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The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Book Business » Page 18

Book Business

What Makes a Christian Book “Christian”? (Part One)

By Karen Ballon September 21, 2011
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I had this discussion over a year ago on my blog, but thought it would be a good discussion for all of you, too. In some ways, publishing is in a state of unbelievable flux. In others, it’s utterly grounded and unshakeable. Good and bad on both sides.

But here’s what I find fascinating–and a bit worrisome. There’s a seemingless endless debate on what makes a Christian book Christian? Is it the context of the book or the faith of the author? What’s in the book or what isn’t? The tone or the specifics? Believe me, when I find myself in this debate, the answers come fast and furious and are as varied as can be. But before I share any thoughts or conclusions, I want to know what you think.

So, as a reader or a writer, what are you looking for in a book from a “Christian” publishing house? Or from a Christian writer.

What do you expect to find.

What do you expect NOT to find?

What makes a book “Christian”?

Please share your thoughts. And then I’ll let you know some of the discoveries I’ve made about this topic…and what other questions it’s led me to.

Peace!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Category: Karen, TheologyTag: Book Business, Ideas, Karen, Theology, Trends, Writing Craft

Save Your Inbox!

By Steve Laubeon September 19, 2011
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Like you, I have a love-hate relationship with email.
I love it because it allows for quick and easy communication.
I hate it because the flood in the inbox can be overwhelming.

(I also get irritated with that hyphen! email or e-mail?)

A "solution" may be at hand! Some pretty smart folks have created "The Email Charter." Please do yourself a favor, click this link to The Email Charter, …

Read moreSave Your Inbox!
Category: Book Business, News You Can Use, Steve, TrendsTag: Book Business, News, Trends

News You Can Use – Sept. 13, 2011

By Steve Laubeon September 13, 2011
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How Fiction Changed After 9/11 – The Economist explores the topic.

How Long Does Your Shared Link Stay Viable? – This fascinating study by bit.ly shows that if people don’t see your link within three hours, they never will. Sobering isn’t it?

Seven Deadly Sins of Self-Publishers – Darby Rae presents some sound advice.

Are You Wasting Time Checking the Amazon Rankings? – BookBuzzer …

Read moreNews You Can Use – Sept. 13, 2011
Category: News You Can Use, SteveTag: Book Business, Publishing News, Trends, Writing Craft

Book of the Month – September 2011

By Steve Laubeon September 3, 2011
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Merchants of Culture: The Publishing Business in the Twenty-First Century by John B. Thompson (published by Polity) is this month’s “Book of the Month.”

I took this 432 page book with me on vacation and was mesmerized by its detailed analysis of the history of publishing and bookselling. Thompson's chapter on "The Rise of Literary Agents" was, of course, particularly interesting.

I have been …

Read moreBook of the Month – September 2011
Category: Book of the Month, Book Review, Get Published, SteveTag: Book Business, Book Review, New Books

En-TITLE-ment: Finding the Perfect Title (Part Three)

By Karen Ballon August 31, 2011
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Remember that old adage for retailers, “The customer is always right?” Well, for novelists seeking the perfect title, that should be “The audience is always right.”

Tip #4: Remember Your Audience! Novelists do a great job, on the whole, of keeping their audience in mind as they write. But sometimes when trying to come up with a catchy title or cover image, they go a bit far afield of that …

Read moreEn-TITLE-ment: Finding the Perfect Title (Part Three)
Category: Book Business, Craft, Creativity, Get Published, Karen, Marketing, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Karen, Titles

To Pay or Not to Pay: For Your Own Media Travel Costs

By Steve Laubeon August 29, 2011
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I have had the privilege of knowing Ellie Kay since I first found her book proposal in the slush pile while an editor at Bethany House. That proposal became the first of her fourteen published books. I later became her literary agent and together we have seen her wrestle with a number of issues related to a growing platform. From those humble beginnings in the late 90s Ellie has been on nearly …

Read moreTo Pay or Not to Pay: For Your Own Media Travel Costs
Category: Book Business, Career, Guest Post, MarketingTag: Book Business, Marketing

A Matter of Perspective

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 25, 2011
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During a recent visit to my local bank, I produced a document bearing the Virginia State seal. The banker commented on how terrible the seal is for men.

What an odd thing to say!

Mrs. Judith Gue taught third grade at the small private school I attended in a bucolic part of Virginia. Mrs. Gue was a plump woman who favored silk dresses, kept a paddle on her desk as an unspoken and ever-present …

Read moreA Matter of Perspective
Category: Book Business, Get Published, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Writing Craft

En-TITLE-ment: Finding the Perfect Title (Part One)

By Karen Ballon August 17, 2011
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One of the most difficult—and important—things we did when I worked in the publishing house was come up with titles for our authors’ novels. Sometimes it was a breeze, either because the author’s title was spot-on or because the story lent itself organically to a certain title. But more often than not, it was a long process of back-and-forth with the author, marketing, and sales. So how can you, …

Read moreEn-TITLE-ment: Finding the Perfect Title (Part One)
Category: Get Published, Karen, Marketing, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Craft, Karen, Pitching, Titles, Writing Craft

Convention Time!

By Steve Laubeon July 18, 2011
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by Steve Laube

Last week was the 2011 International Christian Retailing Show (ICRS) in Atlanta, Georgia. Tamela Hancock Murray and I  had a busy time. Statistics released declared that professional attendance was up 9.7% to 1,748, primarily representing buyers. Total attendance was up 5.83% to 4,918. International attendance was up 16.17% to 431 attendees from 61 countries.

Read moreConvention Time!
Category: Book Business, Conventions, ICRS, Steve, TamelaTag: Book Business, convention, ICRS

The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread?

By Steve Laubeon July 11, 2011
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Guest Post by Teddi Deppner

Today debuts our first guest post. I first met Teddi at the Mt. Hermon Writers Conference while she sat through my Major Morning Track, listening patiently to 8 1/2 hours of lecture over four days. She has recently been asking some penetrating questions about technology and the publishing industry so I invited her to create a post and express those thoughts for …

Read moreThe Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread?
Category: Book Business, E-Books, Guest Post, Publishing A-Z, TrendsTag: Book Business, Creativity, E-Books, Get Published, Ideas, Traditional Publishing, Trends
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