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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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Adopt a Bookstore

By Dan Balowon February 18, 2014
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bookstore2

Bookstores throughout the United States are going through the most challenging period in their history.  The combination of online purchase of printed books and the dawn of the eBook have combined to deliver a one-two punch to the business of book retailing.

For Christian bookstores, the challenges started over a decade ago when a substantial part of their business (in some cases over a third) began to disappear when music became a downloaded media (iTunes started in 2001) and retail sales of CD’s began to decrease significantly.  A second hit came when movies and video started to be rented and sold in numerous locations, then eventually becoming a downloaded or streamed media.  To a lesser extent, audiobooks becoming primarily a downloaded media was another hit.

Remember Borders?  They positioned themselves as a “media” retailer and the loss of music and movies put them into a spiral that resulted in their demise.  Of course, the fact that they were a publicly held corporation didn’t help.  Investors bail out fast when revenues drop and profit is marginal or nonexistent.  They were not able to make the changes necessary to survive.

Add all these pieces and history together and you have the story of the challenges to be addressed by Christian retailers in 2014. The Christian Bookseller’s Association is addressing the issues from the bookseller standpoint, but I have a proposal what authors can do.

Adopt a bookstore.

No, not a legal transaction, but authors have an ability to draw an audience small and large.  Hold regular meetings of readers in the store.  Read to them.  Talk to them.  Test out your new book on them before it is published.  Encourage the bookstore. Shop there, buy something.  Get to know the staff.  Post a list of your favorite books. 

Christian bookstores have had a number of negative things happen that are out of their control.  No matter what they do, they were bound to lose the music and video market to download.  But they are still the place where a large number of people go to discover something new, buy a gift and connect.  As an author, if you make a local bookstore part of your “social media platform”, you will be glad you did. After all, doesn’t the concept of “social” mean actually meeting with real people face-to-face?

And one more thing, when you are shopping anywhere for anything, you don’t need to tell the staff, “Thanks for your time, but I am going to buy this online”.  Trust me, it’s like telling a friend that you need to go because you have a better friend you’d rather be with.  Golden rule time…that’s all.

Any ideas how to “adopt a bookstore”?  Have you done it already?  

 

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Category: Book Business, Book Sales, DanTag: Book Business, Book Sales, Bookstores

A Valentine’s Day Message

By Steve Laubeon February 14, 2014
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George Eliot wrote in the novel Adam Bede:
What greater thing is there for two human souls,
than to feel that they are joined for life --
to strengthen each other in all labor,
to rest on each other in all sorrow,
to minister to each other in all pain,
to be one with each other
in silent unspeakable memories . . .
In …

Read moreA Valentine’s Day Message
Category: Personal, SteveTag: Personal, Valentines

Rooting for the Bad Guy?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 13, 2014
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Last week I blogged about amoral protagonists. But what about protagonists who are unquestionably immoral?

Some general market books make their readers root for the bad guy. Think about accounts of bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde, written from their points of view. Or a book written primarily from the point of view of a courtesan, such as Amy Tan's The Valley of Amazement. These books set the …

Read moreRooting for the Bad Guy?
Category: Craft, Creativity, Genre, Tamela, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Genre, Protagonists

Why I Read Romance Novels

By Karen Ballon February 12, 2014
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Valentine’s Day is on its way, and that got me to thinking about that four-letter word we all use with impunity:

LOVE.

What a powerful word, one so full of meaning I could write a dozen blogs about it and still not exhaust the depth and breadth of all it entails. I’m grateful for love. For God’s love. For my hubby’s love. For my family’s love. For my doggies’ love. Love has blessed me more …

Read moreWhy I Read Romance Novels
Category: Craft, Creativity, Genre, Karen, Romance, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Genre, Romance

Wanted: More Choir Members

By Dan Balowon February 11, 2014
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Dan Balow

At some point in their writing career, many Christian authors express a desire to write a book that would reach the un-churched. That desire is a completely honorable and wonderful goal, just as any believer should desire to represent Christ in their lives in such a way that unbelievers would ask them questions about the hope that is in them. 

However, the inference by such …

Read moreWanted: More Choir Members
Category: Book Business, Creativity, Dan, Get Published, The Publishing Life, TrendsTag: Christian, publishing, Writers

Fun Fridays – February 7, 2014

By Steve Laubeon February 7, 2014
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This should have been broadcast during the Super Bowl....

Read moreFun Fridays – February 7, 2014
Category: Fun Fridays, Steve

The Moral Protagonist: A Key Difference

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 6, 2014
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This is entirely an opinion, but in my reading of general market fiction versus Christian fiction, I have noticed one key difference:
The protagonists don't have to be moral.
In Christian fiction, the protagonists must be moral or have a great desire to be moral at their core, even though they may make mistakes.

Christian fiction offers a Christian world view.  The characters' circumstances …

Read moreThe Moral Protagonist: A Key Difference
Category: Craft, Creativity, Genre, Romance, Tamela, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Genre, Moral, Protagonists

And Another Thing, Your Baby is Ugly

By Dan Balowon February 4, 2014
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Have you noticed how much of public and private discourse so quickly moves from a simple disagreement to a personal attack?

I was attending a sporting event not long ago and the people sitting around me in the stands seamlessly moved from displeasure how their team was performing to calling the players, coaches and referees all sorts of names that had nothing to do with how they …

Read moreAnd Another Thing, Your Baby is Ugly
Category: Book Business, Craft, Dan, Get Published, Rejection, The Publishing LifeTag: Rejection

Fun Fridays – January 31, 2014

By Steve Laubeon January 31, 2014
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If you've ever been on a conference call this video absolutely hilarious.

Our agency has regular video conference calls since we are in four states and four time zones. It can get a little goofy sometimes.

Read moreFun Fridays – January 31, 2014
Category: Fun Fridays, Steve

Why Did I Keep Reading?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 30, 2014
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As I believe I've mentioned on this blog, along with Christian books, I try to keep abreast of general market books. But I admit, I don't always finish reading the books I begin reading. So what makes me stick with a book from cover to cover? Here's just one example for nonfiction:

Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune  by Bill Dedman …

Read moreWhy Did I Keep Reading?
Category: Book Review, Craft, Creativity, Reading, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Book Review, Reading
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