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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 » Book Sales

Book Sales

The First New York Times Bestseller List

By Dan Balowon October 7, 2021
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Ninety years ago, on Monday, October 12, 1931, the New York Times published their first book bestseller list. There were nine titles shown, five fiction and four nonfiction.

That month was an interesting time in US history. The president of the United States was Herbert Hoover. The Great Depression was still changing everything, marking a second year since starting in late October 1929. Al Capone was tried, convicted, and sentenced for tax evasion; and the George Washington Bridge was opened in New York City. Charles Colson was born and Thomas Edison died in October 1931.

And people were reading.

October 12, 1931 Fiction List

1 – The Ten Commandments by Warwick Deeping (Knopf): Not exactly what you are thinking. This book is a story of a romance in the jazz age. Some “loose living” going on, so you can count the number of commandments broken.

2 – Finche’s Fortune by Mazo de la Roche (Little, Brown): The third book in a series. Young man turns 21, moves to England to live with his aunt, and falls in love with his cousin. Yikes.

3 – The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (John Day): A true classic. Buck would be the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in literature. Worth reading today.

4 – Shadows On The Rock by Willa Cather (Knopf): A novel covering one year of life in the late 17th century for French colonists in Quebec.

5 – Scaramouche the King Maker by Rafael Sabatini (Houghton, Mifflin): Historical fiction originally published in 1921 about a young lawyer during the French Revolution. You’ll need to read the book to see if he does the fandango.

October 12, 1931 Nonfiction List

1 – Ellen Terry and Bernard Shaw: A Correspondence by Ellen Terry and Bernard Shaw (Putnam): Actress Ellen Terry and literary critic George Bernard Shaw wrote letters to each other in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. A glimpse inside their relationship.

2 – The Epic of America by James Truslow Adams (Little, Brown): Interesting book to be popular during the Great Depression. A reminder America is a land of opportunity where people overcome obstacles to build a better life for themselves and their families.

3 – Man’s Own Show: Civilization by George Dorsey (Harper): Dorsey was a renowned anthropologist. He died suddenly shortly before this book was published.

4 – Washington Merry-Go-Round by Drew Pearson and Robert Allen (Liveright): Highly controversial book exposing behind-the-scenes in politics. Originally published anonymously. Eventually, Pearson would write a long-running syndicated column by the same name. Frequently accused of not allowing facts to get in the way of a good story. (He would have loved Twitter if he were still alive.)

And, by the way, Zondervan Publishing was founded in 1931 by Peter and Bernard Zondervan, nephews of publisher William B. Eerdmans.

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Category: Book Sales, Publishing History

Why I Bought the Book: Consumer Edition

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 6, 2021
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I’m a literary agent, but I’m also a reader. As a reader, I have reasons for buying a book. Nonfiction Topics: The topic must address a need or want I’m feeling at that time. For example, if I’m cooking for someone who’s a vegan, I’ll search for books with ideas for vegan dishes. Fiction Topics: Some topics simply don’t appeal to me as a reader. Authors may note that some readers have triggers and …

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Category: Book Sales, Marketing, Reading

Searching for Books

By Dan Balowon September 8, 2021
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Online search engines are immensely powerful, often anticipating what you want and asking, “Did you mean _____?” when it doesn’t locate what you typed. This is very helpful because making your book as findable online as possible is critical since online book sales are pretty important! Making your book discoverable online is all about keywords. Read a good explanation of them by clicking on the …

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Category: Book Sales, Branding, Marketing, Self-Publishing, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

Men Read Too

By Dan Balowon August 26, 2021
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I first wrote about “Writing to Men” in this post five years ago. I still hold the same opinions about this issue, but today I want to take a different angle. One of the many factors explaining why more books are not read by men and more authors don’t write to men is that we tend to view them as a singular group who are all alike. Not so for women, as there are books for just about every life …

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Category: Book Sales, Trends

Where Do Your Readers Come From?

By Guest Bloggeron May 24, 2021
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Today’s guest writer is Carla Laureano. She is a two-time RITA® award-winning author of over a dozen books, spanning the genres of contemporary romance and Celtic fantasy. A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked in sales and marketing for more than a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write full-time. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, two sons, …

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Category: Book Review, Book Sales, Branding, Indie, Marketing, Self-Publishing, The Writing Life

Bookstore Economics 101

By Steve Laubeon May 3, 2021
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by Steve Laube

Understanding the economics of your local brick-and-mortar bookstore should help you understand the upheaval that is happening in our industry. So put on your math cap and let's take a ride.

This article focuses on the bookstore not the publisher or the writer. I spent over a decade in the Christian bookstore business, and while that was a long time ago the economic principles …

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Category: Book Business, Book Sales, TrendsTag: Book Sales, Bookstore, Economics

Support Your Local Bookstore

By Steve Laubeon November 2, 2020
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I spent the first 11 years of my career working in a local Christian bookstore. It was a huge learning experience. I like to say, “The Christian bookstore is the only place in town where there is an ecumenical meeting every day. But no ones knows about it!” Ours was a large store (12,000 square feet) and served nearly 500 churches. Recently, I heard it said that “bookstores are …

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Category: Book Sales

Industry Update for Authors During the Pandemic

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 6, 2020
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[A variation of today’s post was sent to our clients last week, but by request I was asked to update it and make these thoughts available to everyone.] __________ I hope this note finds you well among this global scourge which has affected us and our loved ones. As you hunker in your bunker for awhile, you may have wondered about the state of the publishing industry. Editorial For now things …

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Category: Book Business, Book Sales, Career, The Writing Life

A Year in Review: A Look at 2019

By Steve Laubeon January 6, 2020
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It’s that time of year to reflect on the past year, to learn from our experiences, and to count our blessings. Here are some thoughts on the last tumultuous twelve months. The Industry The publishing industry seems to survive the bad press that loves to find the negative in everything. Each publisher continues to pursue the best content possible. The market is ever-changing, and some really smart …

Read moreA Year in Review: A Look at 2019
Category: Agency, Agents, Awards, Book Business, Book Sales, Christian Publishing Show, Christian Writers Institute, Contests, Conventions, Economics, Encouragement, Marketing, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life, Trends

Dealing with Bad Publishing News

By Steve Laubeon July 15, 2019
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Remember the media principle of “if it bleeds it leads,” which means bad news or salacious headlines are designed to grab our attention. When authors are constantly barraged by bad news, it can be demotivating at the very least. I’m sure sales for your book could be better. I’m with you. Instead, you might consider the number that have sold. If it is only 100 copies, put …

Read moreDealing with Bad Publishing News
Category: Book Business, Book Sales, Encouragement, Inspiration, The Writing Life
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