Applications are open for We Need Diverse Books’ mentorship program, which pairs children’s book authors and illustrators from underrepresented communities or who are working on book featuring a diverse protagonist with an experienced writer or illustrator. The mentors and mentees work together for an entire year and applications are open until October 31, 2020. Check […]
Publishing Industry
How to format a manuscript
Proper formatting is by far the easiest thing you can do to make your book project appear as professional as possible to literary agents and the various professionals you will work with throughout the publication process. There isn’t an ironclad industry standard format for manuscripts that’s as exacting as, say, a Chicago Manual of Style. […]
#PublishingPaidMe is just the tip of the iceberg
Over the weekend many authors bravely shared their book advances using the #PublishingPaidMe hashtag started by L.L. McKinney, exposing racial disparities in book advances and, as author Justina Ireland noted, showing that many authors aren’t making as much money as you think they’re making. It’s important for people to recognize that these disparities are still […]
You probably don’t need publishing credits
If I had a dollar for every author who reached out to me agonizing over the bio section of their query letter I would have enough money to personally buy Amazon dot com. In particular, authors agonize over whether they have sufficient publishing credits and whether said publishing credits are properly framed. (Here’s how to […]
ViacomCBS to sell off Simon & Schuster
It’s hard to overstate how big this news is for the publishing world. Variety: ViacomCBS to Sell Publishing Unit Simon & Schuster While a buyer hasn’t been announced, if the “Big 5” becomes the “Big 4” it will prompt another round of consolidation in the business and further creep toward a virtual monopoly. Or… maybe […]
My guide to publishing a book
It’s here! I’m so excited to announce the publication of my guide to publishing a book: How to Publish a Book: 41 Rules for Successfully Publishing a Book That You Will Love Forever. It’s available as an ebook and in paperback. Whether you’re pursuing a book deal with a Big 5 publisher or trying your […]
