I recently interviewed Steve Laube, of the Steve Laube Literary Agency, about his new book Sacred Margins. In that webinar interview, Steve also answered questions from authors about writing, publishing, and finding a literary agent.

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A kid in my fifth-grade Sunday school class recently asked, "What's social media?"

She had no idea. And she wasn't the only one.

Gen Alpha grew up with less screen time, more parental guardrails, and completely different expectations for the stories they want to read. That means, middle-grade books are going through a shift right now, and the rest of publishing will feel it soon.

On this week's episode of the Christian Publishing Show, you’ll hear from award-winning middle grade author J.J. Johnson, who shares how to write books that reluctant readers actually want to pick up.

You'll learn:

• What word count and chapter length are best for this new generation of readers.
• Which protagonists are resonating with them (Hint: think Minecraft, not Diary of a Wimpy Kid.)
• How to title and write books that interest kids (and are willingly purchased by their parents!)

If you want to write for middle-grade readers, who will soon become YA and adult readers, you need to know how they are different from previous generations of readers. Listen in or read the blog version to get the inside scoop.

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To say yes to something good, you often have to say no to other things. In the past, we’ve discussed that sometimes quitting writing is the right move for your career and life.

But what about when you know you can't quit?

What do you do when you feel called to write but the work is hard, success is nowhere in sight, and you're dragging your feet? What if you need the income from writing to feed your family?

In this episode of the Christian Publishing Show, Brian Hicks joins me to talk about how writers can keep going. Brian has spent decades studying what separates people who push through from people who give up.

You’ll learn:

• The ultimate motivation hack for Christian writers that has nothing to do with bestseller lists or sales
• The daily choice that will change your writing life
• The best (and worst) way to start your writing career

Listen in or read the blog version to find out how you can keep writing when you're broke, rejected, and exhausted.

Blog Link: https://www.christianpublishingshow.com/how-to-stay-motivated-when-writing-gets-hard/

Author Media.social Link: https://authormedia.social/c/christian-publishing-show/how-to-stay-motivated-when-writing-gets-hard

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