Christian Writers Institute (CWI) has taken over the operation and management of the venerable Write-to-Publish Conference (WTP) held every June in Wheaton, Illinois. This conference has been in operation for over 50 years, and we are very excited to add this event to the offerings of CWI. After owning and running the event for the last 28 years, Lin Johnson …

Read moreAttend the 2023 Write-to-Publish Conference
Category: Christian Writers Institute, Conferences

A Few Edited Words

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 12, 2022
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Sometimes writers will ask me if, as a literary agent, I edit manuscripts before submitting them to publishers. I choose not to touch a manuscript for several reasons: (1) I love your writing, so I don’t think you need my edits. (2)  I worked for many years as a professional writer but not as a professional editor. (3)  Since I have worked as a professional writer, I understand the emotions behind …

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Category: Agents, Editing, Grammar, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

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 …

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

How to Find Historical Prices

By Steve Laubeon October 3, 2022
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With inflation in the news, it is becoming a bit more difficult to calculate the current buying power of a dollar when compared to the past. (The Phoenix area where we live has experienced 13% inflation in the past year.) But this isn’t a post about inflation. Instead, it is a method to help you with your research. I made $1.80 an hour stuffing envelopes for my first job with a paycheck. I …

Read moreHow to Find Historical Prices
Category: Writing CraftTag: prices, Research

Quote the Bible … Carefully

By Steve Laubeon September 26, 2022
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It is important to treat the use of quoting the Bible like you would in quoting any source material. Too frequently I run across an author who has not bothered to take that step. But they should. The Word of God is powerful and should not be taken for granted. There are many readers who admit to skipping over Bible verses when quoted in full. The thought is that they are already familiar with …

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Category: Copyright, Craft, Writing CraftTag: Bible citations, Bible quotations, copy edit, evernote, quotations

What Makes Readers Cross Genres?

By Bob Hostetleron September 22, 2022
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Genre is important. For many reasons, it’s crucial for a writer to know the genre he or she is writing in and to know it well. In some cases, the devoted readers of a certain genre have defined expectations. For example, they may expect certain tropes and taboos to be observed (even if they’ve never thought about their expectations). After all, there are reasons readers prefer certain genres. And …

Read moreWhat Makes Readers Cross Genres?
Category: Craft, Genre

The Myth of the Unearned Advance

By Steve Laubeon September 12, 2022
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[I wrote much of this article back in 2011. Upon review, I stand by the analysis. I’ve left the past comments to accentuate the discussion.] ______________ A common myth permeating the industry is that a book is not profitable if the author’s advance does not earn out. I would like to attempt to dispel this myth. First, let’s define the term “advance.” When a book contract is created between …

Read moreThe Myth of the Unearned Advance
Category: Book Business, Career, Money, Writing CraftTag: Agents, Book Business, Contracts, Get Published, Money, Traditional Publishing
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