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The Steve Laube Agency

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 » Proposals

Proposals

Endorsements: How Important Are They?

By Steve Laubeon July 17, 2023
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How important are endorsements? (Those “blurbs” on the back of a book that exclaim, “A real masterpiece!”)

Let me answer with a question. When browsing a book title, do you look at the endorsements or notice who wrote the foreword or the introduction? I suspect you do without realizing it. And if you are unfamiliar with the author but you know the endorser, then you are more likely to give this new writer a try.

When The Shack by William Young was originally self-published (2007), it gained tremendous benefit from a glowing endorsement by Eugene Peterson, author of The Message. When I saw that accolade, it made me pause and think, If Eugene Peterson makes such a claim, then maybe I should pay attention. So, as a fan of Eugene Peterson, I paid attention. I believe that endorsement is still on the cover of the book.

Is One Endorsement Enough?

How many endorsements should you get? One or two meaningful ones are best. Get them from the folks you know. The more recognizable the name, the better. It can be awkward to ask your agent for access to their “famous” clients since many restrict access. Your publisher may be able to help, too, but don’t feel entitled to access.

Will an Endorsement Help Sell My Proposal?

The earlier in the creative process, the better. Years ago, while an editor for Bethany House, I presented a proposal at a pub board meeting. Unfortunately, I did not get a good initial reception from the team. Then I asked the group members to look at the endorsement page in the proposal. This writer had secured endorsements from James Montgomery Boice, R.C. Sproul, and John MacArthur, each a highly recognized author and speaker respected within the evangelical community. The pub board members exclaimed, “Who is this guy?” They had never heard of the writer of the proposed book, but they knew the endorsers. Those endorsements turned the tide in favor of offering a contract to the author!

Recently, I talked to a well-known author who gets about four or five unsolicited requests for forewords or endorsements weekly. I read somewhere about a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who receives nearly 40 requests for endorsements each week, most of them for books by writers she does not know.

Claiming an Endorsement Before You Get One

Whatever you do, don’t (please don’t) claim in your proposal that you can get endorsements from Rick Warren, Max Lucado, Beth Moore, or Frances Chan unless you already have them in hand. Many visible leaders have tough restrictions from their board of directors regarding their endorsements (especially those who are part of a Christian ministry). They don’t want their name associated with a book that could ultimately negatively affect the author or their organization.

And if you are frustrated by that policy, let’s make it more personal. Imagine you had endorsed a book by Bernie Madoff (later sentenced to 150 years in jail for fraud). What would your endorsement of his book say about you?

We frequently see book proposals with a veritable laundry list of famous people the writers claim they will approach. This is fine if the writer is well-connected to that community; otherwise, it doesn’t present well in the proposal.

What Is the Value of an Endorsement?

Endorsements imply a promise that what is in the book is worth your time. Thus, endorsements that only use initials (“A.E. from St. Louis”) are all but useless. So are endorsements from your dentist unless your book is about dentistry. An endorsement from your minister is fine but doesn’t really “sell the book” unless yours happens to be a well-known author.  (What if your minister doesn’t like your book and refuses to endorse it? Will you still want to attend services?)

Can you sell your proposal without endorsements? Of course. But in today’s market, every little bit helps. This is an uphill challenge for the new writer. If you can’t get endorsements, don’t worry about it. It doesn’t mean the death of your proposal.

I recently bought a book with no endorsements because the title was interesting and the promise of the content was compelling. In addition, I read a couple of pages, and the writer was quite good.

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Category: Book Proposals, Writing CraftTag: Endorsements, Get Published, Proposals

Three Questions About Agents

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 7, 2020
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In meeting with writers on the cusp of their careers or flush with new success, we find that three big questions come to the forefront. Today, Tamela shares her answers:

How do I find a literary agent?
1)      First and foremost, visit the Agency web sites to see which ones are actively seeking the type of work you write.
2)      Talk to your agented friends to learn about their agents. …

Read moreThree Questions About Agents
Category: Agency, Agents, Book Business, Get PublishedTag: Agents, Book Business, Pitching, Proposals, Tamela

Saving the World, One Romance at a Time

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 27, 2020
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Often I will receive submissions of novels tying in an element of mystery and suspense with romance. Writers targeting the romantic suspense market will find difficulty in placing this type of story. Why? Because romantic suspense readers have certain expectations that won't be met with a mere element of mystery and intrigue.

