How to Evaluate Small Publishers—Plus Digital-Only Presses and Hybrids
As the publishing industry has transformed in the digital age, small press activity has proliferated. Here’s how authors can evaluate their offerings.
Tag Archives: traditional publishing
The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2018
Should you self-publish or traditionally publish? This infographic will help you determine the best choice for you and your project.
How to Pitch Agents at a Writers Conference
Pitching agents at a writers conference can be a difficult task for the new writer. Here’s how to make it a little easier on yourself.
How Do Books Become Bestsellers? (Can Authors Increase Those Chances?)
Is a book’s success all luck, even if ‘luck’ includes hitting the right subject matter at the right time, or is it marketing—and can an indie author in any way compete with a publisher?
The Myth About Print Coming Back (Updated)
Discussions about the “resurgence” of print and the comeback of independent bookstores amounts to wishful thinking, not an understanding of the industry.
What the Industry Is Talking About: Best Takeaways for Authors From Digital Book World
My industry newsletter for authors, The Hot Sheet, released a special (and free) issue last week with original reporting from Digital Book World.
How Kindle Press Made My Novel a Bestseller
In 2015, Kindle Press published about 90 novels. By the end of 2016, it had published a total of 218 books—all chosen through the Kindle Scout program.
Should You Submit Your Work to Agents or Editors?
Is it better to look for a literary agent first, or to approach editors and publishers? Much depends on the commercial potential of your work.
Building a Platform to Land a Book Deal: Why It Often Fails
If you’re preparing to pitch your nonfiction work to agents or publishers, you may have heard about the necessity of platform. What if you don’t have one?
Looking Back at 2016: Important Publishing Developments Authors Should Know
A round-up of important 2016 publishing news and trends that will affect authors in the years to come.
What Is a Hybrid Publisher?
Defining a “hybrid publisher” is difficult; you will hear different descriptions depending on who you ask. Here’s what you need to know to evaluate one.
Negotiating Editorial Control in Publishing Contracts
Today’s guest post is from writer and Sidebar Saturdays blogger Matt Knight (@mattknightbooks). One of many worrisome areas for writers negotiating publishing contracts is who has final word when editing a manuscript for publication. Publishing agreements define the right to creative control over the manuscript in the editing clause. Typically, that right goes to the […]
Should You Hire a Professional Editor?
But being able to truly see if you’ve been successful in writing a compelling work requires objectivity and distance than can be hard to achieve on your own—and this is where a professional editor comes in.
How to Find Publishers
If you have a book idea or manuscript, one of your first questions is probably: How do I find a publisher? Here are the most popular, essential resources.
The Publishing Industry in 2016: A Status Update
Traditional publishers are experiencing a slump, and the decline of Barnes & Noble isn’t helping. A look at news and trends in book publishing in 2016.
The Complete Guide to Query Letters
This post was originally published in 2014; it is regularly updated with new information. If you’re seeking one-on-one help with queries, I offer a critique service. The query letter has one purpose, and one purpose only: to seduce the agent or editor into reading or requesting your work. The query letter is so much of a sales […]
Should You Self-Publish or Traditionally Publish?
Should you self-publish? There is no single right answer to this question—it’s always situational. It depends on you, your book, and your career goals. This post outlines the key questions you should ask.
5 On: Barry Eisler
Author Barry Eisler discusses the pros and cons (where they exist) of legacy, Amazon, and self-publishing; research and editing; selling book rights; and more.
Selling Your Books Internationally
Helen Sedwick and Orna Ross discuss selling international rights to your book.
5 On: Reggie Lutz
Author and radio broadcaster Reggie Lutz discusses her tendency as a writer to synthesize fiction genres, recommends qualities to look for in a writing critique group, offers advice on pitching and interviewing with radio hosts, and more.
Traditional Publishing: What’s It Good For?
No one used to question the value of a publisher, but now everyone’s wondering: What are they good for?
How to Write a Query Letter: Nonfiction and Memoir
Learn how to pitch your nonfiction book to agents and publishers—whether you’re writing memoir, narrative nonfiction, or prescriptive nonfiction.
