I am very excited to announce that Dan Balow has joined our agency as the Director of Publishing Development and Literary Agent. This gives us four members of our team, me, Tamela Hancock Murray, Karen Ball, and Dan.I am very excited to announce that Dan Balow has rejoined our agency as a literary agent. Some of you may recall that he was with us for five years until leaving in 2018 to launch a new publishing venture. While they were able to create some incredible products, market forces and funding issues caused him to suspend that company.
That loss becomes our gain … and yours. I have known Dan for over 23 years now, and he is an amazing man of God. As a 38-year veteran of the Christian publishing industry, his strengths include a savvy understanding of book marketing and how all the pieces of the publishing “puzzle” fit together.
You may remember that he was the director of marketing for Tyndale House Publishers, working with authors Francine Rivers, James Dobson, Josh McDowell, Charles Colson, and many others. Starting in 1995, Dan led the marketing team for the immensely successful Left Behind series by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. At its peak, the series was selling over two million copies of various products per month on its way to over 70 million copies to date.
Later he worked as publisher for two audio publishing companies and as a consultant with ministries and publishers on their publishing programs.
Dan has served on the executive board of ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association), the trade association for Christian publishers. In addition, he is a founding member of the advisory board of the Christy Awards and continues to be involved in training and mentoring Christian publishers around the world. He has been a presenter multiple times at the LittWorld conference held in different countries. (Here is a link to a video of Dan speaking on the basics of marketing at LittWorld in Nairobi.)
Dan is a graduate of Wheaton College with a degree in communications, is married to Carol, and they have four grown children. He works from his office in Wheaton, IL.
We will be adjusting our blog-post schedule starting this week.
I will continue to post every Monday. Every other Tuesday will be an episode of The Christian Publishing Show podcast hosted by Thomas Umstattd, Jr. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, Tamela, Bob, and Dan will rotate their posts. Fun Fridays will continue to post on … Fridays (?!).
The next four blog posts will have each of us revisit the question “What am I looking for?”
I am so very excited to have Dan with us again. We have an incredible team with expertise in all facets of the industry: writer, bookseller, editor, marketer, agent, executive management, and publisher.
Fun Fridays – January 15, 2021
I took that photo down because it doesn’t include Dan. Hopefully we’ll be able to get all together soon and put up a group photo.
We cover all the time zones so it might be a challenge!
Karen (Pacific Time)
Steve (Mountain Time – Actually Arizona time)
Dan (Central Time)
Tamela (Eastern Time)
Welcome, Dan! So excited to have you with us. I so enjoyed working with you when we were both at Tyndale. I know your expertise and heart will bless us all.
And Steve, that’s what PhotoShop is for!
Congratulations Steve. You are adding a great publishing asset to your team. Go get ’em, Dan!
How clever of you to cover the entire country with your team! Maybe you can take a screen shot of a zoom meeting.
Dan, glad to see you back with Steve’s group.
Welcome back Dan!
I was honored to meet Dan at a conference just before he left in 2018. I always liked him – his faith, his wisdom, and his humor. So glad he’s back!
What wonderful news! Welcome Back, Dan!
Welcome back, Dan. Good move, Steve. Dan, we met at a Northwestern writers conference in St. Paul a few years ago and you were very helpful. Thank you. Thanks be to God.
We missed his wisdom and his wit,
and his steady words of grace,
and now we’re all quite chuffed to bits
that we will see his smiling face
upon the blog’s photo-spot,
and name on masthead, even more
to see if we might have a shot
in “The Work That I Am Looking For”.
We’re sorry that the venture failed,
and know that really, reall smarts,
but hope he knows the love entailed
from his touching of our writers’ hearts,
so welcome back, dear Dan Balow,
returning friend, stout Christian fellow!
Welcome back, Dan!
Welcome back Dan! I decree that there will be less for the ‘slush pile’,AMEN! Glad to hear you are on the team. Very encouraging. The more the merrier, the swifter and the better!God bless you.Amen.
It’s nice to meet you, Dan. I look forward to your wisdom and guidance here.
We love Wheaton. When we were at Fermilab for several years (eons ago), we lived in the small town of West Chicago, but I also had a Wheaton library card.
Welcome back, Dan ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZzEzDkeHzI
I resisted posting that song. Although I did threaten Dan with using it as his new theme song!
Wonderful to have you back. I always enjoyed your posts. Looking forward to hearing more from you.
Congratulations Danno.
I’ll always be grateful for your encouragement and guidance which led to
the eight publishing contracts you secured for me.
And, oh yeah, your friendship, too.
Welcome back, Mr. Balow. I remember you as part of the Steven Laube Agency team back when I first started following their blogs.
Even though I’m an independent author, it’s nice to know that you’ve joined their team again and will be available for those who wish to go the traditional publishing route. Your experience will be invaluable.
Best wishes.
Welcome back, Dan! WOW! What an awesome team! Working together we will change the world for his glory! God’s blessings as you begin again, Dan.
I’m delighted to hear this news. Wow!
I wasn’t aware of Dan’s credentials last time I encountered him on this site. I always (I mean it, always) found his perspective enlightening, and I studied every piece he wrote.
I had to jump to the “Welcome Back, Kotter” song (link in previous comment) and then reminisce with the cast reunion video that popped up. We’re in a new era in publishing, but some of the old ways are timeless and will still work – like some of the Kotter stunts. I’m sure having Dan on board will help us learn what those are.
I see you on the “Who We Are” page, but you haven’t established what type of writing you’re looking for yet. Based on the authors in this article, you’ve been involved with fiction and non-fiction. I’m excited about learning of a new agent dedicated to Christian writing, and I look forward to learning more about you and what you’re looking for. God bless you.
Dan’s “What I’m looking for” post will run this Wednesday.
Welcome back, Dan! You have been missed!
Welcome back, Dan! Let me know about the timing of the coup. Or was I not supposed to mention it yet?
Steve, you forgot to mention MY sole area of industry expertise: paper cut first aid. Hoping for a correction.
Welcome back, Dan! I’ve learned a lot from your posts. I’m looking forward to learning much more.
Do the Muskrat love thing, Dan?
You aren’t going to let me forget that, are you?
Welcome back Dan! I remember you here.
Sorry about the disappointing venture, Dan, but really glad to see you back. You’ve been missed.
Welcome, Back, Dan. I’d love to be in touch with you again about future books. I’ll be in contact
Welcome back, Dan!
I’m looking forward to your posts (and your sense of humor!). 🙂
Blessings, Patti Jo
Welcome back! I so appreciate your wisdom and wit. May the Lord continually bless you are you serve Him and the writers He has called.
A little late, but welcome back Dan!