Search Results for: proposals

Fun Fridays – October 29, 2021

By Steve Laubeon October 29, 2021

Collective Nouns

I have a book of collective nouns that merely proves that English is a strange language (A Compendium of Collective Nouns by Woop Studios, Chronicle Books, 2013).

For example:
A scourge of mosquitoes
A quiver of cobras
A town of prairie dogs
A skulk of foxes

Which made me wonder. Why should the animals have all the fun? So I thought of some unconventional collective nouns that don’t exist. Guaranteed to either offend or make you laugh:

A potluck of Baptists
A selection of Calvinists
A shout of Pentecostals
A sprinkle of Presbyterians
A mass of Catholics
A silence of Quakers
A buggy of Amish
An anecdote of preachers

Can you add to the above collection? Or
can you fill in the blanks below?

A __________ of writers
A __________ of literary agents (Be very careful with this one!)
A __________ of publishers
A __________ of editors
A __________ of book proposals

Category: The Writing Life

Why the Hurry?

By Dan Balowon October 20, 2021

A common experience for every literary agent and publisher is having a conversation with an author who would like a book published “as soon as possible.” Frankly, it is for this purpose the author-services publishing industry was established, because of all the things that characterize traditional publishing, speed is not among them. Traditional publishers have a certain number of books they want …

Category: Career

Singing the Slushpile Blues

By Steve Laubeon August 30, 2021

by Steve Laube

The unsolicited pile of proposals in my office (aka "the slushpile) taunts me every day.

"Come over here!" it says, tantalizing me with immanent possibilities. I say to myself, "Maybe it will be the next one I look at. That will be 'The One.'"

I've been told that many of you enjoy hearing some of the offbeat letters or intriguing proposals I see. Here is a sampling from …

Category: Book Proposals, Creativity, HumorTag: Humor, slushpile

Author Statement of Faith

By Dan Balowon August 18, 2021

I hope this isn’t a surprise, but if you put a hundred random, but devoted Christ-followers in a room, you would probably end up with a few differing opinions on a variety of theological issues. Hopefully, the disagreements wouldn’t be related to the essentials of the faith; but I suspect there would be some discussion over what is essential and what is not. As long as we disagree about some …

Category: Get Published, The Writing Life, Theology

One Writer’s Beginnings

By Bob Hostetleron August 11, 2021

I am asked often, “How’d you get your start as a writer?” The question has many possible answers. I usually say something like, “Well, I was raised as a reader and writer, more or less, in a family of readers and writers.” The first time I saw my name in print was in Highlights magazine when I was seven or eight years old; it wasn’t exactly a byline, but I knew I was a pretty big deal nonetheless. …

Category: Career, Common Questoins, Personal, The Writing Life

How to Edit and Proofread Your Own Manuscript with Denise Loock

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on August 10, 2021

There are two ways to get better at writing. One is to practice writing, so your first drafts are better. The second is to learn how to edit your first drafts into better second drafts. It is common for some beginning authors to feel like the second draft is different, rather than better. This doesn’t […]
You can listen to this episode How to Edit and Proofread Your Own Manuscript with Denise …

Category: The Writing Life

Preface, Foreword, Introduction. Oh My!

By Steve Laubeon July 26, 2021

A reader asked, “What is the difference between a preface, a foreword, and an introduction? And do I need them all?” There so much publishing lingo used every day that we forget there was a time when we didn’t know what the words meant. It’s one reason I have a “Publishing Lingo” section in the back of the annual Christian Writers Market Guide. These three pieces of writing (preface, foreword, and …

Category: Book Proposals, Common Questoins, Craft, Publishing A-Z

Why Was My Submission Rejected?

By Bob Hostetleron July 21, 2021

From Day One as a big, important literary agent, the least favorite part of my job—by far—has been saying no. It’s the worst. And it makes me feel like I’m the worst. Feel sorry for me yet? Seriously, the process of reviewing one submission after another, expecting to find one shining sterling silver needle in the overwhelming haystack, is a sure way to bring down my spirits. I try to respond to …

Category: Agents, Book Proposals, Rejection, The Writing Life

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 2, 2021

Sometimes, interviewers ask when you first knew what you wanted to do in life. As a child, I remember aspiring to be a dancer because moving to music looked fun. But when I found this “magazine” I had made for my mother when I was ten, I realized my interests (aside from trying to get my mother to buy Cocoa Krispies cereal) tended toward my future reality. In the photo, notice that the lucky old …

Category: Career, Personal, The Writing Life

Spoiler Alert!

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 12, 2021

Sometimes authors submit proposals that don’t reveal the ending of a novel. I’m the first to admit that a teaser will encourage a reader to buy a book. Once the reader has to know how the story ends, they’re hooked! Yes, agents are readers. However, when evaluating a novel for representation, we are marketers. Agents must consider if editors will be interested in the book. In turn, editors must …

Category: Book Proposals, Pitching