Nathan Bransford | Writing, Book Editing, Publishing

Helping authors achieve their dreams

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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.

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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
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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
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Recent Posts

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

Author survey! Answer a few easy questions for a chance to win a $50 gift card

The times they are a-changing, and I'm curious to hear what's on your mind as a writer, what you need help with, and whether you've been dipping your toes in the A.I. waters for publishing advice and editing. I’d be deeply grateful if you took this very short survey for a chance to win a $50 gift card to Bookshop.org!…

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A guide to social media for authors

The last time I updated this guide to social media for authors, it was 2018 and we were in the midst of peak "all authors need to be on social media full stop" conventional wisdom. That's no longer the case. Publishers have long accepted that even a massive social media following may not sell books on its own. It's harder…

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Has A.I. killed prescriptive nonfiction? (This week in books)

This week! Books! Has AI Already Killed How-To Nonfiction? Sales Trends, My Personal Data, and What It Might Mean for the Future - Tim Ferriss - Is A.I. already killing how-to nonfiction? The 4-Hour Workweek author Timothy Ferriss has experienced dramatically lower book sales in the past few years and sees prescriptive nonfiction as a canary in the coal mine…

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Don't over-engineer how the reader "hears" your words

The best books are ones that disappear in our hands. When we're reading a novel we love, we enter a fugue state and can't turn the pages fast enough. The outside world disappears, and we get lost in lands we would never otherwise explore. But we can't get into that flow if the hand of the author is too apparent.…

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Audio sales reached $2.43 billion in 2025 (This week in books)

This week! Books! U.S. Audiobook Sales Grew 9% in 2025, to $2.43 Billion - Ed Nawotka, Publishers Weekly - The audiobook boom continued apace in 2025, including in the children's book world. And no, in case you're wondering, listening to an audiobook is still not reading. (Let's start this roundup off with some spice!) Call My Agent - Michael Gorra,…

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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