• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer

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

  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Interview with Steve Laube
    • Statement of Faith
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Guidelines
  • Authors
    • Who We Represent
    • Awards and Recognition
  • Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Christian Writers Market Guide Online
    • Christian Writers Institute
    • Writers Conferences
    • Freelance Editorial Services
    • Copyright Resources
    • Research Tools
    • Selling What You Write
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Twitter
  • FaceBook
  • RSS Feed
  • Get Published
  • Book Proposals
  • Book Business
  • Writing Craft
    • Conferences
    • Copyright
    • Craft
    • Creativity
    • Grammar
  • Fun Fridays
Home » Publishing News

Publishing News

When the Economic News Is Dire

By Steve Laubeon July 11, 2022
Share23
Tweet
16

Lately everyone seems to be talking about the economy (and not the pandemic). Inflation, the price of gas, supply-chain issues, a bear stock market, rent rates, health-care costs, unemployment, housing, etc. A common question within the writing community is how might this affect traditional publishing? I have a couple pennies to contribute to the conversation. (My two cents, which, due to inflation, has become a ten-buck opinion.)

The first thing is to realize that, with new book-acquisitions, publishers are deciding on books that won’t be released until 2024 and beyond. Therefore, today’s gloomy headlines have little bearing on those future books. If sales are down in 2022, that doesn’t mean they will be down in 2025.

Second, the publishing business is in the education, inspiration, or entertainment business. Books are still one of the cheapest forms of entertainment available. (When it costs more to eat at a fast-food restaurant than to buy a book, it’s hard to argue against that claim.) People still need to be educated or inspired. This means that publishers are still in the hunt for great books by great authors.

There is, however, the reality that the mid-list author (one with modest sales history) is finding it tough to switch from one publisher to a new one. Their sales history gives a new publisher pause unless their new idea or writing is superior. At the same time, some publishers are finding it hard to keep publishing their mid-list authors because the return on their investment is not very high.

For the top level authors, it will be business as usual; and even some could find a feeding frenzy for their new properties. Fourteen years ago, Leon Neyfakh, in the New York Observer, predicted, “A frost is coming to publishing. And while the much ballyhooed death of the industry this is not, the ecosystem to which our book makers are accustomed is about to be unmistakably disrupted. … Only the most established agents will be able to convince publishers to take a chance on an unknown novelist or a historian whose chosen topic does not have the backing of a news peg. … Authors without ‘platforms’ will have a more difficult time finding agents willing to represent them.” He predicted that big publishers would spend more money for the “sure thing” and wouldn’t risk much at all for the mid-list or debut writer.

While Mr. Neyfakh was correct at some level, this wasn’t really “news.” In fact, having been doing this for some time, I can safely claim that this aspect of the industry is relatively unchanged. It’s been the way of the industry for a long time. It has always been tough to sell a book by someone without a built-in platform in nonfiction or a novelist whose last two or three books sold less than 10,000 copies.

But before anyone says I’m looking through mud-covered lenses and being too gloomy, I remember the economic “recession” of the early- to mid-80s. The mortgage rate for new homes was nearly 15%.  In 2008-2009 when the economy was in another upheaval, it was a bleak outlook. When times are tough, people look to books for help, inspiration, or escape.  Tough times create opportunities for great communicators.

Our agency tries to communicate a “glass half full” message to authors and publishers. A dose of reality and truth mixed with a tincture of hope. The media subjects everyone to a gloom-and-doom message. All they report is that some publisher downsized two people last month. What they don’t report is that the same publisher hired three to four new people in marketing and publicity in the same month. Or we see the flashy headline “Print Sales Down 0.2%!!!”. Rarely does one see the next month’s data “print sales up 0.2%.” All the author hears is “bad news.”

We must be reminded of Philippians 4: 6-7 where Paul writes: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Also, these powerful words:

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Be not anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
(Matthew 6:30, 34; Jeremiah 29:11; 1 Peter 5:6-7)

Leave a Comment
Category: Book Business, Publishing News, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

Antitrust Issues and Big Tech in Publishing

By Steve Laubeon June 21, 2021
Share72
Tweet
13

On June 11, after a 16-month investigation into antitrust issues in the digital marketplace, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary introduced five bipartisan bills to the House seeking to curtail some of the business practices used by Big Tech companies. The companies in question are primarily Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. Each bill has both a Republican and Democrat …

Read moreAntitrust Issues and Big Tech in Publishing
Category: Book Business, Publishing News, The Publishing Life

Simon & Schuster Bought by Penguin Random House

By Steve Laubeon November 30, 2020
Share99
Tweet
10

In case you missed the news last Wednesday, the Big Five will soon become the Big Four. The largest book publisher in the world (Bertlesmann, parent company of Penguin Random House) has successfully bid to buy Simon & Schuster (S&S) publishing house from ViacomCBS. This will make Penguin Random House (PRH) more than twice the size of its nearest competitor, Harper Collins. The price? …

