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, […]

If you’re publishing through a traditional publisher, formatting isn’t something you have to worry about. They take care of everything—laying out the pages, making sure the book looks right on paper or on a screen, and handling all the technical stuff behind the scenes. But when you’re self-publishing an eBook, it’s a different story. You’re

Your manuscript is nearly done, and you’re can’t wait to finally share it with the world. But now you’re facing the big question: should you publish it yourself or try your luck with a traditional publisher? It’s the classic crossroads every author eventually reaches. And in 2025, choosing between self-publishing and traditional publishing is both

Excited about self-publishing your book in 2025? Hold up. Take a deep breath. It’s not as simple (or as cheap) as it sounds. The first steps can be a little confusing and a lot more expensive than you expect. And if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably already stared at your screen thinking, “How much

Launching your first book? You might be staring at a hundred tabs right now, wondering: Which self-publishing platform is actually best for new authors? I’ve been there. When I self-published my first book, I thought the hardest part was writing it, but it turned out, choosing where to publish was just as overwhelming. Every platform

Writing a book is hard enough, but promoting it? That’s a whole other beast. You might think the hardest part was getting your story down on paper, revising it into something readable, and clicking “publish” on Amazon. There’s no doubt that publishing a book is a big deal. Most people never get that far. But

Writing a novel is like building a house from scratch, with nothing but scattered blueprints in your head and a pile of words that don’t quite behave. You’re juggling character arcs, pacing, plot holes, emotional beats, and motivation (yours and your protagonist’s). At some point, most writers hit a wall, not because they lack ideas,

One of the most common questions writers ask is: How long should my book be? Knowing the standard word and page counts for your book type can save you from a lot of rewriting, rejections, and confused readers. Word count can directly affect how your book is received. If a manuscript is too long or

Have you ever stared at your screen and wondered if your writing could actually pay off—literally? That thought crosses the minds of more writers than you might think. I remember sitting at my desk with a half-finished story, thinking, “Is this just a hobby, or can this actually go somewhere?” For a long time, I

Ever notice how books from the same big publisher show different brand names on the spine? You might pick up a gritty fantasy novel by Tor Books and a feel-good romance title from Avon, only to find out later they’re both published by giants like Macmillan or HarperCollins. That’s not a coincidence. It’s the power