The Steve Laube Agency is committed to providing top quality guidance to authors and speakers. Our years of experience and success brings a unique service to our clients. We focus primarily in the Christian marketplace and have put together an outstanding gallery of authors and speakers whose books continue to make an impact throughout the world.
Our Service Philosophy
Content
To help the author develop and create the best book possible. Material that has both commercial appeal and long-term value.
Career
To help the author determine the next best step in their writing career. Giving counsel regarding the subtleties of the marketplace as well as the realities of the publishing community.
Contract
To help the author secure the best possible contract. One that partners with the best strategic publisher and one that is mutually beneficial for all parties involved.
Recent Posts
Stopping the “It Depends” Response to Questions
I’ve made a very late New Year’s resolution. I am no longer going to respond to every question about book publishing with the noncommittal and vague “It depends.”
There’s really only one response to just about every question, and it always comes down to competition in the publishing world.
Why are agents so difficult to connect with? Competition. This agency receives several thousand proposals each year from aspiring authors; and among the five agents, we offer representation to less than 1%.
Why are traditional publishers so hard to crack? Competition. Most of the books they publish each year are from experienced, proven authors. For the few openings allocated to new authors, each will receive dozens of proposals for publishers to consider.
Why is an author platform such a big issue for everyone? Competition. You are competing for attention with authors who embrace the platform requirement and flourish with it. A solid author platform reduces the financial risk of publishing.
Why is it hard to sell your book? Competition. There were four million books published in 2025 (according to Publishers Weekly). That’s 11,000 per day.
Why is it difficult to gain traction with podcasts and YouTube channels? Competition. There are millions of podcasts worldwide and over 100 million YouTube channels. That’s channels, not videos. There are about 20 billion videos on YouTube, with around 7,500 more uploaded during the time it takes you to read this blog post.
Christian publishing is competitive. Publishers compete for authors, books, sales, and employees. Agents are also part of this same competition.
Christian ministries compete for attention with other ministries. Christian colleges compete with one another for students. And, yes, Virginia, even churches compete with one another.
Trying to explain why things are the way they are without actually getting to the real issue only delays reality from setting in. The presence of competition explains a lot, maybe everything.
Even the apostle Paul wrote this about the Christian life in general:
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NIV).
Why do you think the biblical metaphor of the armor of God in Ephesians 6 is protection and weaponry for competitive battle? The Christian message is a battle cry since the world considers it foolishness. In this fallen world, every endeavor is a competitive pursuit; except for Christians, it isn’t against flesh and blood. Knowing that should focus your approach.
Publishing is for those unafraid of competition. The friction-based process alone will mature your faith. It is both challenging and worth it.
Leave a CommentMake Every Scene Matter (Part 2): Three Questions Every Scene Must Answer
In the last post, we looked at the purpose of a scene. We learned that a scene should: earn its place move the story forward reveal character increase tension change the reader’s understanding or set up and pay off something important. So, how do we make that happen? Before revising a scene, ask yourself these three basic questions: What does the character want? What stands in the way? What changes by the end? If you can answer those questions, your scene probably has direction. If you can’t, the scene may have issues. Let’s look at the first question. It’s fairly …
The Art of Persuasive Writing Series (2 of 7): Start With the Reader, Not Your Idea
I see a lot of good nonfiction writing that falters at the same point. It happens when the writer begins with what they want to say, rather than with an awareness of the audience who will be reading it. Think of it from the reader’s perspective. Imagine you are the reader. You approach a piece of writing with your framework already in place. That framework, unique to you, has been formed over time through experience, reading, and reflection. It includes some beliefs already determined, some conclusions that remain tentative, and questions left unresolved. None of these disappear when you begin …
Fun Fridays – August 21, 2026
This video has been around for nearly fifteen years. Very funny back then. Is it still funny now? Unfortunately, many online stores have yet to solve their checkout experience. What is your most aggravating online checkout experience? Please don’t reveal the store. That is something for their customer service site. ShareTweet
Stinks to Be Multitalented
I meet a lot of gifted writers in my travels as I speak and teach at quality writers conferences from east to west (not to mention north and south, though I just did mention it, so I’ve already lowered my grade on this homework assignment. You didn’t know Steve Laube—He Who Must Be Obeyed—assigns homework? Psssht. Don’t be naïve.) Anyhoo (more points off for the slang, doggone it), I often find myself saying the same thing to many of those fine writers: “Don’t quit your day job,” “Buy my books,” and “Stop saying ‘begs the question’ when you mean ‘prompts …