Information, guidance, and resources from our editors for authors considering self publishing or already underway publishing your own book.

PATHS TO PUBLISHING: A Decision Guide on Traditional and Independent Publishing Options for 2024

[by Ross Browne and John Robert Marlow]

Publishing has changed a lot in the 43 years since The Editorial Department opened its doors—and not necessarily for the better, in the eyes of many. But it’s nonetheless an exciting time to be a writer, in large part because when it comes to getting published, you have more […]

By |2024-02-12T17:44:54+00:00January 1st, 2024|Industry Insights|Comments Off on PATHS TO PUBLISHING: A Decision Guide on Traditional and Independent Publishing Options for 2024

A Writer’s Guide to Finding the Perfect Voice Actor for Your Audiobook Guest post by Stewart Storrar of voquent.com

Every author should consider turning their book into an audiobook.

Why? The audiobook market is growing fast, with many book lovers discovering that audiobooks are an easier way to read while on the move or performing other tasks.

Everyone is seeking to optimize their time. It is quickly becoming the norm to listen to audiobooks at the gym, during […]

By |2024-01-06T19:53:27+00:00March 13th, 2021|Industry Insights|Comments Off on A Writer’s Guide to Finding the Perfect Voice Actor for Your Audiobook Guest post by Stewart Storrar of voquent.com

Spotlight on Sentence-Level Editing Demystifying the differences between line editing, copy editing, and proofreading

In an earlier blog post we talked about the importance of developmental editing and why the focus on big-picture stuff – structure, book-spanning issues like plot or organization, character development, dialogue, and that sort of thing – needs to come first, before you spend too much time worrying about the finer points of style and wording. This […]

By |2024-01-07T18:06:55+00:00|The Editor’s Craft and Process|Comments Off on Spotlight on Sentence-Level Editing Demystifying the differences between line editing, copy editing, and proofreading

Mainstream Publishers and the Acquisition of Successful Self-Published Titles Literary agent Adriann Ranta Zurhellen weighs in on a burning question among self-published authors looking to go traditional

Q. How interested are mainstream publishers in buying successful self-published books? I don’t mean hugely successful titles (Hugh Howey’s stuff, say), but books that have racked up impressive sales. And how many sales does it take to get a traditional publisher’s attention?

This is a hard question to answer because I truly think it’s different for every scenario. […]

By |2024-01-06T22:29:14+00:00|Ask an Agent|Comments Off on Mainstream Publishers and the Acquisition of Successful Self-Published Titles Literary agent Adriann Ranta Zurhellen weighs in on a burning question among self-published authors looking to go traditional

Which Publishing Path is Better for Debut Authors? Adriann Ranta Zurhellen shares a literary agent's viewpoint on a weighty question for new writers

Q. These days, it seems harder and harder to land an agent and a traditional publisher, while on the other hand, many of the growing number of self-published books on sites like Amazon have difficulty finding an audience.  What is your advice for unpublished novelists who are faced with this dilemma?

As an agent, I read an unbelievable […]

By |2024-01-06T22:30:08+00:00|Ask an Agent|Comments Off on Which Publishing Path is Better for Debut Authors? Adriann Ranta Zurhellen shares a literary agent's viewpoint on a weighty question for new writers

Bad Book Covers Considered What self-publishing authors can learn from a taste of tasteless covers

There are countless cliches that speak to the idea that beauty is found within, and that the value of what is on the surface is, well, superficial. A facade. “Beauty is only skin deep.” Another old adage points a crooked, arthritic finger from well beyond the grave at those who might say otherwise: “Never judge […]

By |2024-01-06T22:34:00+00:00June 6th, 2015|Industry Insights|Comments Off on Bad Book Covers Considered What self-publishing authors can learn from a taste of tasteless covers
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