(Updated 1/24/2022)
“Bring the books, especially the parchments,” is a sentence in 2 Timothy 4:13 that has teased readers for 2,000 years. What books did the Apostle Paul want to read while waiting for trial? Theology? History? How-to? (Maybe a little escape reading? Pun intended.)
Another writer chimed in a while ago by saying, “Of making many books there is no end” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). And if we read the statistics, he wasn’t kidding: 300,000+ books are published in the United States alone each year.
Yet there is an allure to the stories of great novelists and a fascination with the brilliance of deep thinkers. It is what drew me to the book industry in the first place, having been a lifelong reader and a burgeoning collector of my own library. (My wife and I own somewhere close to 10,000 books.)
That personal allure and fascination remains unabated. I’ve had and continue to have the honor and privilege of working with some of the finest minds and talented writers in our industry. In the front part of my office, I have four large bookcases holding a copy of every book our agency has represented. Another section of the office holds every book I edited for Bethany House Publishers (click here to find a complete list at the end of the page). And yet another section is every book I’ve overseen as publisher for Enclave Publishing. Literally hundreds of amazing books by amazing authors. Millions of words, untold numbers of lives touched. It is truly a wonderful and remarkable thing to be part of.
Meanwhile, I am still searching for the next great story, the next great concept, the next great writer. So, to answer the question “What are you looking for?” I will attempt to clarify a few things.
Our Door Is Always Open
Unsolicited proposals are always welcome. We sift through a couple thousand inquiries every year. My only request is that each person try their best to follow our guidelines on our website. It would astound you how many fail that simple request.
We Primarily Serve the Christian Market
We make no apology for specializing in books written from a Christian worldview. That means we sell books wherever publishers are receptive to books from that perspective. Usually those are Christian publishing companies. But we can sell books to the general market–if that publisher is interested in the content of the book our client has created.
We won’t represent books that are contrary to a Christian worldview. I once received a proposal claiming the novel included “vivid sex, graphic torture, romance, comedy.” Another writer proposed a nonfiction book that redefined sin as something that was actually unbiblical and should not be taught. Another claimed that Moses was “the greatest serial killer of all time.” Another had this sentence: “Jesus is not enough. The bible is not enough. We need something more.” Obviously, these authors had not done their homework regarding our agency.
I’m Looking for Fiction
I am an eclectic reader, which reflects my work as an agent. I represent authors who write in the following genres: women’s fiction, romance, thriller, suspense, romantic suspense, Amish, literary, military, historical (all eras), contemporary, science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, YA–in other words, every genre published in the industry.
I’m looking for unique story lines with a well-refined craft. If something is 80% ready, I’ll probably reject it. In school a grade score of 80 would be a low B. Our industry is looking for the A+.
I’m Looking for Nonfiction
My eclectic tastes are also exhibited by the types of nonfiction books and authors represented: Christian living, biography, apologetics, theology, Bible study, reference, health, finance, self-help, psychology, grief, suffering, marriage, family, women’s, men’s, philosophy, church life, devotional, inspirational, social issues, politics, parenting, music, and art. The subjects are vast, the opportunities endless.
I am looking for unique ideas by great writers. But as the market has changed, so have some of the demands on the nonfiction author. Your project has to be more than an extended magazine article. It has to have something special that will make a major publisher jump at the chance to invest in you and your work. It can be your platform. It can be the power of your idea. It can be that your writing is unique and compelling. And if you can bring all three, I’m confident we can find you a publishing partner.
A Limit to My Expertise
I tend to be limited when it comes to children’s picture books. Yes, I represent some wonderful authors in that category; but it is not a market in which I typically will sign a debut author. If you are already an established and successful children’s book writer or if you come highly recommended by one who is, I will gladly take a look. But generally this is not a category I am actively pursuing.
Please do not send me your cookbook ideas. I may look like I know how to eat, but it doesn’t mean I know the first thing about cooking.
A Limit to My Exceptions
It is a little aggravating when someone sends me their cookbook with this first sentence: “I know you say you don’t want cookbooks, but I think you will make an exception with mine.” (This happens more than you might realize.) Asking for an exception is bold, but it is also a waste of time for both the author and me.
