Nathan Bransford | Writing, Book Editing, Publishing

Helping authors achieve their dreams

Home

Helping authors achieve their dreams.

I'm Nathan Bransford, author, editor, and former literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd. I'm dedicated to helping authors find their voice, hone their craft, and pursue successful publication.

Get Editing
Book Editing You Can Trust

I've been in your shoes.

As a published author and former literary agent who has worked with NY Times bestselling authors, I bring a unique perspective to the book editing process, combining insider industry experience with an author's sympathetic ear.

My services include

Manuscript editing & critiques
Query critiques
Social media & marketing consulting
Coaching on navigating the publishing process
Work with me

A few authors I've worked with...
Shadowshaper
by Daniel José Older,
a NY Times bestseller
Rock Paper Tiger
by Lisa Brackermann,
one of Amazon's top 100 novels of the year
Try Not To Breathe
by Jennifer Hubbard,
received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus
Read testimonials
Recent Posts

My blog is a free resource for everything you need to know how to write, edit, and publish a book.

Are we losing the nascent democratization of books?

When I heard that Southwest Airlines will soon be eliminating its esoteric-but-efficient boarding system, likely in favor of more premium offerings, I notched it as a big loss: It's one of the last communal experiences in American society that hadn't yet been ruthlessly stratified by class. Now, sure, you have to be rich enough to buy a plane ticket in…

Read Post

Meta argues pirated books have no economic value (This week in books)

This week! Books! The U.S. Naval Academy’s library has banned books like I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, while Mein Kampf and white supremacist texts remain on the shelves. I wonder why. Twelve students and the ACLU have sued defense secretary Pete Hegseth over the rules, and separately,…

Read Post

The answer is always community

I'm on record saying that the solution to every problem that ever existed is to keep writing. That doesn't mean you can solve everything alone. We live in perennially stressful times, and the writing vocation is uniquely challenging. You are not likely to be chased by a pack of wild hyenas in the throes of writing (though if you are,…

Read Post

Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs (This week in books)

This week! Books! Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs. In a week where the whole world struggled to digest the impact of America's ever-changing tariff landscape, the American Booksellers Association has a helpful rundown on how this will impact the publishing industry and bookstores more holistically. Books themselves are exempt from tariffs, though the components of books (paper, pulp, ink, etc.) are not,…

Read Post

How to use hopes and dreams to make a character come alive

You probably already know that motivation is everything in a novel. Nearly everything worth reading flows from a character who wants something and actively goes after it. In writing advice land, it's popular to subdivide a character's motivations into conscious motivations and unconscious motivations. Meaning, there's something on the surface that's motivating the character (saving the galaxy, defeating the dragon,…

Read Post
Browse my blog
My Books

Check out my guides to navigating the writing and publishing process!

How to Write a Novel

The most important thing to know about writing a novel is this: you can do it. Here's How

How to Publish a Book

Ready to pursue a book deal with a Big 5 publisher or try self-publishing? Get Started

I'm also the author of the Jacob Wonderbar novels, a space adventure series for middle-grade readers.

Jacob Wonderbar Cosmic Space Kapow Jacob Wonderbar For President Jacob Wonderbar and Interstellar Time
About My Books

Reader Interactions