Getting a book into the world is its own craft, separate from writing it. These articles cover how publishing really works: what traditional publishers look for, how book deals get made, what a proposal has to prove, and when self publishing or a sponsorship model serves the author better. Written from real experience placing books and guiding authors through the decision.
Amazon & KDPAmazon is fighting bots that scrape its reviews, and real shoppers are getting caught: a handful of reviews, no one-star sort, and a days-long wait for access. Here's what that means for authors and their ARC readers.
Book DesignA short book isn't a sad book. A novella of about 21,000 words prints to roughly 80 to 100 pages, and a paperback earns its keep at signings, in local shops and as a gift. Here's how to format, size…
LegalA publisher offers a modest advance for worldwide, lifetime rights to books you already self-published. The advance is probably all you'll ever see, and getting the rights back can take 35 years. Here's when it makes sense, and what to…
DefamationWhen a book uses real names, everyone who helped publish it can be sued, from the author to the ghostwriter to the publisher. Here is how the dead, the living and celebrity estates differ, and how to settle the risk…
AI WritingEverything after the last chapter serves a reader who already bought your book, and the back cover sells it to one who hasn't. I cover indexes, author bios, acknowledgments and back cover copy, and what I recommend for each one.
Book MarketingA preface tells readers why you wrote the book, and most of them skip it. The introduction is the two to four page sales tool that decides whether they buy. This piece covers what each opening page is for, where…
Amazon & KDPIf your book ads get clicks but no sales, the ad did its job. The sale is dying on the product page. Covers, blurbs, AI branding and genre-hopping, and what to check first.
Amazon & KDPReaders want clean editions of spicy romances, but two versions of one book on KDP can trip duplicate content rules. Amazon closed my account over less. Safer ways to offer both.
Amazon & KDPKindle Unlimited usually pays more for fiction sold through retailers, and it no longer blocks libraries. Going wide wins when you're ready for direct sales. Why the 90-days-then-wide plan fails.
Amazon & KDPMost ARC readers never leave a review. Real follow-through numbers from authors and my own books, Amazon's rules on review copies, and what research says about reviews and sales.
Book MarketingAgents reject well-written novels every day, and quiet literary fiction is the hardest sell of all. Why a good book isn't enough, and what sells books.
Book ProposalA ghostwriter can't get you a book deal or an agent, though an experienced one knows people who can. Here's how three ghostwritten books reached traditional publishers, and why I steer most clients elsewhere.
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