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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 » Career » Page 4

Career

A Year in Review: A Look Back at 2023

By Steve Laubeon January 15, 2024
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It is always a good idea to reflect on the previous year. As those who follow Jesus Christ, we are pressed because the lost world around us is being crushed by the enemy called sin. And yet we should still count our blessings (and as the hymn reads, “name them one by one”). The goodness of God remains unchanged despite attempts to proclaim otherwise.

The following is an attempt to review some things in the industry, our agency, and a few other areas.

The Industry
The longer I’m in the industry the more I am unsurprised by events. Trying to figure out consumer buying habits is a moving target. One expert called it an “eyeball economy,” meaning that getting a reader’s attention is more than half the battle.

Thus, the issue of platform (the writer’s built-in audience) is a significant factor in publication decisions. At the same time, the brilliance of an idea and the quality of its writing can create its own “platform.”

Innovation and adaptation are a key to marketing. What may have worked five years ago, may not work today.

Big Five publisher Simon & Schuster was sold to an investment firm in 2023. This was after the U.S. Department of Justice stopped the $2.2 billion sale of S&S to Penguin Random House in 2022. For the industry it means little will change in 2024 in acquisitions. At least for now.

Also, on December 31, Skyhorse Publishing officially purchased Regnery. This sale included the Christian publishing imprint Salem Books.

Our Agency
The biggest news for our agency was adding Megan Brown and Lynette Eason as new agents to our group. We are very excited to have two brilliant minds to further grow our ability to help authors find the right publishers for their work.

Overall, we have the privilege of working with nearly 300 authors. Last year, we secured contracts for over 230 new books (to be released over the next few years). Nearly twenty were from first-time authors! We negotiated a number of audio, large-print, film-option, and foreign-rights licensing deals (Japan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam). We also had various titles hit the ECPA bestseller charts in fiction, nonfiction, and children.

I am thrilled to have Tamela, Bob, Dan, Megan, and Lynette as great agents who pour themselves into their clients’ work. We make a great team. We all continue to find new opportunities, give guidance, and troubleshoot a wide variety of issues.

Some of our clients were honored with various awards:

  • We had seven finalists for the Christy Awards (Nadine Brandes, Morgan L. Busse, Sara Ella, Elizabeth Goddard, Sharon Hinck, Amanda Wen, and Roseanna White). Elizabeth Goddard won for best mystery/suspense/thriller. Sharon Hinck won for best speculative novel for the fourth year in a row. This means Sharon will be inducted into the Christy Hall of Fame in 2024.
  • We had eight finalists for the Carol Awards (Amanda Wen, Joanna Davidson Politano, Deborah Raney, Lynette Eason, Christina Miller, Ronie Kendig, Sara Ella, and Crystal Caudill). Joanna Davidson Politano won for best historical. Nadine Brandes won for best young adult. And Sharon Hinck won the award for best speculative novel.
  • For the Realm Awards, we had five finalists (Gillian Bronte Adams, Nadine Brandes, Sara Ella, Sharon Hinck, and Ronie Kendig). Sara Ella won for best young adult novel. In addition, Sharon Hinck won for best audio production.
  • Laine Craft won for the best nonfiction book of the year from the AWSA Golden Scrolls. And Lynette Eason won the fiction book of the year.
  • Nancy Pearcey was given an honorable mention for WORLD Magazine’s book of the year.
  • The ECPA Bronze Book Award for more than 100,000 copies sold was given to Dallas Jenkins, Amanda Jenkins, and Dr. Douglas Huffman (What Does It Mean to Be Chosen published by David C. Cook).

Meanwhile, I was honored to be named Agent of the Year by ACFW.

The Christian Writers Institute and The Christian Writers Market Guide
The Christian Writers Institute (CWI) recently announced that Megan Brown is our new Executive Director. Her efforts will show this spring as we launch some new initiatives and a laser focus on providing opportunities to further your education via our online audio and video courses.

The new 2024 edition of The Christian Writers Market Guide is available right now in print, ebook, and online. (The above link takes you to shoptheword.com, where the physical book is 32% off.) This is the eighth consecutive year we have brought out a new edition. It is still the only curated collection of resources for Christian writers available anywhere.

Write to Publish Conference
In June we held our first Write to Publish conference in Wheaton, Ill., under the amazing direction of Dan Balow. We had well over 300 in attendance.

We will be holding it again in 2024 (I want to see you there!) on June 11-14. Trillia Newbell is the keynote speaker, Jane Friedman is the plenary speaker, and Sandra McCracken (a 2023 Dove award winner) will be giving a special concert on the last evening. See writetopublish.com for a view of the incredible faculty lineup, and join us June 11-14 in Wheaton.

Enclave Publishing
I continue to serve as the publisher for Enclave Publishing, a traditional publishing company owned by Oasis Family Media, devoted to the publication of speculative fiction written by authors who have a Christian worldview.

We released 16 new titles in 2023 with 20 on the schedule for 2024. It was great to have many of our books win numerous awards. For the fifth consecutive year, Enclave won a Christy award. Plus a Carol award. Three authors won Realm Maker awards, plus a Book-of-the-Year honor. (Four of the last five years an Enclave author has won the Book-of-the-Year award.) We are blessed to have so many fantastic authors to work with.

The team I get to work with is beyond description. Together we are doing our best to create stories that shed light in a dark world using awe-inspiring creativity.

A Personal Project
It was great finally seeing my co-authored book Write Your First Novel, released in March. Co-authored with the late Gilbert Morris, its goal is to have a copy in the hands of every new novelist who is exploring the nuts and bolts of writing a great story. Gilbert has been called the Grandfather of Christian historical fiction. I learned a lot from him in my early days as an editor and later used that on him when I was his editor!