Hard Copy versus Email (also known as “Steve is odd”)
You can send your proposal to me via email. (See our guidelines.) But it may sit in that inbox forever. However, if you send it to me via hard copy with a SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope), you will get a response from me. It might be a simple “no thank you,” but you will receive a reply. But please do not expect a critique or even a suggestion. We are not a free editorial service.
Please note that it can take up to 12 weeks to get to your proposal. I am not always that slow, but please don’t expect a response in 24 hours.
The danger of the email inbox is that it gets crowded quickly, and your project quickly scrolls off the screen and can very well be forgotten. I try to go through email submissions, but that inbox is bursting at the seams. So far in January 2022 my email submission inbox has received 63 proposals. On the other hand, hard-copy proposals always get reviewed in-house and then sit on my desk with the reviewer comments until I review them myself. I’m aware this is rather old-school, but it works for me. It is your choice of which way you want to send your project to my attention. However, note that this is unique to me, Steve Laube, at our agency. The other agents are quite comfortable with email submissions and prefer them! Please do not send a hard-copy proposal intended for another agent to the office address. It will not receive the attention it deserves.
Fun Fridays – January 21, 2022
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I can’t wait to send my proposal to you Mr. Laube. Your love for reading and what you do gets me excited at the chance to work with you! Be on the lookout for The Imaginarium
HI Steve been loving your blog posts and so appreciate your informative website My novel is completed and I plan to submit it to you soon. I’ve done lots of self editing but know the importance of good professional editing. Question is, do you want my manuscript professionally edited before submittal?
Thanks, Iris
Thanks for the clarification, Mr Laube! God bless you!
Hello Steve.
I would like to appreciate all the time and effort you have taken to enlighten us on submission guidelines. My worry is that being in Kenya, sending a proposal via hardcopy would be quite a challenge. Do you consider the geographical location of the author?
Thanks
Dear Mr. Laube
I’ve sent you my “The blind Princess Elizabeth and forest goblin Mark”.
Can I hope for you will find time to get to know my novel?
With respect to you, Victor Sуvak.
Plagiarism- Hello Steve. Some years ago one one of my works of copyrig hted fiction was plagiarized. I’ve been searching for answers and opinions on the best way to proceed. I now want to publish my own version of my ‘little’ story that I authored years ago. Issue is, a ‘friend’ to my material to an associate and sections of it were published in what became a relatively successful text, (I’d call their treatment of the material disgusting). Guess that’s neither hear nor there.
Basically, I’d copyrighted my text years ago. Because ‘they’ would be represented by a large publishing house, I did not press for representation.
Currently, I simply want to self-publish my version. Seems difficult to get attorneys that are truly knowledgable and/ or will not also rip off my material.
Should I simply go for it? Self publish on Amazon . . . .Or do I have to worry about the ‘hawks’ saying that I plagiarized myself? I welcome any comments / opinions. Thanks.
Perhaps I’ll send my epic poem
that takes the reader to the stars,
a classy, hip, and streamlined tome
called ‘Beowulf On Mars”,
in which eponymous hero,
who gave ol’ Hrothgar all he had,
and whose energy’s now zero
comes to learn that Grendel’s dad
has done escaped Earth’s gravity
for the mystic Planet Red,
so for closure and finality
our Beo goes to make him dead,
but finding Monster in the end
learns the beast can be a friend.
You are our hero, Steve. Thanks for sharing these things.
I love that you still accept hard copies! Mine should be on your desk and I cannot wait to hear back!
Thank you for the update, Steve! It is good to know what you are looking for and that I should definitely send a hard copy of my children’s cookbook of messy and easily spilled meals: compiled by helpful and hungry dogs!
(1) This is awesome, but having read the guidelines I am daunted by the fact that I have no platform. A major reason for writing my leadership book was that the voices of the LED – the platformless – are largely absent from the genre. Needing to be famous before you even start means that first-time authors & self publishers are largely disqualified before they even begin. And those voices will continue to be absent. The gap will remain.
(2) I’m curious … is there a rationale behind the agency preferring to see three chapters on A4 sheets, rather than the sweet, polished-looking little paperback itself? I would so love to send in the finished-for-now product.
