Helping to Change the World…Word by Word
The Steve Laube Agency
Helping to Change the World Word by Word
A Writer’s Thanks
Gracious Lord,
thank you for the joy of writing.
For the honor of being published.
For the blessing of being used.
The miracle of being paid.
The wonder of being read.
The blessing of my words being translated
and traveling around the world.
Amen.
My wife and I, newly married and preparing to enter training for ministry, hosted a seasoned pastor in our home for one of our entrance interviews. He asked what sorts of books we’d been reading, and we answered. I expected him to be impressed with my answer. After all … well, never mind. But he smiled kindly. “May I offer a piece of advice?” What were we going to say? “No”? So we gave the …
Sometimes being a writer—and writing for publication—is so delightful, amazing, and wonderful, that you feel like a pig in mud. And sometimes being a writer feels more like you’re a pig in raisin sauce. Maybe you can’t identify. Maybe you’re just loving the writing life, riding high, cashing the checks, and collecting the awards. If that’s the case, then you can close this window now. Just click …
Most of us know, as readers, that the words we read have tremendous power to heal. But can the words we write heal us too? I asked some writer friends if they’ve been healed by the act of writing. Here are some of their responses: When my son was young, we were in a life-threatening accident in which our elevator landed abruptly in a basement and quickly filled with water. Surviving that event …
Anyone who reads blogs notices that many posts don’t generate comments. A lack of responses doesn’t mean no one is reading the blog post. Most blog posts don’t invite comments. They are intended to inform. Here, we do our best to be accurate, encouraging, and educational. However, we know opinions differ. In the Christian publishing community, the polite person is reluctant to express disagreement …
Since the author’s worldview and perspective are significant elements of a book’s content, whatever that worldview happens to be, books written by Christians are not like those written by those who are not. The core message of a book written by a Christ-follower is special. Their acknowledgment of Genesis chapters 1 and 3, and their belief that God sustains the world and has a plan for …
Since beginning my career as a marketer, I’ve seen many things come and go, strategies that worked in one situation but not in another, and seemingly great ideas that never worked at all. Marketing is an inexact profession, consisting of trial and error. Keep track of what you do. Continue those things that work; stop doing things that don’t. Rinse. Repeat. John Wanamaker, founder of the …
Rube Goldberg is known for his writing, cartoons, and a varied body of creative work; but he is best known as a descriptive term for anything needlessly complex that accomplishes something simple. As a side note, I am trying very hard to live so that I will never be a descriptive term for future generations. Mr. Goldberg was best known for creating humorous, satirical cartoons depicting crazy …
Writers in the service of King Jesus will, of course, often refer to the Bible—in our lives and in our writings. The words God inspired should inspire us, and no less so the words that pertain directly to our calling and task as writers. With that in mind, I’d like to offer ten Bible passages that I hope will be helpful, insightful, and inspiring for Christian writers: Sing to the LORD, all the …
Many of us aspire to write books that change lives. There’s no better reason to write. And if you ask a writer to name a book that changed his or her life, you’re likely to get a quick—and informative—answer. So, I asked some writer friends to name the book (in addition to the Bible) that changed their lives. Here are some of their responses: My mindset changed once I read Joyce Meyer’s …