A number of superlative endorsements were provided, including:

“The lessons you learn in this book will serve you the rest of your writing life.” – James Scott Bell, Christy Award-winning author and author of Write Your Novel from the Middle

“Reading this book is like sitting at the feet of two stellar teachers as they unpack the secrets to fiction writing.” – Steven James, Christy Award Hall of Fame author and author of Story Trumps Structure

“Laube’s additions to Morris’s classic work are full of Christian wisdom and down-to-earth advice from someone who knows the industry inside and out.” – Kyle Mann, best-selling novelist and Editor-in-Chief, The Babylon Bee

You can find your copy on sale here (32% off every day): Write Your First Novel by Gilbert Morris and Steve Laube.

The Future
In a speech I gave last summer, I rather forcibly said, “God created this glorious world and all that is in it, and He called it ‘Good.’ But there are those in this world who take the excrement of their debauchery, shove it in God’s face, and call it ‘better.’”

The world needs your nonfiction insights to counter the ills of a society careening toward self-destruction.

The world needs your great stories to fill the fiction market and offer an alternative to the soulless stories being told by the world.

The culture around us staggers from crisis headline to crisis headline, but Jesus is our unshakeable foundation. The Church and all believers must steadily pursue Christ and His Kingdom. Books are a key help in this pursuit.

I pray that you obey your call to write.

Soli Deo Gloria

 

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Category: Agency, Awards, Career, Christian Writers Institute, Encouragement, Historical, Inspiration, Publishing News, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

Jingle Bells, Taco Shells: The Art of Being a Mom-Writer

By Megan Brownon December 21, 2023
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‘Tis the season to be jolly, right? Well, not if you’re a mom-writer caught in the whirlwind of holiday chaos while trying to meet deadlines, market your latest book, and wear more hats than Santa himself. It’s easy to get swept up in the never-ending to-do list; but what if I told you that it’s okay to give yourself the gift of simply being a mom, especially during this …

Read moreJingle Bells, Taco Shells: The Art of Being a Mom-Writer
Category: Career, Encouragement, Inspiration, The Writing Life

8 Productive Activities for Authors … After Finishing Your Manuscript

By Megan Brownon December 7, 2023
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So, you’ve just completed your manuscript; and the exhilaration of typing “The End” is still coursing through your veins. But before you dive headfirst into the editing process, why not use this interlude to work on several vital activities that will set the stage for your book’s success? When I finished my first manuscript, the waiting was unbearable. After turning in my …

Read more8 Productive Activities for Authors … After Finishing Your Manuscript
Category: Career, Marketing

Are You Sure You Want That Brand?

By Dan Balowon December 6, 2023
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Several years ago, I spoke with an aspiring Christian author who had several good book ideas on a wide range of projects for children to adults but, first, wanted to write about their lifelong struggle with a certain sin issue. Once it was published, they would move on with their life and be a beacon for biblical truth on all sorts of other projects. My initial reaction when they explained their …

Read moreAre You Sure You Want That Brand?
Category: Book Business, Career, Platform, The Writing Life

Building Partnerships: A Better Way to Navigate Publishing

By Megan Brownon November 8, 2023
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In the ever-evolving landscape of the writing and publishing industry, aspiring authors often find themselves caught in the alluring web of building a platform. This platform, commonly characterized by high numbers of social-media engagement and followers, has become a coveted status symbol. But what if I told you that new authors can achieve far more by valuing partnerships over platforms? …

Read moreBuilding Partnerships: A Better Way to Navigate Publishing
Category: Career, Platform

E Is for Editor

By Steve Laubeon October 2, 2023
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Your editor can be your best friend in the industry (besides your agent, of course). Or your editor can be your worst enemy. Bad Side First An editor who doesn’t reply to your email inquiries or return your phone calls is either ignoring you on purpose or is so busy with other pressing matters they can’t get to yours. If you have this problem, make sure you didn’t create it in …

Read moreE Is for Editor
Category: Book Business, Career, Editing, Publishing A-Z, Writing CraftTag: Editing, Editors

Empathy Maps: How to Discover Your Reader

By Megan Brownon September 28, 2023
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There are a handful of questions I ask aspiring writers to answer to determine if they have a good grasp on their concept or if their proposal could be a viable option for publishing. The first question is this: “Who are you serving?” Many times, the look I receive in response is wide-eyed and uncertain. If an aspiring author isn’t keenly aware of their reader–who they are, what they are …

Read moreEmpathy Maps: How to Discover Your Reader
Category: Book Proposals, Career, Pitching, The Writing Life

The Heavenly Minded Author

By Dan Balowon August 30, 2023
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Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., was quite a guy. A prominent, influential physician and writer, his friends included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Ralph Waldo Emerson. He was born in 1809 and died in 1894. His son was Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., who fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the …

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Category: Career, Christian, Theology

Four Million Books Published Each Year?

By Steve Laubeon August 7, 2023
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I read a statistic that estimates there were four million new books published in 2022 (sourced from https://www.zippia.com/advice/us-book-industry-statistics/). This includes all self-published books (at least 50%) and traditionally published textbooks and books for the trade. This means there is a new book published every eight seconds or nearly 11,000 per day, every day of the year. With our …

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Category: Book Business, Book Sales, Career

The Ephesians 4 Author

By Dan Balowon August 2, 2023
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While many writers set out writing for the sake of writing, without much thought to an endgame, Christian writers have biblical foundations in their lives and work, which affect how they do things. Today I will look at one chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians as a possible roadmap to being the kind of author that reflects Christ in what you do. In the first three chapters of Ephesians, the …

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Category: Career, Christian, Encouragement, Inspiration, The Writing Life, Theology
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