• 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 » Trends

Trends

Book Industry Trends

By Steve Laubeon November 7, 2022
Share73
Tweet
13

Publishing is partly an exercise in guessing what might be the next surprise bestseller. Some of it is an educated guess based on certain trends we see in the industry and in society at large. Any exercise in naming these trends bears the risk of expressing the obvious or being out of date the moment they are stated. So bear with me as I tinker with some of the factors that are either influencing trends or are trends within themselves.

The Blockbuster Mentality

If it were your money, you would likely “bet” on those book ideas you know will sell tens of thousands of copies. And only those who already have a track record are assured of a ready-made buying audience. In addition, for the nonfiction writer in particular, there is a demand for the author to have a visible or quantifiable platform from which they can launch their book ideas. Much ink has been spilled on defining platform and how to build one, and for a good reason.

Economically, a single blockbuster can make or break a publishing company’s bottom line for the year. Think of the impact The Five Love Languages, Jesus Calling, 90 Minutes in Heaven, The Shack, The Action Bible, Left Behind, God Gave Us You, and others have had on their prospective publisher’s profit. Those titles, published by Moody Publishing, Thomas Nelson/Harper Christian, Revell/Baker Publishing Group, FaithWords, David C. Cook, Tyndale, and Waterbrook/Multnomah respectively have each sold over one million copies and generated a windfall of revenue. No one could have predicted any of those bestsellers. But each has created a second book (or more), even a franchise. Every publisher wants one of their own.

The Power of the Brick and Mortar Retailer Is Changing

The demise of Family Bookstores, the closure of Lifeway and Cokesbury, as well as the shrinking shelf space at Walmart and other large retailers have had a huge impact on publishers’ acquisitions. In the past, those bookstore-chain accounts, along with Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million, could make or break the success of a single title. But the buying power of the brick-and-mortar stores has begun to wane as people have become increasingly comfortable with ordering online. Today it is that much harder to get the exposure necessary to launch new or midlist authors. Thus, the pressure to have a ready-made platform from which to sell those books.

E-books changed the game, but have settled and are no longer as disruptive. Instead, they are a vital part of a publisher’s offerings. Where we see disruption is the growth of subscription services like Kindle Unlimited, Scribd, and Epic. Publishers and indie authors are constantly exploring new ways to launch books without relying on traditional sales channels.

Risk Management Instead of Risk Taking

Economic pressure has caused a number of publishers to be more cautious than ever before when acquiring a new author (not necessarily a debut author but someone new to their company). It is part of the first trend mentioned above. Some of my publisher friends would argue that this has always been the case, and they are right to an extent. Fiscal responsibility has always been a part of the publishing equation. And yet we agents can see an overall shift since the economic challenges of the last few years. Many predict hard times in the near future, and publishers are not immune.

This situation affects us too. We must constantly make decisions about representing books or authors based on whether or not we think we can sell them. While one might argue that the lack of sale is without risk to the agent, I would argue that “time is money” and time spent on a failed project is time lost forever.

Advances paid to an author are being squeezed. Or the full payment is spread out over time so that the publisher’s outlay is closer to the revenue received on publication.

Printing costs have increased in the past year by nearly 40%. The timeline from placing a print order to receipt of the physical books has doubled if not tripled in time. Paper shortages are plaguing the supply chain.

A Pox on Your Trends!

I can hear the groans many of you have made while reading this. In fact, I have about four or five other bullet points that sound increasingly morbid and depressing. As I looked at them all together, I actually smiled, believe it or not. I wrote many of these same words ten years ago and was spot on. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

If publishing were easy, anyone could do it and be successful. That is why it is called work. I take these “trends” and have to say, “Okay, glad to know that. So let’s get busy.” Instead of reading doom and gloom and the sky-is-falling, I suggest we see the incredible opportunities we have before us.

It Is a Great Time to Be a Writer

Our agency has been incredibly busy this year, closing on multiple new contracts every week (over 120 new book deals from January to October). It has been astounding to see how many books are being written by our clients. This is both exciting and encouraging. It is truly a great time to be a writer. There are so many places for your ideas and your words to find an audience. While it is hard, I can’t name a time when it was ever easy. Therefore, take the challenge and do the work and enjoy the richness of changing our world word by word.

 

Leave a Comment
Category: Book Business, Contracts, E-Books, Get Published, TrendsTag: book industry, Trends

Saving the World, One Romance at a Time

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 27, 2020
Share41
Tweet
12

Often I will receive submissions of novels tying in an element of mystery and suspense with romance. Writers targeting the romantic suspense market will find difficulty in placing this type of story. Why? Because romantic suspense readers have certain expectations that won't be met with a mere element of mystery and intrigue.

In my experience trying to sell and market romantic suspense, I have …

Read moreSaving the World, One Romance at a Time
Category: Genre, Get Published, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Tamela, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Pitching, Proposals, Tamela, Trends

Never Burn a Bridge!

By Steve Laubeon December 2, 2019
Share201
Tweet
21

The sale of Thomas Nelson to HarperCollins and last week's sale of Heartsong to Harlequin brought to mind a critical piece of advice:

Never Burn a Bridge!