Do Men Receive Bigger Book Advances Than Women?
Do males or females receive higher advances? I look at Publishers Marketplace deals data to find out.
The State of the Publishing Industry in 5 Charts
Take a look at 5 charts that reflect current trends in the book publishing industry, and what they mean for authors.
The Value of Agent-Assisted Self-Publishing
Read my feature article for Writer’s Digest magazine that explores the intersection of literary agents and self-publishing
The Book P&L: How Publishers Make Decisions About What to Publish
Publishers use a P&L (profit & loss) statement to determine whether a book makes financial sense to publish. Here’s how they work—plus an example form.
My Experience Working with Amazon Publishing
Author Carol Bodensteiner answers the seven questions she gets most about working with Amazon Publishing.
Do You Love Your Publisher: Author Survey Results
Last month, author Harry Bingham and I launched an author survey to explore the experiences and current leanings of traditionally published authors in the English language. The Bookseller in the UK originally reported on the survey here; it can catch you up on what we hoped to accomplish with this effort. So the results are now in. We received 812 responses; you can view […]
What You Need to Know About Crowdfunded Publishing
What is crowdfunded publishing? Learn about the two types of models now prevalent, plus the major services you can choose from.
Book Marketing Must Center (Mostly) on the Author: Q&A with Scott Berkun
Full-time author and speaker Scott Berkun discusses his book marketing experiences as both a traditionally published author and self-published author.
Why Authors Walk Away From Good, Big 5 Publishers
UK author Harry Bingham describes the four stages of his career, and why he’s decided to self-publish after good experiences with traditional houses.
How to Tell If Your Story Idea Is Mediocre—And How to Improve It
Note from Jane: Today’s guest post is adapted from The Writer’s Advantage: A Toolkit for Mastering Your Genre by Laurie Scheer (@mediagoddess213). So you think your idea for a new vampire novel is a good one? Think again. Nine times out of ten, your idea is really quite mediocre and has been done before, actually a […]
Is Publishing in Trouble or Not—Decide! [Smart Set]
Welcome to The Smart Set, a weekly series where I curate a selection of articles from the past week related to the publishing/media industry that merit your attention. I also point to what I see as the most interesting underlying questions, and welcome you to respond or ask your own questions in the comments. “To seek: to embrace the questions, be […]
Earning the Authors a Say
Much shorter and quicker to go over than the initial report, this edition takes into account information interpreted from approximately 11,000 titles in genre fiction; 900 in literary fiction; 30,000 in non-fiction; and some 10,000 in children’s (not YA) fiction. Hugh Howey has, since the first report, adopted a more frequent use of the term “spider” for the software his still-unnamed associate is deploying.
Infographic: 4 Key Book Publishing Paths
This infographic breaks down the key 5 publishing paths, their value to authors, the potential pitfalls, and examples of each.
Commodity Publishing, Self-Publishing, and The Future of Fiction
Many years ago, when I started working for Writer’s Digest, I was put on the self-publishing beat. I started by reading Dan Poynter’s guide, by the godfather of self-publishing, then the Marilyn Ross guide. I attended EPIC, once the leading conference for e-book authors, and sat on a panel with Piers Anthony to discuss the […]
What Is an Author’s Marketing Responsibility With a Traditional Publisher?
It is a pleasure to share this interview with two authors who are also marketing geniuses, Avery Monsen (@averymonsen) and Jory John (@joryjohn). A couple years ago they authored a brilliant illustrated book with Chronicle, All My Friends Are Dead, which became an online sensation and breakout bestseller with more than 100,000 copies sold. This year, […]
When’s the Right Time to Leave Your Big Six Publisher?
I received the following question from published author Lisa Earle McLeod—who I remember first meeting at a Foothills Writers Guild conference in South Carolina: Hi Jane, My first book, Forget Perfect, was published by Perigee (Penguin USA) in 2001. It did moderately well. Now 10 years later, as sales were starting to peter out, Forget […]