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Welcome to my blog!

My blog has everything you need to know to write, edit, and publish a book. Can't find what you need or want personalized help? Check out my editing and coaching services.

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Check out a few of my most popular posts:

How to write a query letter

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How to write a query letter

April 4, 2018

In order to have a book published by a traditional publisher, you will likely need to know how to write a query letter to find a literary agent. A query letter is part business letter, part creative writing exercise, part introduction, part death defying leap through a flaming hoop. (Don't worry, you won't catch fire and die during the query…

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The publishing process in GIF form

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The publishing process in GIF form

August 27, 2012

At first you're thinking of writing a novel and you're all... But then you have an idea! And you go... But then you hit page 50 and you're all.... And then you hit page 75 and you're all... But you power through!!   And then you're finished!!! You have finished a novel!! Only then find out you have to start…

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How to write a novel

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How to write a novel

June 21, 2019

Let me preface this article on how to write a novel by saying that my book on the topic has all the best advice I know: How to Write a Novel: 49 Rules for Writing a Stupendously Awesome Novel That You Will Love Forever. And if you need personalized help: Reach out for coaching or editing! How to write a novel.…

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Third person omniscient vs. limited vs. head jumping

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Third person omniscient vs. limited vs. head jumping

August 24, 2020

If a writing fairy popped out of an old typewriter and granted me the ability to fix one craft problem in all the unpublished manuscripts across the realm I would probably terrify it by how quickly I'd shout, "PERSPECTIVES! For the love of Melville fix the broken perspectives!!" You probably know there are three main perspectives to choose from in…

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Everything writers need to know about pitching their book

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Everything writers need to know about pitching their book

May 7, 2018

Like it or not, pitching your book is one of the most important things you'll do as an author. If you're trying to find a literary agent, you'll need to write a query letter. If you're self-publishing, you'll need to write good jacket copy (or at least know what good jacket copy looks like). When you're telling acquaintances what your…

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How to find a literary agent

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How to find a literary agent

March 20, 2018

If you want to have your book published by a publisher, chances are you are going to need an agent. Here's how to find a literary agent. Welcome to publishing, the land of books, writing, and agonizingly long waits. Pour yourself a drink. You're going to need it. In this post I'm going to give you an overview of how…

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Everything you need to know about novel word counts

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Everything you need to know about novel word counts

April 23, 2018

Ah, word count. Few elements of the book-writing process inspire such hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing as trying to constrain your novel within certain seemingly arbitrary bounds. In this post I'm going to tell you: Why word count matters for novelsStandard word count ranges for various genresThe word counts of some famous novels for comparison But before I do that, let me…

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Most recent posts:

The messy copyright implications of A.I. slop (This week in books)

May 2, 2025 by Nathan Bransford Leave a Comment

This week! Books! First up, I’m going to be taking a blog break for the rest of May to recharge and do some traveling. I’m still very much open for business for manuscript edits, query/synopsis critiques, and consultations, so please feel free to reach out to me about that in the meantime. On to the […]

Filed Under: This Week in Books Tagged With: A.I., Holly Gramazio, Marc Andreesen, Meta, Taylor Lorenz

How to rein in wandering characters

April 28, 2025 by Nathan Bransford Leave a Comment

Sometimes as writers we don’t really know what’s going to happen next. Even the best outliner may find their characters wandering straight off the map. There may be stretches in a novel when we have to write our way toward figuring out what’s supposed to happen. Letting your characters wander can be very productive! It […]

Filed Under: Writing Advice

Book orgs call out HarperCollins silence (This week in books)

April 25, 2025 by Nathan Bransford 1 Comment

This week! Books! Murdoch-owned publisher HarperCollins was a very notable non-signer of a letter from major publishers speaking out against the Trump administration’s move to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an institution that provides crucial support for the nation’s museums and libraries. Advocacy organization Authors Against Book Bans, the HarperCollins union, and […]

Filed Under: This Week in Books Tagged With: A.I., Censorship, E-Readers, George R.R. Martin, HarperCollins, J.K. Rowling, Ross Anderson

Are we losing the nascent democratization of books?

April 21, 2025 by Nathan Bransford 6 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Publishing Industry

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

April 18, 2025 by Nathan Bransford 3 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: This Week in Books Tagged With: ACLU, Alia Hanna Habib, Angie Thomas, Book Banning, Censorship, Charlie Jane Anders, Ella Creamer, Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey, Lincoln Michel, Mark Zuckerberg, Maya Angelou, Richard Curtis, Science

The answer is always community

April 14, 2025 by Nathan Bransford 11 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Writing Advice

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About Nathan

Hi, I’m Nathan. I’m the author of How to Write a Novel and the Jacob Wonderbar series, which was published by Penguin. I used to be a literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd. and I’m dedicated to helping authors achieve their dreams. Let me help you with your book!

My blog has everything you need to know to write, edit, and publish a book. Can’t find what you need or want personalized help? Reach out.

Learn more about me

Need Editing?

I'm available for consultations, edits, query critiques, brainstorming, and more.
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My Books

How to Write A Novel
Cover of How to Publish a Book by Nathan Bransford
Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapo
Jacob Wonderbar for President of the Universe
Jacob Wonderbar and the Interstellar Time Warp

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