Search Results for: proposals
Who and What I’m Looking for (Bob Hostetler)
(Updated 1/25/2023) As the world turns and 2022 gives way to 2023, I have been a literary agent with The Steve Laube Agency for five-and-a-half years. In many ways, 2022 was my most surprising and successful year yet as an agent. My clients made me look good, and my boss so far hasn’t made me look for a new job; so I’ve got those things going for me. With all that in mind, let me offer an updated …
Three Myths About an Agent’s Acceptance
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 …
Pet Peeves
Pet peeves. We all have them, and we all do things that are pet peeves for others. How about starting a blog post with a two-word sentence, which isn’t a sentence? Anyone? Bueller? My Pet Peeves On one hand, I am like everyone else. I don’t like repetitive tapping or spam phone calls late at night. Those are the easy ones. I am also incredibly annoyed by bicyclists who never, ever observe any kind …
8 Things Every Publishing Writer Needs
If you were to apprentice as a plumber, there would be certain tools you’ll need, right? A wrench, perhaps. Pipe, maybe. In my case, wader boots. Similarly, a writer who aspires to a long and fruitful publishing career will need a few things, whether that person hopes and plans to become a novelist, columnist, or something else. And yes, yes, I know, some smart aleck in the blogosphere has already …
10 Reasons Bob Doesn’t “Close” Submissions
Some literary agents “close” submissions periodically. That is, they announce that they won’t accept or respond to “over-the-transom” queries or proposals for a set period (usually a month or two, sometimes a quarter). For you young whippersnappers who don’t know what “over-the-transom” (or “whippersnapper”) means, it’s a throwback to the days before air conditioning, when offices were vented and …
Rejection: A Fact of the Writing Life
Rejection is a fact of life. Especially the writing life. As one crusty publishing veteran said: “Welcome to the industry that will break your heart.” Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, doesn’t it? But let me put a little perspective on it. I admire writers. You put your souls on a few pages and send them to strangers and pray for acceptance. How do you do that, day in and day …
4 Questions a Fiction Proposal Must Answer
Last week we dealt with five questions a nonfiction proposal must answer. As promised, we now turn to those who are putting together a novel proposal. If you compare these two posts, you’ll see why a one-size-fits-all proposal template isn’t always helpful. There are differences between the two types of proposals. Please try not to shoehorn a novel proposal into a nonfiction presentation. What Is …
5 Questions a NonFiction Proposal Must Answer
All novelists will have to wait until next week’s blog which will address fiction proposals. Today’s topic is nonfiction. What is the Big Idea? Trying to find something unique and never before addressed in book form is nearly impossible. But each proposal needs to be clear what the book is about. You’d be amazed how many proposals I’ve seen where they try to hide the “pay-off.” If the book is …