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The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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A Request for a Full Manuscript! Now What?

By Steve Laubeon June 25, 2018
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Katie sent the following question:

What should an author do if they receive a full manuscript request from an editor as a result of a contest, but the editor works for a small publisher and the author wants to explore other options first (e.g. getting an agent, finding a bigger house, etc.)?

I would like to avoid a breach in etiquette here, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s received a request (through a contest, or maybe Twitter pitch party or something) that they aren’t necessarily enthusiastic about. How do authors let an editor down gently, so to speak, without burning any bridges for the future?

That is a great question. I’ll give two options and discuss the implications of each.

Option A:

Send the full manuscript to the editor and then see what happens.

This option honors the request and delays any decision on a contract down the road.

Of course, if the editor turns right around and offers a contract (congratulations!) the decision wasn’t delayed very much and you are back to a variation of the original dilemma.

Option B:

Ignore the request.

That is an option but that editor may not appreciate being ignored. The request was not made lightly. The editor is asking for more work!

Silence, in this case, is not a good idea. The door has been opened by the editor.

However, if you simply do not want to work with that publisher that’s okay. A gentle response like “Thank you for the request. I’m currently pursuing literary representation. If I am successful, your request for a full manuscript will be a part of that discussion.”

_____

In the above scenario the author entered a contest. Let’s go back to the reason why the author entered a contest in the first place. Usually the author is hoping to win, of course, but also to have their work read by industry experts who serve as judges. Thus this situation is quite plausible.

Each writer has different aspirations and goals when it comes to publication. Smaller publishers do a wonderful service to authors in getting a book to the market. But often the sales numbers are modest by comparison to the numbers sold by larger publishers. Never forget that sales numbers become part of your sales history forever.

If I were forced to choose one of the options I would choose Option A. Honor the effort of that editor who volunteered to be a judge in that contest. Follow every lead and opportunity you get in your writing career. It is painless to follow a lead. It is the final contractual decision that should be made carefully.

Your Turn:
Feel free to ask questions related to publishing and the writing life that we can answer here. Simply send an email with your question to krichards@stevelaube.com.

 

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Category: Contests, The Writing LifeTag: contests, Contracts, The Writing Life

Why it’s Okay to Lose a Contest

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon December 14, 2017
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Any author who’s entered contests knows that they are difficult to win. The competition is more fierce than ever. For example, I just judged an ACFW competition and would have been happy to represent most of the authors whose work I reviewed. Entries get better every year. This is good news for readers while encouraging authors to fine tune their work. In the case of prestigious contests …

Read moreWhy it’s Okay to Lose a Contest
Category: Awards, Career, The Writing LifeTag: Awards, contests, The Writing Life

Evaluating the Contest Win

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon December 7, 2017
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Contests take time and money to enter. Are they worth it? For the Unpublished Author: A contest win shows that a set of judges believes this author possesses talent. When the unpublished author is seeking an agent or publisher, a contest win adds to the author’s credibility. Not only does it show potential, but the fact that the author is entering contests shows commitment to the profession. …

Read moreEvaluating the Contest Win
Category: CareerTag: Career, contests

But I Won a Contest

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 8, 2014
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Contests cost both time and money to enter. Not to mention effort. Are they worth it? Yes, they are. Becoming a finalist is one way to get noticed. Sometimes the first prize awarded the winner is publication with a certain publisher. But will a contest win always lead to publication? No. I have been and continue to be a judge for many different contests, and here are three reasons why I can tell …

Read moreBut I Won a Contest
Category: Awards, Get Published, Marketing, Platform, TamelaTag: contests, Get Published

How Entering a Writing Contest Just Might Change Your Life

By Steve Laubeon January 27, 2014
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Guest Post by Susan May Warren

Far East Russia in the middle of January has all the charm of a mausoleum. Our missionary family lived in a three-room flat on the ninth floor of a cookie-cutter apartment building that, to the untrained eye, resembled a recently shelled building in Chechnya. We had no running water during the day, no telephone line and the Siberian wind froze the windows shut, …

Read moreHow Entering a Writing Contest Just Might Change Your Life
Category: Awards, Get Published, Guest Post, SteveTag: contests, Get Published

Three Steps to Freedom!

By Karen Ballon April 18, 2012
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It’s The Most Wonderful/Terrible Time of the Year

It comes every year, and every year we wait for it with a mixture of excitement and dread. No, I’m not talking about taxes.

I’m talking about the award season.

From the ECPA Book of the Year awards to the Christy’s, the Genesis to the RITA, the Golden Heart to the Carol, and all the gazillion contests and awards in-between, online groups, …

Read moreThree Steps to Freedom!
Category: Encouragement, Get Published, Karen, Marketing, Writing CraftTag: Awards, contests, Encouragement, News

Writing Contests: Panacea or Waste?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 13, 2011
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At a recent conference, a lovely writer who had finaled in a contest but wasn't chosen as the winner asked if she could still submit a proposal to me. I told her "Yes! Of course!"

Her question brought to mind the role contests play in a writer's career. I'm asked questions about contests at least once a month. I'll try to answer two key questions here.

Should I Enter?

When considering …

Read moreWriting Contests: Panacea or Waste?
Category: Book Business, Marketing, TamelaTag: Book Business, contests, Marketing, Tamela, Writing Craft

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