Want to know what literary agents do, how to find a literary agent, how to write a query letter, how to write a synopsis, and how to get your book published, both the traditional way and via self-publishing?
Check out the posts below, take an online class on navigating the publishing process, and/or read my guide to publishing a book!
Need personalized advice?
Reach out for editing or book a consultation!
Here are some categories you can jump to:
- Book publishing basics
- How to find a literary agent
- How to write a query letter
- How to work with literary agents
- How to navigate the traditional publishing process
- Self-publishing basics
- How to self-publish
- Marketing and social media
Book publishing basics
- How the traditional publishing process works
- How self-publishing works
- Get the big things right
- What literary agents do
- How authors make money
- Everything you need to know about novel word counts
- How to find an editor prior to submitting
- What is an author platform?
- For the real threshold for traditional publication, look at debuts
- Book publishing glossary
- Writing and book publishing FAQs
How to find a literary agent
- How to find a literary agent
- How to research a literary agent
- Literary agent etiquette
- How to write a nonfiction book proposal
- How to write a synopsis
- How to interpret rejection letters
- How often to follow up with a literary agent
- “When should I stop sending query letters?”
- How to handle an offer of representation
How to write a query letter
- How to write a query letter
- The basic query template
- The best strategy for sending query letters
- Query Letter Sample #1 – My query letter for Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow, which landed me a literary agent.
- Query Letter Sample #2 – Lisa Brackmann’s query for Rock Paper Tiger
- Query Letter Sample #3 – Emily Conrad’s query for The Boy in the Basement
- Query Letter Sample #4 – Michael Schreiber’s nonfiction query letter
- The key to a good query letter: Summarizing through specificity
- How to weave more voice into a query letter
- How to handle multiple protagonists in a query letter
- How to personalize a query letter
- How to format a query letter
- How to list your publishing credits in a query letter
- How to come up with good comp titles for your book
- Query letter critiques
How to work with literary agents
- Know your rights as an author
- Exclusives and literary agents
- How to work with a literary agent on edits
- How to make the leap from self-publishing to traditional publishing
- How to know when to leave your agent
- How long does it take to sell a novel?
- Day in the life of an agent
How to navigate the traditional publishing process
- The basic terms of publishing contracts
- How an editor at a publisher acquires a book
- How a book goes from acquisitions to bookstore shelves
- Everything writers need to know about book series
- When to submit to publishers without an agent
- Publishing myth: Editors don’t edit
- Editing vs. Copyediting
- The economics of publishing
Self-publishing basics
- How to self-publish a book
- What it costs to self-publish a book
- All about hybrid publishing
- Should you self-publish or traditionally publish?
- How authors make money
How to self-publish
- How to decide where to self-publish
- How to find and work with a book editor
- How to write good jacket copy
- How to choose a cover
- Don’t neglect your interior design
- How to determine your price point while self-publishing
- How to get your book uploaded and self-published
- How to make the leap from self-publishing to traditional publishing
- How to self-publish an audiobook
Marketing and social media
- How to market a book
- 32 book marketing ideas
- There’s no excuse for not knowing where your book fits in the market
- How to make a good author website
- A guide to social media for authors
- The definitive guide to SEO for authors
Need help with your book? I’m available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and coaching!
For my best advice, check out my online classes (NEW!), my guide to writing a novel and my guide to publishing a book.
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Art: Detail of “The Bookshop of Pieter Meijer Warnars” by Johannes Jelgerhuis
