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
Voices of Courage: Why Military Writers are Important
Successful books always come from a writer’s inspired, creative mind and heart. Every time we attempt to make publishing a science, making it more about business nuts and bolts, rather than art, serendipitous creativity seems to find a way around the science, nuts, and bolts.
Effective and wise business planning is important, but Christian publishing’s guiding principle should be Proverbs 16:9, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” (NIV).
Consider the state of the world.
Evil is gaining momentum; and Christ-followers worldwide are much more like first-century believers, increasingly needing to be strong, courageous, unyielding, aware, and wise in how they work and live as Christ’s ambassadors to a fallen world.
One group of Christian writers might have a unique perspective on how we should all prepare to live as believers.
Those connected to the military in the past or present could be a window into the future of the church and how it relates to the world. We might be well-served to pay attention to what they have to communicate.
Think about those things pressed into everyone connected to the military and how they relate to all believers seeking to live the Christian life in the third decade of the 21st century:
Your life is not your own: There’s no room for self-interest. Egos are set aside. There’s no “I” in team. Everyone has a specific role. For Christians, you were bought with a price and are not your own (1 Corinthians 6:20).
This life is held lightly: Constantly being around people risking death or dying changes everyone. The mission could result in the ultimate sacrifice. Consider everything loss compared to knowing and serving Christ (Philippians 3).
Always listening for orders: Regardless of personal desires and plans, everything is set aside when a command is issued: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27, NIV)
Obedience is a way of life: Once the orders come, while likely not convenient, they are obeyed. Plans change in a moment. Personal desires are set aside for the sake of the mission. The most powerful prayer might be, “Lord, not my will, but yours.”
No place for the fragile or faint of heart (and not only those on the front lines): Scripture is filled with statements from God, giving us courage in our circumstances. Oswald Chambers wrote, “The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.”
Military spouses, active or inactive soldiers, and military families learn difficult lessons that are never comfortable.
Of course, there is the omnipresent author-marketing issue to overcome. But maybe those Christians who have a military season in their past or are currently serving will have unique insights into those things to help all Christ-followers cope with an evil, unstable, chaotic world, where courage is necessary for all believers and it is important to remember your training.
The Institute of Faith, Work, and Economics has an interesting article on its website, “How Do the Seven Army Values Align with Christian Values?”
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12 Ways to Annoy a Literary Agent
This article is written in jest, but with decades of truth behind it. No, we agents are not infallible and aren’t always right. We try not to sound arrogant or snooty. We genuinely would like to see you succeed, whether we are your agent or not! Our hope is you learn from what others have done or done incorrectly. Drum roll please: 1. Call a week after sending your proposal to ask what we think of it. 2. Include glitter in your envelope if you’ve sent a printed copy of your proposal to my office. 3. Send a bribe (I …
Fun Fridays – February 3, 2023
Cleanse your palate today with a video of a wonderful barbershop quartet. For you singers out there, you know how difficult this creative piece is to perform–but delightful in every way. (If unable to view this in your email newsletter, please visit the website itself.) Share16Tweet
6 Joys of Finishing a Writing Project
The Bible says, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof” (Ecclesiastes 7:8, KJV). Or, as another version puts it, “It is better to finish something than to start it” (Ecclesiastes 7:8, NCV). That wisdom applies to everyone on God’s green earth, I’m sure; but it sure feels like it applies more to writers and the writing life. Can I get a witness? I see that hand. Seriously, as intoxicating as it can be to start a new writing project, finishing something is, as the wise teacher said, better. As Jon Acuff puts it in his excellent …
The Cuts of Success
Finally! Your dream of becoming a published author has come true! You’ve worked hard, probably years, to reach this point. You want to share your excitement with anyone who’ll listen. Most people should be happy for you, but sometimes responses can be unexpected: “Oh. I’ve never heard of that (magazine/publisher/imprint).” “That’s nice that you write children’s books. I only buy Caldecott winners.” Most people probably won’t be that blunt; but, still, some you thought would be thrilled for you will offer a polite but tepid response and take no further interest in your doings. But isn’t this typical? In most …