Frequently
Asked Questions
We have added an
"interview
with Steve Laube" page to our site
to give even more details for those who are interested.
Do I need an agent?
The circumstances vary. Not everyone needs an
agent, however the larger publishers look to the agent as a
"talent scout" and place the role of discovering the next best
writer on the agent. There are so many willing writers that
publishers can get overwhelmed with submissions (see below),
thus many publishers will not accept a submission unless it is
agented. Remember that getting an agent is not a guarantee that
your work will be picked up by a publisher, but it can enhance
your chances.
Do you charge a reading fee?
No, not for any reason. We also do not charge our authors for
office expenses unless it is something unusual. We make our
money through contracted projects not by charging for expenses.
Why is it so hard to get an
agent or a publisher to contract with me?
When I
worked for a publishing house we received nearly 3,000
unsolicited manuscripts each year.
The company only published about 120 new titles per year, and
most of them were from previously published authors. It costs a
lot of money to publish and market a new book, thus the
publisher must be careful how they spend their funds. An agent
has only so much time in their day. Thus we have to be selective
with the authors we work with. Which ones have an idea that we
can enthusiastically support or whose writing is absolutely
stellar? There are a LOT of good writers, but only a few great
ones.
How long have you been in
business?
We opened our doors officially in 2004. You can see from Steve
Laube's
resume that he has been in the industry for a long time
and thus has extensive experience in many facets of the
business. During his time with another agency he negotiated over
50
contracts in little more than a year.
What is the best way to contact
you?
E-mail or call us with any
questions you might have. You can send your proposals to our
office. Arizona does not have daylight savings so half the year
we are on Pacific time, the other half we are on Mountain time.
Can I trust your agency?
We would like to think so! Nearly 25 years of experience has
developed a reputation that we work very hard to maintain. We receive
occasional inquiries regarding our theological
beliefs, if you are interested click here for our
statement of faith.
What are the rules for quoting
other sources in my book?
This is an extremely gray area in copyright law. Visit the
U.S. Government copyright
website for the official rules of “Fair Use.” A general rule of
thumb is to obtain permission for anything not in public domain,
directly from the original source or publisher if quoted text is
over:
- 250
words quoted from a book
- 100
words quoted from an article
- 100
verses from a single Bible translation (as long as the verses
do not constitute a complete chapter or a complete book of the
Bible. The rules vary from translation to translation. Some
are more strict than others. You do not need permission for
any quotation from the King James Version.
If you quote the lyrics of a
song, no matter how small the phrase, obtain permission. Music
lyrics are the most difficult of all to deal with in the world
of copyrights. Make sure that wherever you have cited other
sources, include an accurate citation of author, title,
publisher and page number. Follow the Chicago Manual of
Style guidelines for proper bibliographic citation format.
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