In today’s episode, we’ll talk about literary agents with Steve Laube.

Jim: I’ve known Steve since 2006, and he has become a great friend over the years. I’ll listen to him no matter what he’s talking about because of his deep experience, sharp insight, and genuine care for authors.

Thomas: What I appreciate about Steve is that he has experience in nearly every part of the publishing process. He ran a bookstore, worked as an editor for a major publisher, and now serves as a literary agent. When he speaks, he knows what he’s talking about because he’s experienced it.

What does a literary agent do?

Steve: I get this question a lot, especially at parties when people ask, “So, what do you do?” When I say, “I’m a literary agent,” I’m often met with a blank stare. The easiest way to explain it is this: every movie actor has an agent, and every professional athlete has an agent. I serve the same role for writers.

My job is to guide their careers, help them make the right choices, negotiate their deals, and keep them on track. In many ways, I help manage their careers. The role of a literary agent has evolved, and today, our responsibilities are broader than ever because the publishing process has so many moving parts.

Thomas: An agent’s role is different in that expectations have changed for agents. As publishing has changed, there is more demand for agents, too.

Steve: There’s a common myth that agents only focus on money. Now, granted, that’s how agents and authors get paid. It’s how we make a living, but an agent isn’t just a dealmaker.

Agents who focus only on making deals often neglect the bigger picture of an author’s long-term career. It’s not just about getting the best possible advance right now; it’s about building a sustainable, lasting career. While negotiating good deals is certainly part of the job, it’s only one piece of the puzzle.

Thomas: So, in a sense, you’re part matchmaker, bodyguard, and attorney.

Steve: And part mother, drill sergeant, coach, and shoulder to cry on.

Thomas: With many authors going independent, some wonder if they need an agent. Do they?

Steve: It depends on the author’s circumstances and career goals. If their goal is to publish independently and their book onto Amazon Kindle, Smashwords, or another platform where they handle everything themselves, then no, they don’t need an agent. In that case, an agent isn’t relevant because the author is fully independent.

However, many traditionally published authors, including some of our own clients, also want to publish independently. They become hybrid authors who publish traditionally and independently. Again, whether an agent is needed depends on the situation.

Some authors use their independent publishing efforts as a launching pad, aiming to prove they have an audience by selling 20,000, 30,000, or even 40,000 copies. They hope this success will attract an agent, and in most cases, it will. But will it also lead to interest from a publisher? Maybe, maybe not.

It depends on the agent, the nature of the book, and various other factors. One thing that remains true is that agents still serve as gatekeepers, helping determine which authors and books publishers will seriously consider.

Agents spend a lot of time building and maintaining relationships with publishers. For example, I might get a call from a publisher saying, “We just lost a book from our spring lineup, and we’re desperate. Do you have a project that’s nearly complete on this topic?”

Sometimes, the answer is no. But other times, I can say, “Actually, yes! One of my clients has been working on something for the past eight months, and we were just about to start pitching it. It’s yours.”

I can’t count how many times this has happened. Independent authors wouldn’t have access to these kinds of last-minute opportunities because they don’t have the same direct relationships with publishers.

Thomas: Although they can make their own opportunity in that they can publish their book when it’s ready.

Jim: Steve, what happens when a traditionally published author is successful as an independent author? What do you say when they ask whether their next project should be published independently or traditionally? Which way do they go?

Steve: That decision comes down to my integrity as an agent and the author’s goals. Let’s say you have a book coming out with Thomas Nelson, but at the same time, you’ve been sitting on another idea for two or three years. You finally wrote it, and now it’s ready to go.

Your Thomas Nelson book is set to release in April 2014. When should you publish your independent book? Not in May because you’d be competing with yourself.

While you might not be fighting for shelf space in stores, online retail is shelf-agnostic. Readers don’t distinguish between traditionally published and independently published books.

I love proving this point at writers’ conferences by asking: Who is Stephen King’s publisher? Silence. Who publishes John Grisham? Silence. What about Max Lucado or Francine Rivers? Again, silence. Readers don’t buy based on the publisher; they buy based on the author. Whether a book is traditionally or independently published is irrelevant to them.

So, should you choose one path or the other? That’s not the right question. You can do both as long as you do it strategically. That means not flooding the market with 10 or 12 books at once, hoping one will stick. Even major companies in the candy business don’t launch a dozen new products in the same cycle. They test strategically.

