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
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To help the author develop and create the best book possible. Material that has both commercial appeal and long-term value.
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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.
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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
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 book Finish, completing a task or project is giving yourself “the gift of done.” Whether it’s a book proposal, article draft, query, blog post, grant application, or something else, finishing really is a gift you give to yourself, in at least these six ways:
It boosts your self-esteem.
Many people would describe themselves as “great starters” but “lousy finishers.” Who wants to think of oneself that way? When you finish something, you put the lie to that attitude. It fosters a stronger, better self-image.
It clears space in your head.
One of the many reasons I love checking off the items on my to-do list is that, once it’s checked off, I don’t have to think about it or worry about it anymore. It’s done and gone, mentally speaking. I can relax. I can move on.
It clears time in your schedule.
I confess that I’m OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and also a cheapskate. So, I love it when I pay off a debt—a car loan or nine-months-same-as-cash sorta deal. It means that amount can then be applied to savings or my donut addiction. The same kind of thing happens when I finish a writing project. Those hours or days that I devoted to, say, my book Nobody Loves You but Your Mother … And She Could Be Jivin’ Too are now freed up for something else, just as good.
It teaches you.
Each of my fifty books have taught me something. Some have taught me more than one thing. If I’d kept them in The Drawer of Unfinished Undertakings, I would’ve missed those lessons and skills.
It opens the door to possibility.
An unfinished proposal won’t get an offer, an unfinished book won’t make any money, an unfinished devotion can’t change a life. It’s the finished project that opens doors, wins awards, and propels you toward the next open door.
It has a snowball effect.
Maybe you’ve experienced this phenomenon: You finally complete that long-delayed piece of writing and check it off your list and, before you know it, another is done, as if by magic! It’s not magic, of course; it’s all about energy and momentum. But finishing—at least in my experience—tends to beget more finishing, and on and on it goes.
So, why not make this the year you give yourself “the gift of done”? I hope you will.
Do these benefits of finishing resonate with you? Why or why not? Do you have any to add? Refute? Dismiss? Protest? Do tell, in the comments.
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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 …
Start Writing Your Book
“I’m going to write a book someday” is a frequent statement heard by every editor, agent, or published author. I tend to believe the sentiment, but that is where it ends for many–a sentiment. A survey done for Thriftbooks in late 2021 (link here) found that more than half of the respondents thought they had an idea for a novel. Of those, six percent were halfway done, and eight percent were finished. That means, of the other 86%, quite a number have yet to begin. Sounds to me that one of the keys to writing your book is to start …
Fun Fridays – January 27, 2023
Today’s video is an oldie but a goodie: the Marx Brothers around a piano from the movie Animal Crackers. Can you believe this film is 93 years old? Silly fun that still can make you smile. (If you can’t see the video in your email newsletter subscription, click through to the site itself.) ShareTweet
Bestselling Christian Books in 1977
Forty-five years ago this spring (March 12, 1978), The New York Times ran a story giving the best-selling books of 1977. They created the list by sampling 2,500 Christian bookstores affiliated with the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA). While bestseller lists of Christian books are derived differently now, this list is interesting and shows how the Christian publishing market has changed–or not–in 45 years. Hardcover Christian Book Bestsellers of 1977 A SHEPHERD LOOKS AT PSALM 23, by W. Phillip Keller (Zondervan) NORMA, by Norma Zimmer (Tyndale) HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE, by Francis A. Schaeffer (Revell) JONI, by Joni Eareckson (Zondervan) …