Rebekah,
We receive sample books all the time as “proposals.” But there is a risk.
1) if the packaging isn’t of a high quality (cover, typesetting, printing) it reflects on the professionalism of the author.
2) it mean’s it is already published and makes it harder to pitch as something “new, never before seen!” project.
Yes, platform is an issue. Except when it isn’t. A couple years ago I sold a non-fiction book from an author with very little platform. How? The author’s content was stellar. The topic was unique and filled a niche.
Have you thought of offering a short, even three line critique for a small sum of $50-$100. It would be helpful to know areas needing the most work. An agent probably would know after reading one submitted page whether there is any potential. Truth might be the most kind response.
Thank,you.
Joan
Joan,
That idea has been floated at me for many years. The problem is that there are too many scam artists out there who offer similar critiques.
One signal of an agent who may not be on the up and up is that they ask for money up front… like a reading fee. So I have kept our agency from ever getting into that world.
Think about it though. If we charged $100 for a few lines of critique on one quarter of the proposals my office gets we’d make an extra $50,000. But I think integrity is priceless and would rather have that then some extra cash. 🙂
Hi Steve,
Thanks for this post! I appreciate the clarity surrounding your submission guidelines, and I look forward to working within these parameters when the time comes. From what I can gather, your guidelines are the same from when I proposed my suspense novel to you a couple years ago, which simplifies the process for me (to a degree…proposing a project to an agent is never a simple task)! Again, thank you for post and for your hard work in this industry.
Tiffany,
Guidelines haven’t really changed in the 18 years our agency has been in business. Makes it simpler to sort out.
Hi Mr. Laube!
I’m a novelist from New Zealand, so I’m not sure how practical it would be for me to mail a hard copy proposal — would email be fine in this instance?
Also, I have downloaded and listened to your book-proposal course on the Christians Writers Institute — it’s an amazing course, and it taught me so much, thank you! And all the content on your blog is great; your post on ‘The Slush Pile, Enter at Your Own Risk’ made me laugh when I read some of the pitches you’ve had over the years!
I do have a question. I understand from reading this website that you have overseas authors you represent, including one from my country. As an overseas author who doesn’t live in America, will I be considered behind the game for not having speaking engagement or media experience? Only famous people in my country generally end up at conferences or on tv, and I’m just a young author from a small town who loves telling stories to the best of my abilities.
I feel bad because I want to make my book proposal the best it can be, but I have no idea how I’d arrange book tours or media coverage in America. I do have a lot of online marketing ideas, though.
Thank you for all the time you spend on this blog and helping authors understand the industry — the things you and your colleagues have written have educated and encouraged me, more than I can express.
Hadassah,
I have very similar questions given that I’m currently located in Brisbane, Australia. I’m from the US, but obviously, the Christian publishing realm is different on this side of the world. Thanks for posing these questions!
Hadassah and Tiffany,
The issue of overseas authors is a real one.
It can be overcome, but an author’s platform is the size of the book-buying public that author brings with them to the table. If it is too small then the publisher’s investment is at risk. They would rather invest their time and money on a book that will pay for itself and generate a profit. It is that simple.
Yes, our agency has authors in Australia, Canada, South Africa, and the UK. Each has their own unique challenges. Especially with travel restrictions.
Location is a factor, but not the only one. So if a book is really amazing, can overcome ocean-wide differences, and the author has a great following/constituency, then it will have a chance with the major publishers.
But those are some big mountains to climb in this competitive business.
That is why I am so grateful for the relatively inexpensive Indie options that authors can utilize with print-on-demand and ebook production. Allows for a book to be produced and minister, but without the need for a massive investment from a major publisher.
By the way, if you are from outside the US, you can still email a proposal. Happens every day in my assistant’s proposal inbox.
You’re welcome, Tiffany! And thank you for your answer, Mr. Laube.
Should I send my prologue along with the first 3 chapters, as well as the pronunciation guide (it’s a fantasy) that goes at the start of the book? Or should these be omitted? I think they both come under the front matter.
Thank you for all your replies. And I’m glad that email will work!
Hi Steve,
Thank you for keeping your wishlist (and turnaround time) up to date, and for continuing to accept unsolicited proposals despite your current workload. Much appreciated!