An anthology of publishing advice, conveniently organized by subject
Welcome to the waiting room of our book publishing urgent care clinic. Here you will find our brochure rack of common author problems and their treatment.
Behold the Glindex—an index of just about every “Glow” post ever published, organized by topic rather than chronologically. Here’s hoping this makes it easier to find useful you-specific advice in the back catalogue.
I update this list…not exactly continuously, but whenever I remember to.
Happy browsing! Links in bold at the top of various categories are posts I consider particularly important for authors to read.
AGENT-AUTHOR RELATIONS & CONFLICTS
What does a good agent/author relationship look like?
“But when will the proposal be ready to submit?”
“Aren’t I supposed to be writing a proposal here–not the whole book?”
What people like me mean when we tell you that your sad book “needs to be more uplifting”
Your literary agent is your business partner, not your boss or employee
Are agents going to steal my idea(s)?!
What authors and agents don’t understand about each other
AUTHOR FREAKOUTS, COMMON
A scattergram of career developments (and whether to freak out about them or not)
The “oh my God, people on the internet are viciously criticizing me” freakout
The “one to two months after the book comes out” freakout
The “we’re getting to the end of the editorial development” freakout
The “we have to stop making changes to the manuscript” freakout
The “post-publication depression and anxiety” freakout
The “what am I going to do for a book party” freakout
The “immediately after you accept a book deal offer” freakout
The “oh my God, a major media outlet gave my book a bad review” freakout
"Can I write about this?": navigating cancellation anxiety, rejection sensitivity, and Twitterphobia
What to do when you’re stalling or panicked
Nightmare scenarios in a publishing career, and what will happen if they happen to you
Miscellaneous common author freakouts and pain points
AUTHORIAL SUFFERING, COMMON SOURCES OF
The impossibility of certainty in book publishing
Other people have had (and will have) “your” ideas (and that’s okay)
What you and deranged Goodreads review bombers probably have in common
BOOK PUBLISHING, INTERNAL MECHANICS OF
What is a P&L and why does it matter
The biggest surprises you'll encounter on your book publishing journey
Where do book covers come from?
What’s up with the publisher’s marketing and PR questionnaire?
The publishing terms you might not know you're getting wrong
A primer on book deal finances and what to expect from them
What is and what can we do about the editorial burnout problem?
Notes on the 2022-2023 HarperCollins strike (by us and by a HarperCollins editor)
BOOK PUBLISHING, UNHINGED HISTORY OF
Episode 3.1: The Random House Publishing Group (PRH)
Episode 3.2: The Knopf/Doubleday Publishing Group (PRH)
Episode 3.3: The Crown Publishing Group (PRH)
Episode 3.4: The Penguin Publishing Group (PRH)
BOOKS YOU SHOULD READ
When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödron
Business for Bohemians by Tom Hodgkinson
A World Without Email by Cal Newport
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
EDITORIAL DEVELOPMENT, PRE-BOOK DEAL
Editors don’t want to know what your book is about: they want to know what it does.
The most common editorial issue book proposals have and how to fix it in yours
A downloadable template book proposal for you (and guide for filling it out)
The component parts of a book proposal (and why they’re so hard to execute well)
How to write a chapter outline
How to write (and select) your sample chapters
Identifying your target audience
The "comps" section is single most misunderstood part of a book proposal
CAREER SELF-MANAGEMENT, AUTHORIAL
How to build your author platform
15 things that will help your career much more than an MFA or AWP
Everything you need to know about breaking into ghostwriting
So you want to write a kids’ book!
How to streamline your creative gig work
What has to happen before you become a “good author”
COMMUNICATION WITH PUBLISHING COLLEAGUES, EFFECTIVE
Why pleading, complaining, and debating with agents and editors is likely a waste of your time
The magic words all pro authors know: "I hear the note behind the note"
How to send effective publishing-related emails
The networking habits of successful writers
You don’t owe any of us an explanation for your choices or feelings
CONFLICTS BETWEEN AUTHORS
No, other authors do not owe you a citation just because you wrote a book on the same topic
How to be a Good Art Friend (and Communicate Like One)
The blessings of having at least one publishing nemesis
Comparison isn’t always the thief of joy
CONFLICTS BETWEEN AUTHORS AND OTHER PUBLISHING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
“Why isn’t my publisher doing more to publicize my book?”
“What does my editor actually want me to do with their edits, if this isn’t it?”
“Why is my editor ghosting me?”
“Why isn’t my book in this bookstore?”
“Did you listen to that podcast by the Instagram influencer whose big book deal got canceled?”
