The Author's Path: The Journey to Publication

Today I’m happy to share an exclusive with my readers: a detailed look at how NetGalley’s Stuart Evers and Myfanwy Collins went from manuscript to publication. They offer a comprehensive look at their publishing experience, including marketing and PR advice.

Stuart Evers is a former commissioning editor and now author of two collections of stories and a novel, as well as the NetGalley UK Community Manager.

Myfanwy Collins is the author of a novel for adults, a collection of stories, and a novel for young adults, as well as the office manager at Firebrand Technologies (NetGalley’s parent company), and manager of social media for Bookish (NetGalley’s sister site).

Here’s an overview of what you’ll find in the hour-long discussion, with time stamps:

1:45: How to write a book
8:30: Your book is ready! Now what?
10:00: The conventional approach
12:30: Tips for finding an agent
19:00: What happens if a publisher accepts you
22:50: The slush pile blues
25:30: How work is submitted
28:45: Submissions tools
32:30: Pre-publication marketing
39:50: Marketing tools and activities
50:00: Q&A

Jane Friedman

Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.

Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.