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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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I Have No Book. What Do I Talk About?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 29, 2025
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Many authors feel stymied by the dilemma of not having anything to talk about to build a platform and interest in a book that isn’t under contract. Yet as wordsmiths, authors can create entertaining and meaningful content to find a tribe. To wit:

  1. Talk about other people’s books. What are you reading? Why? What did you like about the book? Why is this one of your favorite authors? Author interviews are also fun.
  2. Show us pictures of your office pet. Who doesn’t love seeing a cute pet, or even a cantankerous pet?
  3. Where have you traveled lately? Photos posted after you have returned from a lovely trip, even if you traveled only a few miles from your house, always provide great visuals.
  4. How is your book coming along? What is a struggle for you? What gives you joy? Have your characters gotten from Point A to Point B today, as planned?
  5. What gives you joy? Cheerful posts to make others smile should keep them interested.
  6. Bible verses that inspire you. Ask your readers to post their favorites too.
  7. Discouragements, Disappointments, and Difficulties. Within reason. Discovering that authors don’t always live in a fantasy world helps readers relate to you.
  8. Your book. Why are you writing this book? What do you hope readers will love about your work, once it’s published?
  9. Your publishing journey. Share the ups and downs in an uplifting way.

These are only a few ideas. The goal is to provide content your potential readers will enjoy. Let them know you care about them, and make your visit to their IN box worth their time.

To brainstorm more, sign up for author newsletters. What do they say and share that appeals to you?

I hope our blog readers will share ideas too.

 

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Category: Branding, Marketing, Platform

What Is a Book’s Trim Size?

By Steve Laubeon October 27, 2025
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Trim size is one of those terms we use frequently when talking about the dimensions of your printed book. The term originates from the printing process, where the book’s pages are initially printed on large sheets, which are then folded, glued, and subsequently trimmed to a specific size. (This linked video shows the entire book printing process.) Go to your shelf, pull down a few titles, …

Read moreWhat Is a Book’s Trim Size?
Category: Book Business, The Publishing LifeTag: Book Business, The Publishing Life, Trim Size

Fun Friday – October 24, 2025

By Steve Laubeon October 24, 2025
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There seems to be something in my eye. Maybe watching this video will explain. I’m not crying. You are crying. (If you can’t see the video in your newsletter, please click through to watch on the site.)

Read moreFun Friday – October 24, 2025
Category: Fun Fridays, Inspiration

Jenga Books

By Dan Balowon October 23, 2025
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Jenga is a game invented over 50 years ago, consisting of 54 small wooden blocks stacked in a tower. Players take turns removing blocks from the stack and placing them on top, making the tower increasingly unstable. When someone causes the tower to fall, they lose. The trick is to place a block in a precarious position, so the next player has no option but to make the stack collapse. Personally, …

Read moreJenga Books
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Pitching, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

The Worst Proofreading Error of All Time

By Steve Laubeon October 20, 2025
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Take a close look at the picture above. Read verse 14 out loud. The word “not” is missing. As in “Thou shalt ___ commit adultery.” It is from an edition of the Bible published in 1631, now affectionately known as “The Sinners Bible” or “The Wicked Bible.”  Adulterers of the realm celebrated! (Just kidding.) The Royal Printers in London, Robert Barker …

Read moreThe Worst Proofreading Error of All Time
Category: Editing, Publishing HistoryTag: Editing, Proofreading

Fun Friday – October 17, 2025 – The ISBN Turns 60!

By Steve Laubeon October 17, 2025
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This coming weekend, a milestone will be reached. The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) system turns 60 years old. That seemingly simple group of digits has had a lasting impact on our industry. Book nerds of the world unite. Let’s celebrate sixty years of the ISBN! (Party balloons are floating and party horns are sounding.) Below is an edited version of something the International …

Read moreFun Friday – October 17, 2025 – The ISBN Turns 60!
Category: Book Business, Fun Fridays, Publishing HistoryTag: Book Business, ISBN, Publishing History, The Publishing Life

Dialogue in Your Novel

By Lynette Easonon October 15, 2025
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Dialogue is one of the most powerful tools in a writer’s toolbox. A single exchange between characters can reveal more about their motives, personalities, and relationships than pages of exposition—and trust me, readers prefer dialogue to exposition. Done well, dialogue pulls readers into the story, making them feel like they’re actually part of the conversation. If it feels forced or stalls the …

Read moreDialogue in Your Novel
Category: Writing Craft

A Few Misused Words and Phrases

By Steve Laubeon October 13, 2025
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I’ve written about this topic before, but thought it good to revisit it. There are some troublesome words regularly misused in emails or book proposals. Penultimate This term is often used carelessly to mean “the best” or “the greatest.” Penultimate means next to the last in a series or sequence. Not the best of the best. When used to mean “the best,” the …

Read moreA Few Misused Words and Phrases
Category: Craft, Grammar

Fun Fridays – October 10, 2025

By Steve Laubeon October 10, 2025
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Today’s video is a bit of a history lesson taught by a couple of archaeologists. They found what is believed to be the oldest full sentence written in the Canaanite language, 3,700 years old. To put this in historical context, this would be around 1,700 B.C., the biblical time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To best understand this video, I recommend enabling closed-captioning (click the …

Read moreFun Fridays – October 10, 2025
Category: Fun Fridays

How Self-Publishing Alters Authors

By Dan Balowon October 9, 2025
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Anyone who regularly reviews book proposals can easily see the influence of self-publishing on authors’ thinking, especially in the following areas. Calendar “I’d like this book out for Christmas.” To which I reply, “What year?”  This is the most stark reminder of the differences in the models. The length of time to market for a book is measured in weeks or months for the author-controlled process …

Read moreHow Self-Publishing Alters Authors
Category: Book Business, Self-Publishing, The Writing Life
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