About Les Stobbe

lesheadshotthumbnailMore than 60 years ago Les Stobbe entered journalism as founding editor of the Canadian weekly Mennonite Observer. Five years later he was running the Moody Bookstore and evaluating book manuscripts for Kenneth Taylor at Moody Press. Next came stints at Christian Life as editor of Christian Bookseller Magazine and associate editor of Christian Life Magazine. A friend in Canada invited him to become editorial director of Cambridge Publishers and help expand a chain of business magazines, writing hundreds of articles a year.

His love of books took Les back to Chicago in 1970 to become editor-in-chief of Moody Press Books, where he led an editorial team that oversaw a dramatic growth in both popular level and academic/reference books. A three-year stint as vice-president of books and book clubs at Christian Herald ended with the sale of the book program. God took him to Here’s Life Publishers, the book arm of Campus Crusade for Christ, where he became president and served for 11 years until its sale. A new challenge opened up at Scripture Press, where he became managing editor of the curriculum division and editor of both the adult curriculum and Christian Education Journal. Another upheaval, the sale of Scripture Press, took him to Evangelistic Association of New England as VP of Communications and Marketing. That interlude ended with a stock market disruption ending financial support.

Enter Jerry Jenkins, who asked Les to write lessons for two new online writing courses. Completing that assignment let to an invitation to serve as Journalist in Residence at Gordon College in Wenham, MA.

As freelance writer Les wrote a Bible study for Junior boys at Christian Service Brigade for 10 years, wrote 14 books and hundreds of published articles. In 1993 he started serving writers as Literary Agent, initially part-time and then full-time. After 25 years in that role he sold his business to The Steve Laube Agency and turned to helping writers as a Writing Coach.

Contact Les today so you can explore how he can help you grow as a writer.