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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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Home » Agency » Page 5

Agency

One Agent’s Rearview Mirror

By Bob Hostetleron January 9, 2019
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Since I was nineteen years old (yes, I was that young once, smart aleck), I’ve set goals every January instead of making resolutions. I set one-year, three-year, five-year, and lifetime goals in six categories: spiritual life, physical/health, intellectual/educational, marriage/family, financial/household, and professional (writing, speaking, agenting).

Yes, I am a tad obsessive-compulsive.

Believe it or not, it’s fun for me. And it’s even more fun to do a six-month and end-of-year review of what goals I achieved, which ones I partly achieved, and which I totally tanked on.

This habit makes this blog post a lot easier, as I look back on 2018 and reflect on my first full year as a big, important, high-powered literary agent. I’ll leave it to others to reflect on the industry at large, but here are some of the points I will take with me from 2018 into 2019:

  1. Change is constant.

My status as the “fresh face” at The Steve Laube Agency bit the dust when our friend and coworker Dan Balow moved on in October to devote himself more fully to his work at Gilead Publishing and Thomas Umstattd joined the agency soon thereafter. That’s closest to home, of course, but a whole bunch of my friends and acquaintances who work in publishing changed positions and locations. Worthy Publishers was acquired by Hachette/FaithWords, and the CBA (Christian Booksellers’ Association) announced key high-level personnel departures even as the Munce Group announced the formation of a new trade association: Christian Retail Association, Inc. It’s a good thing Steve Laube has a head for all this stuff because I can’t even keep track of where I put the pair of scissors.

  1. Books are in demand.

I know that many authors and publishers bewail the state of things today—and there’s no denying that writing and publishing are very different than they were just a few years ago—but this is still a great time to be a writer and an agent. Christian publishers are still publishing great books, and they’re always looking for original and well-written content. Yes, platform is important and will remain so; but everyone I know in this industry gets all goose-pimply at unique ideas, distinctive voices, and breathtaking prose. And they’re still willing to consider debut authors. None of us really knows for sure where everything is going to land in the near future, but we know that books will continue to be written, and published, and read.

  1. Being an agent is fun.

I know I’m just getting started, but I was honored and thrilled to finalize more than twenty book deals with and for my clients in 2018—and eight of those were by debut authors. I hope and plan for those numbers to grow, of course; but more important than the numbers is the exceptional quality of those clients and their upcoming books—both fiction and nonfiction. I was honored to be featured as an agent in Writer’s Digest and Today’s Christian Living. I had a marvelous time presenting and meeting with writers, editors, and fellow agents at eleven writers conferences in 2018, from New England to Florida to Oregon, and gained a lot of valuable information myself from those events. And speaking of valuable information, I continue to learn from and lean on Steve Laube, Tamela Hancock Murray, Thomas Umstattd, and our erstwhile colleague, Dan Balow, who are the finest and smartest people I could ever hope to steal ideas and glory from.

  1. Life is a joy.

Of the twenty-two personal and professional goals I set at the beginning of 2018, I met (fully or partly) fourteen of them. (The ones I didn’t meet all had a price tag attached, so…..) I count that as a win. And, though my beloved mother-in-law went to heaven and my daughter and son-in-law moved (with three of our grandchildren) to California, so much good stuff still came my way in 2018 in addition to my goals. My wife, the lovely Robin, and I saw Hamilton live on stage, took in two live Shakespeare plays (Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and enjoyed Alison Krauss live in concert. I gave blood six times and exercised more than a hundred times. I wrote a new book (Closer to God) and republished another (The Bone Box). And the lovely Robin and I enjoyed three trips out west to visit with our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren.

It’s been a whirlwind 525,600 minutes, but many daylights, some sunsets, a few midnights, countless cups of coffee, laughter, tears, very little strife, and (as Hamlet would say), “words, words, words.”

