Posts Tagged ‘publish’
Why Writers Really Pay to Publish Books
How much does it take to publish a book on your own as a writer? In the past, the answer would have been $0. If you found an agent and got your book in front of publishers, you could have them pay to publish your work. Now, though, even most traditional publishers want their writers…
Read MoreThe Problem with Low-Content Books
You might have noticed that people have figured it out. If you publish a super short book or a book that has almost no words, you still can put it up for sale on sites such as Amazon. People will buy the titles you prepare. You even can have AI generate the text and images…
Read MoreSmall Press Distribution Is Gone, But You Still Have Options
Small Press Distribution got thousands of books into readers’ hands. Now that they’ve shuttered, we writers can’t quit. I’m sharing this list of indie presses from Electric Literature hoping to lend a hand. Let’s check out these other options and rebuild. This is an opportunity for writers to remember that they do not have to…
Read MoreWhy the Use of Comps in Querying Books Needs to End
In a few short weeks, I’m going to begin the querying process on my first Christian self-help nonfiction work. As part of this process, I have to find titles that are comparable to my own. Professionals in the writing industry refer to these titles as “comps.” And my, do I hate them. Why publishers and…
Read MoreThe Value of NOT Paying Someone to Help You Publish
Paying someone to help you launch a book can be a great move — it’s best for some authors. But as I discuss in this video, learning how to launch on your own has long-term benefits, too. Paying someone might be right for you… It might be the case that, once you learn how to…
Read MoreNeed a Book Launch Team? Here’s How to Build One
A book launch team can be the difference between a bestseller and a flop. In this short video, I summarize how to put one together. A few things to remember: 1) A book launch team takes time to pull together. You’re wise to figure out who to invite well before the book is even finished…
Read MoreDear Editors, Please Ditch Genre Word Counts
If you’ve read any of my content before, you know I’m not a fan of writers using daily word counts. I feel they put pressure on writers that’s not especially great for the creative process. But there’s another word count issue that needs to be addressed, too. Most traditional agents and publishing houses consider word…
Read MoreHello, Unknown Beta Readers, Goodbye Friends
Over the past year, I’ve completed multiple manuscripts. I labored through all the required tasks, including the completion of multiple rounds of edits, creating proposal packages, and creating cover mockups. Eventually, I reached the point where all the pieces were in place to query or self-publish — save one. I had no beta readers. It…
Read MorePost a Lot of Content? It Might Not Matter
Practically forever, there have been writers who strongly advocate for posting something new online every day, whether the content is on social media, their author site, or a platform like Medium. You can find a ton of articles that detail the results writers got from trying to write as much as they can. These usually…
Read MoreEditorial Requests: When to Say Yes and When to Push Back
Every writer knows the drill: You write your draft, polish it the best you can, and send it off to your editor. If all goes well, you might not have to do any extra work at all. The editor will make final, superficial tweaks on their own. But if your draft still needs work, particularly…
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