The Steve Laube Agency is committed to providing top quality guidance to authors and speakers. Our years of experience and success brings a unique service to our clients. We focus primarily in the Christian marketplace and have put together an outstanding gallery of authors and speakers whose books continue to make an impact throughout the world.
Our Service Philosophy
Content
To help the author develop and create the best book possible. Material that has both commercial appeal and long-term value.
Career
To help the author determine the next best step in their writing career. Giving counsel regarding the subtleties of the marketplace as well as the realities of the publishing community.
Contract
To help the author secure the best possible contract. One that partners with the best strategic publisher and one that is mutually beneficial for all parties involved.
Recent Posts
Tossed by the Ocean of Emotion
It is hard to be a writer or to work in the publishing industry. Everyone defines success differently, and we strive to meet those expectations at every turn.
Often we let “success” define us, especially when a writer is told, “You are only as good as the sales of your last book.” Or an agent is told, “You are only worth the value of your last contract.”
Henri Nouwen, in his book The Return of the Prodigal Son, said it best:
Many of my daily preoccupations suggest that I belong more to the world than to God. A little criticism makes me angry, and a little rejection makes me depressed. A little praise raises my spirits, and a little success excites me. It takes very little to raise me up or thrust me down. Often I am like a small boat on the ocean, completely at the mercy of its waves. All the time and energy I spend in keeping some kind of balance and preventing myself from being tipped over and drowning shows that my life is mostly a struggle for survival: not a holy struggle, but an anxious struggle resulting from the mistaken idea that it is the world that defines me.
To practice a better way is so hard. We are in that boat being tossed by the waves of emotion. It doesn’t help when publishing experts say, “Work harder.” Or “Write faster.” Or “This is the right way.” And another says, “That is the right way.” What are we to do?
Examine Your Beginnings
Think about why you became a writer in the first place. Go back to those roots. What was it that inspired you? The answer is rarely fame or fortune.
Examine Your Motives
What is it that inspires you now? This cuts to the core of why you are doing what you are doing.
Locate Your Anchor
The boat metaphor is appropriate here. If you are being pushed toward the rocks, find that anchor and secure your place in the water. When the anchor holds, it doesn’t matter what the world says, or what an editor says, or what an agent says. “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever” (Hebrews 6:19-20, ESV).
Therefore, the next time you get the dreaded editing letter,
The one-star Amazon review,
A critical Facebook comment,
A rejection letter from a surly agent…
The next time, drop anchor and ride the emotion. It doesn’t mean you can’t cry a little or can’t get angry for a while; that would be inhuman. But once the storm has passed, you will find yourself still on your journey, following your original calling to write to the best of your abilities, come what may.
Leave a Comment
Fun Fridays – September 12, 2025
Palindromes: A word or phrase that reads the same backward or forward. Like “we panic in a pew” … perfect for a Sunday sermon! Weird Al, singing like Bob Dylan, performed an entire song whose lyrics are entirely composed of palindromes. It is one of those videos that you want to stop watching but can’t. Creative is one word. Strange is another. But it is all about word “play” which makes it perfect for Fun Friday! [If you cannot view the video in your emailed newsletter, please visit the site itself where it is embedded.] ShareTweet2
Start With an Audience of One
In every introductory communications workshop or class, some version of “imagine your audience” as you speak or write is part of the first session. Of course, for the Christian communicator, our preeminent audience is God, as whatever we do is seen and heard by the one who made us and gave us the ability to do anything. However, from an earthly standpoint, we communicate with other people. And the concept of “imagining your audience” as you prepare what to say or write is an important part of being effective and fruitful. But we might be overlooking the one audience member …
Beyond Book One: Weaving Plot Continuity Across Your Series (part 3)
If you’re writing a fiction series, you already know it’s more than just writing more words—it’s about weaving together multiple books with continuity, cohesion, and ALL. THE. DETAILS. Because readers notice these things. So, today, I thought we’d talk about how to manage plot threads, foreshadowing, timelines, secondary characters, and tools that will help you stay sane—and impress your readers. Plot Threads: To Resolve or Not to Resolve? Every book in your series needs to stand on its own. That means the central conflict of the book should be resolved by the final chapter. But what about everything else? Not …
Mistakes Writers Make in Their Queries
I’m feeling a bit snarky today. The collection of unsolicited proposals, queries, and manuscripts is an unending source of delight and frustration. Delight when an amazing idea from an amazing writer arrives like a special holiday gift. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen as often as I would like. Instead, there is a litany of things authors do time and again. If writers would treat their queries or book proposals like a job application, I think much of the trouble would go away. If I were to apply for a job at Microsoft, I would take great pains to make sure the …