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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 » The Writing Life

The Writing Life

Why I’m Not Mysterious

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon September 13, 2018
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I don’t believe in being mysterious, especially as an agent. Since I used to write books for publication, I know what it’s like to put your career in the hands of others. As a writer, I wouldn’t want to send off my precious work and then hear no updates or any word from my agent. I realize any agent will update a client when a contract offer is made. And I realize that, technically, that’s all the writer needs to know. After all, who wants to live through many, many rejections?

No one.

But keeping the author up to date on rejections does give her a perspective of what’s happening with her work. The project is being reviewed and considered, even if, ultimately, it is rejected.

When authors don’t know about rejections, they are missing out on valuable feedback. Granted, feedback from editors can be quite confusing. One editor may say the characters lack depth; another may say the plot isn’t plausible; still another may say the writing itself isn’t up to snuff. Do all these opinions matter when a different editor comes to the agent with, “I love this! Here’s a contract!” Ultimately, maybe not. But the rejections are part of the journey; and whether we like it or not, we all learn from rejections in any part of life.

So far, I haven’t met an author who said, “Submit the manuscript, and I never want to hear from you again until we get an offer.” If an author said that to me, I’d comply. But I’ve found that most authors want to know what’s happening with their work in a timely manner. So I let authors know when rejections come in, at the time they come in.

Then acceptance is all the sweeter!

 

Your turn:

Do you want to hear from your agent with any and all rejections?

Would you rather hear as responses come in, or would you prefer a quarterly report?

How often do you want to hear from your agent?

 

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Category: AgentsTag: Agents, Contracts, Rejection, The Writing Life

How Authors Make Money

By Bob Hostetleron August 29, 2018
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So, you’ve written a book. Good for you. Now the money will start rolling in, right? Not exactly. There are a number of ways authors make money, but writing a book is only one step in a long and arduous journey. And, though the details vary widely from one author to another (and one book to another), there are six basic ways an author makes money. An advance When you sign a book contract, the …

Read moreHow Authors Make Money
Category: Book Business, Money, The Writing LifeTag: Career, Money, The Writing Life

Embedded Writing

By Dan Balowon August 28, 2018
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During World War II, one of the highest profile journalists who wrote about the war for Americans back at the home front was Ernie Pyle. Ernie was one of the first “embedded” journalists in wartime and he lived and wrote while among the soldiers. He focused his stories on individual soldiers and their daily struggles. The troops loved him because he “got it.” The generals and politicians weren’t …

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Category: The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: The Writing Life, Writing Craft

Four Myths about Fame

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 23, 2018
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Being rich and famous solves every problem, right? Let’s give that some thought. 1)  Once I have my first book published, I’ll be famous and the journey will be downhill from there. We’re tackling two myths here. One, once you are published, it’s not likely you’ll be famous, at least not Billy Graham famous. But as a Christian writer, you may become well known and loved in Christian circles. And …

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Category: Awards, Career, The Writing LifeTag: Career, Fame, The Writing Life

The Author’s Life in 39 Easy Steps

By Bob Hostetleron August 22, 2018
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Someday I ought to write a book. Woohoo! I’ve just started writing a book! I deserve some ice cream. I’m so excited, things are going great. Writing is hard. No, writing is cool. I’m having the time of my life. Writing is hard. I should just give up. I’m almost done with my first book. Writing is so fun. I have written 4,000 words! I deserve some ice cream. I just found out …

Read moreThe Author’s Life in 39 Easy Steps
Category: Humor, The Writing LifeTag: Humor, The Writing Life

The Automatic Writer

By Bob Hostetleron August 15, 2018
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My coffee maker is on a timer. My thermostat is programmed to different temperatures at night and by day. My computer screen even dims to a softer hue as the day progresses. I try to automate everything I can, believing that the fewer tasks I have to remember every day, the more I can focus and achieve. That may or may not be true, but I’m convinced that automation has helped me—and many of my …

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Category: Social Media, Technology, The Writing Life, TrendsTag: Technology, The Writing Life, Time Management

Same Message, Different Reader

By Dan Balowon August 7, 2018
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When a published book is successful (sells well), the publisher and author begin pondering how to be successful again with the next book. Often times, the solution to the repeat-success puzzle in non-fiction is having a similar message but aimed at a different audience. You’ve seen it happen many times, whether you realized it was intentional or not. Examples of branded book lines which have been …

Read moreSame Message, Different Reader
Category: Book Business, Creativity, The Writing LifeTag: Book Business, Book Sales, Career, Creativity, Nonfiction, The Writing Life

How Much Time Should I Budget to Write My Book?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon July 26, 2018
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New authors have a distinct advantage over established authors under deadline: no deadline. As a new author, you may have fiddled with your novel for years. Perhaps you’ve entered contests and incorporated feedback. Maybe you’ve read books about writing and attended conferences. After all this effort, you landed a contract. Congratulations! Now you may have another happy problem: estimating how …

Read moreHow Much Time Should I Budget to Write My Book?
Category: Career, The Writing LifeTag: Career, Deadlines, The Writing Life, Time Management

Problem Solved! — NOT!

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon July 19, 2018
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Sometimes my office receives submissions for books that claim to solve a problem or provide the answer to a question that has been plaguing mankind since it was known to be an issue. To wit: Why the death penalty is Biblical. Why the death penalty is not Biblical. Why there is climate change. Why there is not climate change. Why Dispensationalism (or another Bible interpretation) is right. Why …

Read moreProblem Solved! — NOT!
Category: The Writing Life, TheologyTag: The Writing Life, Theology

A Writer’s Beatitudes

By Bob Hostetleron July 18, 2018
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In the famous “Sermon on the Mount” passage in the Bible’s Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presented a series of eight “beatitudes.” Each was a saying that turned conventional wisdom on its head, showing how in God’s eyes the oppressed are blessed and the despised are prized. No one can improve on those inspired beatitudes, of course. But what if we tried to capture their perspective and redirected them …

Read moreA Writer’s Beatitudes
Category: Creativity, Inspiration, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Creativity, Inspiration, The Writing Life
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