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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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What is the Message in the Books You Read or Write?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 15, 2014
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Christian works are, by their nature, message-oriented. With our novels, we strive to present a great story first and foremost, but we also want to weave in a strong spiritual message. Writers’ varying personalities determine their specific outreach. Some of us want to edify the faithful, offering hope to the Christian swimmer navigating a sea filled with glass shards. Others among us want to extend a lifesaver to the seeker longing for lift onto a safe ship. Still others want to be favored over the world’s seductive message, reaching those stranded on a desert island. Or perhaps all three.

Our eagerness to get out our message is not without its critics. Yet, a cursory reading of general market books shows they are also preaching. But a different message. Have you read general market books that preached:

You can be successful without God.

Survival by any necessary means.

The need to care for the environment.

The importance of appearances.

How appearances can be deceiving.

The poverty of earthly riches.

How to gain earthly riches.

So the next time someone asks you if Christian novels are too preachy, challenge that reader to name a novel that doesn’t preach some type of message. I would think that would be a hard mission to accomplish. At the very least, it’s a great conversation starter. Have fun!

Your turn:

What message did you take from the last general market novel you read?

Did you agree with the message?

What is the most God-honoring message you have seen in a general market book?

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Category: Communication, Craft, Creativity, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Communication, Craft, Message, Writing Craft

Last Words

By Karen Ballon May 14, 2014
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Publishing lost a good man on Sunday. No, more to the point, the world lost a good man. Ron Benrey–author, publisher, one-time agent, master debater, theologian, teacher, and a wonderful husband and father, a man possessed of deep kindness and wisdom–passed from this world to God’s side on Sunday. Just moments before the heart attack that ushered him into eternity, he was doing …

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Category: Communication, Craft, Creativity, Karen, Personal, TheologyTag: Communication, Personal

Myths of The Author Platform

By Dan Balowon May 13, 2014
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There are three myths about “Author Platform” that I want to address today.  Since I started my publishing career in marketing, I’ve seen the issue from a number of different angles and hopefully today’s post will be helpful. Myth #1 Author platform is a new issue in the last few years created by the use of social media.   There has never been a time when author platform was not important to …

Read moreMyths of The Author Platform
Category: Branding, Career, Dan, Get Published, Marketing, PlatformTag: Career, Marketing, Platform

Fun Fridays – May 9, 2014

By Steve Laubeon May 9, 2014
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An eight year old sings “Fly Me to the Moon.” Pick me off the floor… Angelina Jordan is a finalist on “Norway’s Got Talent” (See more below.)   This performance got her into the finals which will be later this month.   Her original audition. Sung acapella.   Here she is with her Mum and her little sister in an interview in March.

Read moreFun Fridays – May 9, 2014
Category: Fun Fridays, Steve

But I Won a Contest

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon May 8, 2014
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Contests cost both time and money to enter. Not to mention effort. Are they worth it? Yes, they are. Becoming a finalist is one way to get noticed. Sometimes the first prize awarded the winner is publication with a certain publisher. But will a contest win always lead to publication? No. I have been and continue to be a judge for many different contests, and here are three reasons why I can tell …

Read moreBut I Won a Contest
Category: Awards, Get Published, Marketing, Platform, TamelaTag: contests, Get Published

The Paranoid’s Guide to Things That Are Out to Get You

By Dan Balowon May 6, 2014
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This is the second in a three-part series on attitudes, specifically for people in publishing, but probably applicable to just about anyone. Two months ago I addressed the issue of pessimism. Today, we’ll talk about the first cousin of pessimism…fear. If a book were to be written about fear, it would be the titled something along the lines of this blog-post. It would be a short volume with dozens …

Read moreThe Paranoid’s Guide to Things That Are Out to Get You
Category: Book Business, Career, Dan, TheologyTag: Career, Fear

The Big Just Got Bigger – HarperCollins Buys Harlequin

By Steve Laubeon May 5, 2014
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by Steve Laube Today’s Cinco de Mayo celebration should be renamed Cinco de Grande. Last week’s news that HarperCollins is buying Harlequin caused quite a stir in the industry. It had long been wondered if current owner Torstar, a Canadian media company that owns a number of properties, would do something with Harlequin. The primary reason is that each of the past four years has seen a …

Read moreThe Big Just Got Bigger – HarperCollins Buys Harlequin
Category: Book Business, TrendsTag: Book Business, Trends

The Writer’s Pod

By Karen Ballon April 30, 2014
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When I was at the Mount Hermon Writers’ Conference a week or so ago, I went to one of my all-time favorite places: The Santa Cruz Wharf. It’s one of the best places to see the sea lions, which are draped all over the pilings of the wharf, as well as swimming and playing in the water around it. A few years ago, I saw something I’d never seen before. A group of sea lions all floating together. Come …

Read moreThe Writer’s Pod
Category: Career, Communication, Conferences, Creativity, Karen, Platform, The Writing LifeTag: Community, Conferences, The Writing Life

Grace is Amazing, But Hard to Explain

By Dan Balowon April 29, 2014
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I am not a Bible theologian, so today’s blog is pushing me way out on the plank over the pitching seas of exegetical danger, so I apologize for offending those with seminary degrees and those who are infinitely better qualified to write on this subject.  As a friend stated in regard to another situation, I am indeed hanging heavy weights on thin threads. I believe that one of the most difficult …

Read moreGrace is Amazing, But Hard to Explain
Category: Dan, Personal, TheologyTag: Christian, Grace, Theology

My Most Frequently Used Reference Book

By Steve Laubeon April 28, 2014
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by Steve Laube After pulling down this book from my shelf twice this past week I realized there is no other reference book I use more frequently. The book? The Synonym Finder by J.I. Rodale. I prefer it over Roget’s Thesaurus because it is laid out logically – in alphabetical order. There are multiple occasions where I need an alternative word to the one I’m trying to use. So I …

Read moreMy Most Frequently Used Reference Book
Category: Book Review, Craft, Creativity, Personal, Reading, Steve, Writing CraftTag: Book Review, Craft, Creativity
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