What a viral Silicon Valley layoff blowup can teach us all about working together less toxically
EMOTIONAL SELF-SABOTAGE, AVOIDANCE OF
Why perfectionism might be hobbling your writing career
Hypervigilance won't keep you safe in your writing career or anywhere
Your weirdness = your power and purpose as a writer
What does an arrogant author look like? What does a humble one look like?
How self-parenting benefits you and your creative career
Why that problem you feel so stuck on is likely not the real problem
How to unparalyze yourself when you’re reeling from self-doubt, stuckness, or shame
You can’t plan or “manifest” your way to a successful career
EXPECTATIONS MANAGEMENT, AUTHORIAL
On whether or not you need to worry about “timeliness” with that book submission
On "good" vs. "bad" advances, sales, editorial responses, and career developments
My five least favorite painful truths about book publishing
What it’s going to feel like when you finally achieve your book publishing dreams
The only professional goals I recommend setting are anti-goals
What authors wish they'd known about publishing a book during a pandemic
Career success will not deliver you from emotional pain, so get good now at setting those boundaries
FINISHING TOUCHES, POST-BOOK DEAL
The art, science, and spiritual meaning of a good author photo
INDUSTRY EDITORIALS
Why everyone in publishing needs a little more BDE, or “Big Daunt Energy”
MARKETING, SELF-DIRECTED
Keywords for the current publishing market: “unhinged” and “horny” (2024)
Readers around the world want just one kind of book right now: romance (2023)
How to use social media as an author
On running your books like a business
Readers' tastes are changing. Are you changing with them?
#TropeCore, or: everything you need to know about BookTok/Fan Fiction vernacular
MEDITATIONS, UNCATEGORIZABLE
The meaning of life is coming apart.
Life’s a mess; you’re a mess; everyone’s a mess. Rise anyway.
A diamond is not just a piece of coal that did well under pressure, and neither are you
An A to Z of rapid-fire publishing tips
DO NOT INFLATE YOUR LIFE JACKET WHEN YOU’RE STILL INSIDE THE PLANE. (This is a metaphor.)
Vitally important things for authors to remember, in aesthetically Instagrammable form
QUESTIONS, FREQUENTLY ASKED
“Why isn’t my publisher doing more to publicize my book?”
“Why aren’t agents responding to my query?”
“There’s an interesting story in my family’s history. Is it a book?”
“Should I hire a book publicist?”
Are agents going to steal my idea(s)?!
"Can I write about this?": navigating cancellation anxiety, rejection sensitivity, and Twitterphobia
“Why is my editor ghosting me?”
“Why isn’t my book in this bookstore?”
SUBCONSCIOUS, YOUR
A tarot reading: what is it you need to find your way forward with that book stuff you’re stuck on
How surface your best ideas from your subconscious
Uncertainty and stuckness are not the same thing as backsliding
SUBMISSIONS TO AGENTS AND AGENCIES
“Why aren’t agents responding to my query?”
How literary agents and editors scan for red flags in author pitches
The most common red flags I see in book proposals by otherwise qualified authors
Our #MSSL (manuscript shit list)
Typography: or, the part of your submission you’re probably not thinking about enough
SUBMISSIONS TO PUBLISHERS & EDITORS
“What happens when my proposal is ready to go?”
Common editorial rejections on book submissions (and how to avoid them)
Some easy ways to tell when your book (probably) isn't ready for submission
SUBRIGHTS
WORK HABITS, OPTIMAL
The problem with a can-do attitude
Being productive vs being compulsive
The kind of author you don’t want to be (on the page)
Serious about finishing that novel or proposal? DON’T make it a daily practice.
Have you tried keeping a derangement journal?
Please follow the Puff Pastry Rule as you revise that manuscript or proposal.
If you really want a book deal, make it your #3 priority
How to make time and space for your publishing career when you have neither
“Killing it:” why this should not be your career goal
How to juggle a creative career and family, especially if you have little kids
How to sharpen your executive function
Rituals for dissipating writer's block, easing anxiety, and re-centering your focus
Make sure you’re nourishing all five of your senses as you work
Why you should take things even more slowly
WRITING CRAFT, IMPROVING YOUR
The one thing that distinguishes great from merely good writers (spoiler alert: it’s humor)
Do something every day that annoys you.
Don’t be embarrassed about that crush! Limerence is the beginning of creative transformation.
Good writing is merciful to its readers, its characters, and its author
How to build an emotional connection with your readers
Why we’re anti-“write what is true”
How to write a book that endures through the ages
Your readers need your presence on the page — not your ego, projections, aphorisms, or quips.
The one element of style even good writers can’t handle (spoiler alert: it’s the passive voice)
superior compilation; a super resource
Dang, Anna (and Gabe), this is pure gold. Thank you so much for sharing and for being you!