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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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Writing Thoughtful Books

By Dan Balowon August 15, 2017
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There has always been a hierarchy in fiction distinguishing “literary” from “popular” books, with lines drawn between both topics and reading levels.  Authors of each are different, somewhat like actors who work on stage versus those who work on screen.

Comparisons of literary vs. popular and stage vs. screen are often done in a derogatory manner.

Christian authors describing non-fiction might use the words “thoughtful” or “reflective” and “popular” to distinguish types of writing, but the purpose is the same, to distinguish topics and reading levels. These are valid descriptions and help focus the work to an audience and their preferences.

However, if the Christian author believes one type of writing is of greater importance than the other, they risk being snared into a worldly trap, which asserts it is only the highly educated who can truly grasp something of depth.

If spiritual maturity were related to education level, there would be no hope for the majority of the world’s Christians to grow in their faith.

After all, there is only one cross of Jesus Christ, not a “PhD Cross” and a “GED Cross.”

Everyone is confused by something, regardless of education. It’s what unifies humans!

The Gospel makes no sense to a lot of people. In fact, to many, it is pure foolishness. This is no surprise as God actually intended the Gospel to confuse them.

In the end, people still come to Christ by grace through faith and are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. And there is only one Holy Spirit, not one for the Ivy League college professor and another for the less-schooled person trying to keep their children alive.

The disciple Thomas needed to see first, and then believe. Others just believed.

Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”  John 20:29 NLT

God is big enough to easily absorb the doubts of the greatest thinkers and brilliant skeptics, who often swim in the deep end because their intellects desire to ponder difficult things. But it wasn’t their intelligence, which finally saves them. It is grace through faith, the same for everyone.

God is also personal enough for the humble grade school child in a village anywhere in the world, who upon hearing about his Grace, forgiveness and immense love, nods their head in prayerful acceptance of the greatest gift.

God is high enough, wide enough, big enough, and small enough to handle the thought process of any follower or seeker, regardless of IQ. This fact should unite believers, not divide.

So what should this mean for a Christian author?

Write whatever you are led to write, to whatever audience you want, but never, ever believe there is a hierarchy of importance, giving greater weight to books for the more educated and less to books written for the simple-faith folks.

 That’s how the world thinks, not the Creator who made the world.

Growing in the Christian faith is about issues of the heart, not only the head. In the Sermon on the Mount, there was no educational requirement to receive blessing.

One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them.

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will be satisfied.
God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.  (Matthew 5:1-12 – New Living Translation)

People from all walks of life need Christian books, meeting them where they live and think.

Every person is important and so are the books intended for each.

 

 

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Category: Art, Faith, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Faith, fiction, Nonfiction, Theology

Create Videos Based on Your Blog Posts

By Steve Laubeon August 14, 2017
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Check out Lumen 5, (www.lumen5.com) a wonderful resource that can help you create videos out of your blog posts. As a test I took my post from July 31st, “Should You Hire a Freelance Editor?” and within 45 minutes the following video was complete. (Read more below the embedded video) Lumen 5 has a powerful AI engine that took keywords from my selected sentences and assigned most of the …

Read moreCreate Videos Based on Your Blog Posts
Category: Editing, Marketing, TechnologyTag: Marketing, Video

Fun Fridays – August 11, 2017

By Steve Laubeon August 11, 2017
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During a rain delay at a recent baseball game the opposing team pitchers, waiting in the bullpen, had some fun. Enjoy the oneupmanship! Since I’m from Arizona (go Diamondbacks) and Dan Balow is from Chicago (go Cubs) this was a fun showdown. The correct team won the competition.

Read moreFun Fridays – August 11, 2017
Category: Get Published

Too Much Communication with Your Agent?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 10, 2017
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Some authors ask me if they share too much. If you’re asking, you probably aren’t! In my opinion, most authors connect the right amount, or if anything, err on the side of not communicating enough. You might ask: Too much information? Not for me. I once heard a sermon that everyone needs to hear something eight times to remember it. I don’t mind hearing about something critical eight times, …

Read moreToo Much Communication with Your Agent?
Category: Agents, CommunicationTag: Agents, Communication

Write Like You Brush Your Teeth

By Bob Hostetleron August 9, 2017
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I listen regularly to a half-dozen podcasts. One of them recently talked about how valuable “systems” are in making life run more smoothly. The podcast host said that making something a habit is the simplest but also one of the most effective “systems” a person can install in his or her life, because it eliminates the need for decision-making. For example, he said, did you decide to brush your …

Read moreWrite Like You Brush Your Teeth
Category: Get Published, The Writing LifeTag: Encouragement, Get Published, The Writing Life

Overselling Yourself

By Dan Balowon August 8, 2017
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When I was a kid, if you really wanted to let people know you in the area, you took a couple garden-variety clothespins (the spring-loaded kind) and two of your lowest-value baseball cards, and attached them to the frame of your bike in contact with the spokes of your wheels. When you set out to ride, they created an unearthly sound. Until the cards completely fell apart from the abuse, your …

Read moreOverselling Yourself
Category: MarketingTag: Marketing, Overselling

Send Simultaneous Submissions or Not?

By Steve Laubeon August 7, 2017
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Bryan Mitchell asked, “What is the max number of submissions you should send at a given time? I’ve heard ten but that sounds off; to me, it seems it should be less than that if you are carefully considering the agents you reach out to.” When approaching agents I encourage simultaneous submissions, as long as you let us know you are doing so. But, as Bryan answered his own question, there is no …

Read moreSend Simultaneous Submissions or Not?
Category: Agency, Agents, Book ProposalsTag: Agency, Agents, book proposals, Queries, Simultaneous Submissions

Fun Fridays – August 4, 2017

By Steve Laubeon August 4, 2017
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This phenomenon from nature is the perfect picture of a creative artist. How hard will you work on your creation? Wait for the “reveal” at the two-minute mark.

Read moreFun Fridays – August 4, 2017
Category: Fun Fridays

Two Questions We Might Ask and Why

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 3, 2017
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Sometimes writers feel the need to switch literary agents. When an author approaches me after working with another agent, I always ask why. Most are reticent to let me know. I understand and respect that. We don’t want to gossip or speak poorly of an agent, particularly when that person was instrumental in helping us get our start. However, a new agent needs to know what went wrong. Here’s why: We …

Read moreTwo Questions We Might Ask and Why
Category: AgentsTag: Agency, Agents

Write Like Jazz

By Bob Hostetleron August 2, 2017
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Years ago, I was helping a friend brainstorm and outline a book, and at some point in the course of our conversation about writing, I said, “Writing is like jazz.” Both of us were jazz aficionados, so the phrase was apt, and it stuck. He has reminded me of it repeatedly ever since. What did I mean? Three things, basically: Craft Duke Ellington was raised by pianist parents, started piano lessons …

Read moreWrite Like Jazz
Category: Art, Creativity, Inspiration
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