Is there any scenario where an author wouldn’t want an agent when dealing with a traditional publisher?

Steve: From a business standpoint, yes, you can negotiate your own contracts and handle everything yourself.

Before we went on the air, Jim and I were talking about home remodeling and the complexities of contracting. You could do all of it yourself. You could go to Home Depot, buy the nails, hammer, and measuring tape, and tackle the whole project. But chances are, in six months, your house would fall down.

Thomas: The agent has collective bargaining power, whereas the author doesn’t. There’s a sense with a major agency that when you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us. Working with an agent actually protects the newer author.

Steve: In addition, most authors don’t realize that we have pre-negotiated contracts with publishers. This means you benefit from the last 12 negotiations I’ve had with that publisher, where we’ve refined clauses, addressed key issues, and worked through important details.

When an independent author approaches a publisher on their own, they often receive the same outdated template contract from 12 years ago without any of the improvements or protections we’ve already fought for.

Thomas: I’ve seen those outdated contracts, and they are horrific.

Steve: Bad contracts are a serious problem. I can’t count how often I’ve had to fix contract issues or had authors come to me after signing a bad deal, desperate to get out of it. At that point, it’s too late. Once you’ve signed, you’re bound by that agreement and have to live with it.

Am I trying to scare your audience? Yes, absolutely. Publishing is a business; if you don’t treat it like one, you can’t complain later about the contract you agreed to.

This is why an agent is so valuable. We negotiate with publishers all the time. In my ten-plus years as an agent, I’ve worked with every major publisher in the industry, including large general-market imprints. Over time, you learn what’s negotiable and what isn’t.

I saw this firsthand when I was an editor at Bethany House. I worked with authors who didn’t have agents, and some would request changes that were simply non-negotiable. They weren’t bad requests, just unrealistic.

Thomas: They don’t understand the industry norms.

Steve: Correct. Oftentimes they’ve asked their friend who is a real estate agent or attorney for negotiation advice. Since neither person is a publishing attorney, they advise authors to make unrealistic negotiations.

What does a literary agent do that a publishing attorney can’t?

Steve: You can hire a publishing attorney to review your contract for a one-time fee, usually for an hour or two of their time. You don’t necessarily need an agent for that, and that’s perfectly fine. I know several successful authors who use a publishing attorney for contract review.

However, what they lose in that approach is the ongoing industry guidance an agent can provide. An attorney can help with a single contract, but they won’t be there for the rest of the journey. They can help you navigate challenges, strategize career moves, or advocate on your behalf as the industry evolves.

Jim, you might even relate to this from your own experience. Over the years and with the many books you’ve written, you’ve likely run into issues with your publisher. And in those moments, you probably didn’t want to be the one negotiating or pushing back on your own behalf. That’s where having an agent in your corner makes all the difference.

Jim: It’s true. Things didn’t work out with my first agent, so I released him, and for a while, I seriously considered being my own agent. After all, in the marketing business, I act as an agent for my retail clients when I negotiate with radio and TV stations. I thought, “I do this all the time. Why can’t I do it for myself in publishing?”

But then I had a realization. Years ago, I had a 1985 Toyota Celica. I loved that car. One day, the brakes went out, and I thought, “I’m not a mechanical guy, but I bet I can figure this out.” So, I replaced the front and rear brakes, bled the system, and put everything back together. And it worked!

It took me eight hours.

A friend came over that evening, and I proudly told him what I had done. He asked, “How long did it take you?” When I said eight hours, he shook his head and said, “Jim, that’s what mechanics are for. A mechanic could have done it in an hour and fifteen minutes.”

And that’s the point. Sure, I could figure out publishing contracts if I spent hours on them. But that’s time I should be spending on writing.

Steve: Every moment you’re running your business, you’re not creating.

Thomas: My dad always tells me, “Only do what only you can do and delegate the rest.” As a business owner himself, he’s repeated this to me countless times.

As a creative novelist, you’re the only one who can write your story. You’re the only one who truly knows your characters. And when you’re spending time on anything other than writing, those characters are frozen in time, waiting for you to bring them to life.