Read moreSimon & Schuster Bought by Penguin Random House
Category: Book Business, News You Can Use, Publishing News

A New Association for Christian Retailers

By Steve Laubeon October 29, 2018
Share59
Tweet
15

Last week, in “response to changes in the industry,” one of which I addressed in the post “Rumbles in CBA,” a new retail association has been formed. The Munce Group has long been a strong collection of Christian retailers who used their combined buying power to market and sell more products in their local stores. With the uncertainty of the ICRS (International Christian Retail Show) and the …

Read moreA New Association for Christian Retailers
Category: Book Business, Conventions, Publishing News

Rumbles in CBA

By Steve Laubeon September 10, 2018
Share245
Tweet
59

News broke late last week that key staff people in CBA (aka Christian Booksellers Association) are no longer working for the association. In what appears to be a purge, Curtis Riskey, president for 11 years, is no longer working there. Other key people are either no longer with the organization or are on their way out. In addition the chairman of the CBA board resigned last month. According to an …

Read moreRumbles in CBA
Category: Book Business, Book Business, Publishing News, The Publishing Life

The Steve Laube Agency Acquires the Leslie H. Stobbe Literary Agency

By Steve Laubeon December 4, 2017
Share629
Tweet
40

(Phoenix, AZ) Steve Laube, president of The Steve Laube Agency, has announced the acquisition of the Leslie H. Stobbe Literary Agency. Les Stobbe has been a part of the Christian publishing industry for 62 years, starting as an editor and book buyer, then publisher, book coach, ghostwriter, and the last 25 as a literary agent. Les has been awarded five Lifetime Achievement Awards by writers’ …

Read moreThe Steve Laube Agency Acquires the Leslie H. Stobbe Literary Agency
Category: Agency, Publishing News, The Publishing LifeTag: Agency, Publishing News

Retail is Dead! Or is it?

By Steve Laubeon November 6, 2017
Share42
Tweet
13

You’ve read the news. This calendar year bankruptcies or total closures were announced by Toys R Us, Gymboree, Bebe, American Apparel, Guess, Rue 21, The Limited, Gander Mountain, Vitamin World, and Family Christian Stores. Sears and Kmart announced last Friday that they were closing another 63 stores in January, on top of the 358 they closed already this year. And the watchful vultures are …

Read moreRetail is Dead! Or is it?
Category: Book Business, Book Sales, Economics, Publishing History, Publishing News, TrendsTag: Book Business, Book Sales, Publishing News

Family Christian Stores Closes All Locations

By Steve Laubeon February 27, 2017
Share351
Tweet
53

Last Thursday Family Christian Stores (FCS) announced they will be closing all 240 locations in 36 states, liquidating their inventory, and laying off over 3,000 employees. It is a sad day for Christian retail. In this case, the only surprise is that it came so soon after their previous bankruptcy reorganization. In February 2015 FCS suddenly declared bankruptcy and it was not until June of that …

Read moreFamily Christian Stores Closes All Locations
Category: Book Business, Economics, Legal Issues, Publishing History, Publishing NewsTag: Book Business, Economics, Family Christian, Publishing News

2016: A Year in Review

By Steve Laubeon January 2, 2017
Share43
Tweet
11

It is time to take a look at our past year and reflect on all the things that have happened. It is a recitation of good things and not so good things. But all were under the sovereignty of God and as such we give all glory to Him. (If you’d like to look at previous annual reports they can be found here: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009.) The Agency Continues to Have Success We (the four of us) …

Read more2016: A Year in Review
Category: Agency, Book Business, Personal, Publishing News, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Book Business, Year in Review

Largest Christian Bookstore Chain Declares Chapter 11

By Steve Laubeon February 16, 2015
Share
Tweet
26

In case you missed it, last week the Family Christian Stores chain declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. (See this link for their press release.) This is newsworthy because Family Christian Stores (FCS) is the largest Christian store chain in the country (when counting number of locations, not necessarily sales revenue), 266 stores in 36 states. In 2014 the chain did $230 million dollars in …

Read moreLargest Christian Bookstore Chain Declares Chapter 11
Category: Book Business, Legal Issues, Publishing NewsTag: bankruptcy, chapter 11, family christian stores, retail, royalties
  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Next
  • Home
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Interview with Steve Laube
    • Statement of Faith
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • Guidelines
  • Authors
    • Who We Represent
    • Awards and Recognition
  • Resources
    • Recommended Reading
    • Christian Writers Market Guide Online
    • Christian Writers Institute
    • Writers Conferences
    • Freelance Editorial Services
    • Copyright Resources
    • Research Tools
    • Selling What You Write
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · The Steve Laube Agency · All Rights Reserved · Website by Stormhill Media