In my experience trying to sell and market romantic suspense, I have …

Read moreSaving the World, One Romance at a Time
Category: Genre, Get Published, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Tamela, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Pitching, Proposals, Tamela, Trends

The Editorial Process

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 27, 2020
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It is important to understand the process through which a book takes under the umbrella called “The Edit.” I meet many first timers who think it is just a one-time pass over their words and that is all that will ever happen. And many who self-publish think that hiring a high school English teacher to check for grammar is enough of an edit.

There are four major stages to the Editorial Process. …

Read moreThe Editorial Process
Category: Editing, Get Published, Publishing A-Z, Self-Publishing, The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: Agents, Editors, Grammar, Proposals, Writing Craft

How Long Does It Take to Get Published?

By Steve Laubeon June 3, 2019
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How much time does it take to get published?

I came to the publishing business from the retail side of the equation. The biggest adjustment was understanding how long the process takes. In retail there is instantaneous gratification. But book publishing is a process business.

There is no question the timeline varies from person to person and project to project. In the world of major …

Read moreHow Long Does It Take to Get Published?
Category: Book Business, Book Business, Book Proposals, Contracts, Get Published, Marketing, Publishing A-Z, Self-Publishing, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Agents, Book Business, Contracts, Editors, Proposals, waiting

Would You Buy Your Own Book?

By Steve Laubeon May 6, 2019
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When I ask a room of writers if they would buy their own book if they saw it on the shelf at a major bookstore I am met with a variety of reactions. Laughter. Pensiveness. Surprise. And even a few scowls. How would you answer that question?

But the question is meant to ask if your book idea is unique. Whether it will stand out among the noise of the competition.

It is not a question of …

Read moreWould You Buy Your Own Book?
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Get Published, Marketing, Pitch, Pitching, Platform, The Publishing Life, Writing CraftTag: Marketing, Pitching, Proposals

That Conference Appointment

By Steve Laubeon April 8, 2019
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You snagged one of those valuable 15-minute appointments with an agent or an editor at a writers conference. Now what? What do you say? How do you say it? And what does that scowling person on the other side of the table want? You’ve heard the reputation of that agent as being rough and gruff. What if you blow it? What advice would you give to a beginning writer about attending a writers …

Read moreThat Conference Appointment
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Conferences, Pitch, Pitching, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Conferences, Get Published, Pitching, Proposals, Rejection

The Ultimate Sound Bite

By Steve Laubeon July 16, 2018
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Can you boil the essence of your novel or non-fiction book idea into twenty-five words or less?

This is one of the keys to creating a marketing hook that makes your idea sellable in today's crowded market.

You have less than a minute to make that hook work.

It is also called creating the "elevator pitch" or the "Hollywood pitch." The goal is get the marketing department to exclaim, "We …

Read moreThe Ultimate Sound Bite
Category: Book Proposals, Marketing, Pitch, Platform, Writing CraftTag: book proposal, Marketing, pitch, Pitching, Proposals, Rejection

The Wild Pitch

By Steve Laubeon June 11, 2018
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In honor of the upcoming baseball season I thought it would be fun to explore the art of pitching.

A couple years ago I was watching a Major League baseball game and the pitcher unleashed a horrific throw that sailed about eight feet behind the batter. It floated to the backstop without a bounce and everyone in the stadium wonder what had just happened. It looked like the pitcher lost his grip …

Read moreThe Wild Pitch
Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, Pitching, SteveTag: Get Published, Pitching, Proposals, Query Letters

Six Questions for a Literary Agent

By Steve Laubeon February 26, 2018
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1. What should a client expect from you as an agent?

That I will work hard.
That I will keep on top of the ever changing marketplace.
That I will maintain my integrity as a businessman of honor and honesty.
That I will protect your interests.
That I will tell you the truth, about the industry, about your writing, about your ideas.

Read moreSix Questions for a Literary Agent
Category: Agency, Book BusinessTag: Agents, Book Business, Proposals, Rejection
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