Steve: From a business standpoint, I often get calls from authors needing help with unexpected issues. Since it’s tax season and April 15th is looming, one of my clients called me in a panic. They had moved and thought everything was backed up on their computer. But they had no record of how much they earned from a particular publishing stream last year. They asked, “Do you have those records?”

In about five minutes, I pulled up a complete report with the dates, check numbers (at least from my records), and the amounts they had received over the course of the year.

I did remind them, “If this is your only source of financial records, you might have a problem because I could be wrong. But at least this gives you a general idea.”

And they said, “This is what agents do, isn’t it?”

“Sure is,” I replied.

I have authors who even use me as a backup for their manuscripts. They’ll email me different versions at various stages, just in case their house burns down, their main backup fails, or even their secondary and tertiary backups disappear. When disaster strikes, they can call and ask, “Do you have my last version?”

Am I reading all these manuscripts? No, I don’t need to. I’m just a backup. But why not use an agent, your business partner, for facets of your career you never even thought they could help with?

How does an agent function as a go-between?

Jim: It is a partnership. It is much nicer for me if my agent goes to my publisher and says, “This isn’t working.”

I’ve been that person, so I understand how to do it, but I realized I don’t want to be in that position.

Steve: Authors often come to me frustrated, saying, “You’ve got to fix this! My editor has gone off the rails! I don’t understand why they changed my main character’s name. I’m really upset.”

When that happens, I tell my client, “Write your angry letter, but send it to me first.”

I’ll edit it, translating it into publisher-speak because I know what phrases will get an editor’s attention and which ones will put them on the defensive. Then, I send it back to the author, who sends my edited version to the editor and copies me on the email. That way, the editor knows someone else is watching, and the situation stays under control.

If I have to step in directly, things escalate quickly. But ideally, we avoid that unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Independent authors, however, don’t have someone to run interference for them. They have to be their own enforcer, their own escalation point. Without experience, they can easily become high-maintenance because they don’t know what filters to use or how to communicate in a way that keeps an editor on their side.

Thomas: Once you get labeled as a diva within a publishing house, that label can follow you for the rest of your life.

Jim: Not only does it follow you, it spreads like a virus. By the time you go to the next publishing house, they already know.

Steve: I once had a conversation like this with an author who couldn’t understand why no one would take their next book. They had already been through six publishers.

By the time I got involved, it was late in the game. I walked them through what had happened.

“At Publisher A, this is what you did. At Publisher B, this is what you did. And at Publisher C, well, the editor from Publisher A had resigned, joined Publisher C, and brought your story with them. So now, you can’t publish there either.”

Then I told them, “Here’s the solution. You’re not allowed to talk to your editors anymore. You talk to me instead.”

And just like that, everything was fixed because a filter was finally in place.

What would you say to the author who is ready to sign with the first agent who shows interest in their work?

Steve: I empathize with that writer because I know there is that sincere desire to have the representation.

Before signing with an agent, remember that anyone can call themselves a literary agent. There’s no required schooling, certification, or licensing agency like in real estate. Nothing can stop someone from printing business cards at Kinko’s and declaring, “I’m a literary agent.” A writer’s conference may not even realize they’ve invited an inexperienced or unqualified agent.

I once sat on an agent panel at a conference when the person beside me leaned over and whispered, “I’m going to let you answer all the questions because I have no idea what’s going on.” That person had been an agent for only a month.

Do your due diligence. Research agents’ websites, join writer’s groups, and ask around.

One thing you can be certain about: If an agent asks for money upfront, they’re a crook. Period.

Thomas: I once spoke at a conference where, the year before, an agent had come in and signed nearly everyone. It was a small conference, and the agent funneled all those authors into a subsidy publisher that was giving the agent a kickback.

As the marketing guy, I saw the aftermath. Everyone had books that weren’t selling. The subsidy publisher had already made their money upfront, so they had no interest in marketing or selling the books. Those writers were stuck with garages full of unsold books, and they were asking me for help.

Find a happy customer before signing with an agent or a publishing house. Talk to an author who has worked with that agent or publisher and had a good experience. If you can’t find one, don’t sign with them.

Steve: We publicly post our client list, though not all agencies do. This isn’t necessarily good or bad, but we do it intentionally.

On our website, we list all our clients, each linked to their own website. This makes it easy for you to reach out to them directly. Just visit their contact page, send a message, and find out firsthand if our agency is worth considering.