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Information, guidance, and industry insights from our editorial staff for authors seeking traditionally publication for book-length fiction and nonfiction.

PATHS TO PUBLISHING: A Decision Guide on Traditional and Self Publishing Options for 2025

[by Ross Browne and John Robert Marlow]

Publishing has changed a lot in the 45 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 or self published, […]

By |2025-02-12T17:22:40+00:00January 1st, 2024|Industry Insights|Comments Off on PATHS TO PUBLISHING: A Decision Guide on Traditional and Self Publishing Options for 2025
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Five Short Steps to the Reject Pile And five common mistakes to avoid if you want to land a literary agent

[by Peter Gelfan]

Oh, the dreaded reject pile

Often we like to imagine the (probably imaginary) good old days when editors searched for traces of gold in the rough ore of a first draft and worked with the writer to refine it. Recently, an editor at a major publisher offered a less romantic glimpse […]

By |2024-01-06T21:49:19+00:00|Getting Published|Comments Off on Five Short Steps to the Reject Pile And five common mistakes to avoid if you want to land a literary agent
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Spelling It Out in the Synopsis

Let’s start by getting this out in the open: I’m not what one would call an especially fantasy-savvy reader. I like good stories regardless of the genre, but when my co-workers start throwing around fantasy references during our chats, I more often than not have to quickly google the author or character in question before saying, “ah, […]

By |2024-01-06T21:59:44+00:00|Getting Published|Comments Off on Spelling It Out in the Synopsis
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A Writer’s Motivation: Who Are You Writing For? Literary agent Adriann Ranta explores tough questions every writer should consider before attempting to publish life experiences

Q. I’ve had some really interesting and unique life experiences, and my friends keep encouraging me to write about them. From a market standpoint, is it a better idea to write a memoir, or to use those experiences as inspiration for a novel/work of fiction?

I wish I could answer this question with a bullhorn at every conference […]

By |2024-01-06T22:27:53+00:00|Ask an Agent|Comments Off on A Writer’s Motivation: Who Are You Writing For? Literary agent Adriann Ranta explores tough questions every writer should consider before attempting to publish life experiences
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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
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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
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