Ours is a small industry and both editors and authors move around with regularity. If you are in a business relationship and let your frustration boil into anger and ignite into rage...and let that go at someone in the publishing company, …

Read moreNever Burn a Bridge!
Category: Agency, Book Business, Book Business, Career, Communication, Rejection, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Agents, Editors, Get Published, Rejection, Trends, Writing Craft

To Romance or Not to Romance

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon November 14, 2019
Share120
Tweet
29

According to St. Teresa of Avila’s biography, the battle over romance novels has been going on at least since the 1500s:

Teresa's father was rigidly honest and pious, but he may have carried his strictness to extremes. Teresa's mother loved romance novels but because her husband objected to these fanciful books, she hid the books from him. This put Teresa in the middle -- especially since she …

Read moreTo Romance or Not to Romance
Category: Genre, Romance, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Ideas, Romance, Tamela, Trends, Writing Craft

Say It in a Sentence

By Steve Laubeon November 4, 2019
Share32
Tweet
19

Can you present your book idea in one sentence?

Can you present that idea in such a way that the reader is compelled to buy your book?

What motivates someone to spend money on a book? It is the promise that there is something of benefit to me, the reader.

Books are generally purchased for one of three reasons:

Entertainment
Information
Inspiration

If your book idea can make me …

Read moreSay It in a Sentence
Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, Marketing, Pitching, The Writing LifeTag: Marketing, Pitching, Trends, Writing Craft

What Are Average Book Sales?

By Steve Laubeon June 24, 2019
Share330
Tweet
36

by Steve Laube

We recently received the following question:
"What does the average book sell today? An industry veteran at a writers conference recently said 5,000. What??? I know it all depends....but ... nowhere near 5K, right?"
My simple answer?
It’s complicated.
It depends.
HAH!

Average is a difficult thing to define. And each house defines success differently. If a novel sells …

Read moreWhat Are Average Book Sales?
Category: Book Business, Book Sales, Get Published, Money, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Book Business, Book Sales, Get Published, Trends

Exciting Developments In Book Publishing

By Dan Balowon May 1, 2018
Share78
Tweet
37

As changes in the marketplace require publishers, authors, and agents adapt continually, a number of entirely new initiatives and companies are springing into action to serve various parts of an ever-evolving industry. Here are some of the most interesting new things to keep on your radar: Elf-Publishing – as books become shorter, it’s natural for the elf-publishing industry to take root. …

Read moreExciting Developments In Book Publishing
Category: Humor, The Publishing LifeTag: Humor, The Publishing Life, Trends

Change, We’ve Seen You Before

By Dan Balowon April 24, 2018
Share14
Tweet
10

Change always seems to occur faster than you think but often slower than you think. Most things in society or life are at the same time dramatically different than they were a few years ago, but eerily similar to fifty years ago. If you are an observer or participant in the book publishing world, you can completely ignore certain trends and not be harmed at all. In fact, when you ignore the …

Read moreChange, We’ve Seen You Before
Category: Book Business, TrendsTag: Book Business, ebooks, Trends

Losing Track of Time

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 15, 2018
Share34
Tweet
41

When I first started sending books and articles to editors in hopes of being selected for publication, the passage of time possessed few markers. For example, the mail arrived once a day. There was no trail like this on the touchtone wall phone: Wednesday, 10 AM: Your Amazon order was received. Wednesday, 8 PM: Your Amazon order was shipped. Thursday, 11 AM: Your Amazon package is scheduled for …

Read moreLosing Track of Time
Category: The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: The Publishing Life, The Writing Life, Trends

The Year of Kindness

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 11, 2018
Share42
Tweet
29

This past year, my colleagues in Christian publishing have treated me with immense kindness. Thank you. I wish I could say I have witnessed the same kindness in other arenas. If you follow current events even as a casual observer, I don’t need to recount the bitterness and rancor over ideas, processes, and how to deal with misdeeds. But processing debates helped me progress in my own attitudes. …

Read moreThe Year of Kindness
Category: Personal, Social Media, Theology, TrendsTag: Personal, Trends
  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 11
  • Next

Sidebar

Get Blog Updates

Enter your email address to get new blog updates delivered via email. You can unsubscribe at any time.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Grow as a Writer


Find Out More →

Popular Posts

Top Posts on Book Proposals
  • Hints for a Great Cover Letter
  • The Keys to a Great Book Proposal
  • What Steve Laube is Looking For
  • Book Proposals I’d Love to See – Tamela Hancock Murray
  • What I’m Looking for – Bob Hostetler
  • What I’m Looking for – Dan Balow
  • What’s the Best Way to Submit My Self-Published Book?
  • What Is the Agent Doing While I Wait?
  • God Gave Me This Blog Post
Top Posts on The Business Side
  • When Your Book Becomes Personal
  • The Myth of the Unearned Advance
  • How Long Does it Take to Get Published?
  • What Are Average Book Sales?
  • Can You Plagiarize Yourself?
  • Never Burn a Bridge
  • Who Decides to Publish Your Book?
  • That Conference Appointment
  • Goodbye to Traditional Publishing?
  • Who Owns Whom in Publishing?
  • Ten Commandments for Working with Your Agent
  • Writers Beware! Protect Yourself
Top Series
  • Book Proposal Basics
  • Publishing A-Z
  • A Defense of Traditional Publishing
Top Posts on Rejection
  • The Slush Pile: Enter at Your Own Risk
  • Even the Best Get Rejected
  • Five Reasons Why You May Never Get Published
  • The Unhelpful Rejection Letter
  • Writers Learn to Wait

Blog Post Archives by Month

  • 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