If you’re debating between traditional publishing and self-publishing, there’s a good chance you care about the money. Not the dream of being discovered, not the imaginary book tour, but cold, hard revenue. That’s smart. Because writing a book takes time, effort, and emotional energy, and if you’re going to pour yourself into it, you deserve […]
Landing a traditional book deal is exciting, the kind of moment you imagine when you’re typing away at your manuscript, dreaming of seeing your name on a spine in a bookstore. But that excitement? It can disappear fast the moment a publishing contract hits your inbox and you realize you have no clue what half
Selling your manuscript starts long before your book lands in a bookstore. It starts with a single page: your query letter. In fact, many agents decide whether to read your manuscript based solely on your query. If your pitch doesn’t land, your book never gets a chance. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s the
If you’re dreaming of seeing your book on shelves at Barnes & Noble or your name printed by one of the Big Five publishers, you’re probably wondering: How long does traditional publishing take? The truth? It takes time. More time than most new authors expect. You could pour your heart into a manuscript, polish it
If you’re serious about publishing your book the traditional way, understanding the traditional publishing process step by step is absolutely essential. A lot of writers dive into querying without realizing how much groundwork they need to lay first. Traditional publishing is not a guessing game or a lucky break. It’s a series of deliberate moves
Getting a traditional publishing deal is one of the biggest milestones for any debut author. It’s that moment when years of writing, revising, and doubting yourself finally lead to something tangible—a real book, backed by a real team. But landing a contract isn’t just about writing a good book. It’s also about finding the right
Finishing a book is a massive achievement. It’s the part no one else sees—the late nights, the self-doubt, the rewrites that nearly broke you. You pushed through all of it, and now you’re holding something that didn’t exist before: a full manuscript, shaped by your imagination and your grit. But writing the book was only
One of the questions I get asked a lot is, “Should I create my own book imprint?” The short answer is yes, especially if you’re in this for the long game. Creating a book imprint for self-publishing isn’t just about making your work look more professional. It also helps you establish a publishing identity that
If you’re self-publishing a book in 2025, your genre can make or break your success. You could write a masterpiece, but if it’s in a genre no one’s searching for—or worse, one that’s oversaturated without a solid niche—you’ll struggle to get readers, reviews, or royalties. That’s why choosing the right book genre requires both creativity
Last week, I bought a new toaster. But before I clicked “Buy Now,” I obsessively checked the reviews of every model that caught my eye. I scanned star ratings, dug into paragraphs of praise and complaints, and weighed one reviewer’s burnt toast horror story against another’s flawless bagel test. And somewhere between scrolling and comparing,