 

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Category: Agency, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

A Year in Review – a Look at 2018

By Steve Laubeon January 7, 2019
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It is a good thing to periodically take a look at the past, especially as a way to count our blessings. Here are some thoughts on the last twelve months. The Industry The publishing industry continues to pursue the best content possible. Market forces continue to press for the need to find those titles that will bring a return on their investment. Books continue to sell at an incredible pace. In …

Read moreA Year in Review – a Look at 2018
Category: Agency, Awards, Christian Publishing Show, Christian Writers Institute, Encouragement, Podcast, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

The Only Answer

By Steve Laubeon December 17, 2018
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Hope you had a blessed Christmas!

The last four weeks I have posted what was, in actuality, an Advent series. Note the key words in each post:
Wait
Prepare
Expect
Give
 The Christmas season is one that is full of family, fun, food, and friends. But under it all is the foundation of our joy. The answer to our greatest longing. Of course, saying there is an answer assumes there is a …

Read moreThe Only Answer
Category: Agency, Christian, Faith, PersonalTag: Christian, Faith, Writing Craft

Announcing “The Christian Publishing Show”

By Steve Laubeon November 5, 2018
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We are very excited to announce the launch of a new feature. “The Christian Publishing Show” podcast hosted by Thomas Umstattd Jr. Each week we will have a new 20-minute podcast for you to listen to online or with any device you’d like to use. Podcasts are a different way to access the great content our agency has to offer. We will be interviewing our own agents, have some …

Read moreAnnouncing “The Christian Publishing Show”
Category: Agency, PodcastTag: Podcast

The Worst Parts of Being an Agent

By Bob Hostetleron October 24, 2018
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I’m not one to complain. Although I didn’t sleep too well last night, and my coffee was a little weak this morning. And I spilled some on my shirt. But I mean, otherwise, I’m not one to complain. After all, there are many great things happening in my life right now, some of which pertain to me being a literary agent—which I posted about last week (“The Best Parts of Being an Agent“). …

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Category: Agency, Agents, Book Proposals

Changes in the Agency

By Steve Laubeon October 22, 2018
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The Greek philosopher Plato, in quoting Heraclitus, wrote, “Everything changes and nothing stands still.” Some say it another way, “The only constant is change.” In 2016 Dan Balow started a small publishing company called Gilead Publishing, which he has been overseeing in his “spare time” while simultaneously being a great literary agent. After many long conversations, it became apparent, as …

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Category: Agency

The Best Parts of Being an Agent

By Bob Hostetleron October 17, 2018
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I’ve been a literary agent now for just over fifteen months. I pretty much know it all at this point. As Foghorn Leghorn would say, “That’s a joke, son.” If you don’t know who Foghorn Leghorn is, you’re too young for us to be friends. But seriously, folks, I’ve learned a lot since becoming an agent; and number one on the list is how much I have yet to learn. Insanely much. As I’m often asked by …

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Category: Agency, Agents

Why I Left My (Insurance) Agent

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 4, 2018
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The number-one complaint I hear from authors about their agents is that they don’t communicate with them. My understanding of this was renewed when I was on the side of needing an insurance agent to respond to me. I needed an adjustment to my policy that will mean I’ll pay the company more money. Alas, and alack, the agency I’d been with for decades (which has been sold twice, by the way) never …

Read moreWhy I Left My (Insurance) Agent
Category: Agency, Agents, Communication, The Writing Life

Thomas Umstattd, Jr. Joins The Steve Laube Agency

By Steve Laubeon October 1, 2018
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I am very excited to announce that Thomas Umstattd, Jr. has joined the agency as our newest literary agent. We continually look for ways to increase the services our agency provides to current and potential clients. I have known Thomas for 12 years; and by adding him to our agency, we can expand our role in helping to maximize our client’s sales through his extensive experience in marketing, …

Read moreThomas Umstattd, Jr. Joins The Steve Laube Agency
Category: Agency, Agents, Book Proposals

Integrity in All Things

By Steve Laubeon September 24, 2018
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The issue of integrity, or lack thereof, has reared its head within our community of Christian writers. (A link to the article “Sexual Harassment Uncovered at Christian Writing Conferences.”) It is a time of sorrow. Many have been hurt, and the heart aches to hear and read the stories. It is ugly, horrible, and that’s just about what we know. It is inexcusable. Innocent lives forever changed. Our …

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Category: Agency, Faith, Personal, Theology
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