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.
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
Mommy, where do book covers come from?
The art, science, and spiritual meaning of a good author photo
Who decides what books look and feel like (and how)
INDUSTRY EDITORIALS
For God’s sake, no, The Big 5 have not “killed literary fiction”
“Something is terribly broken in publishing right now”
A list of things currently enraging me (2025)
The state of publishing, 2025: twilight vibes
What will readers want in 2025? (2024)
Keywords for the current publishing market: “unhinged” and “horny” (2024)
Readers around the world want just one kind of book right now: romance (2023)
Why everyone in publishing needs a little more BDE, or “Big Daunt Energy”
MARKETING, SELF-DIRECTED
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
On “The Man in the Water” and the value of writers
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
PUBLICITY, POST-PUB
“Should I hire a book publicist?”
How to deal with dead birds (a.k.a. people who trauma dump on you)
Why year-end Best Of lists matter—and why they don’t
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
Everyone passed on your book. What now?
“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 ugly cried recently? I hope so.
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
Hi. I’m a new subscriber and this is such an impressive and valuable source. Good agents clearly have to have a remarkable degree of expertise to succeed in this business. I have a question: I’m a licensed clinical psychologist with a background in cultural anthropology. I write on topics related to my field, which is the intersection of culture and psychology especially as it relates to work-related issues like burnout. I’m in the process of querying agents. My question is this: Do I have to become an expert in the publishing industry in order to find an agent? (That’s what it feels like sometimes.) Or can my expertise in my own field balance out my ignorance in the publishing industry? Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks again for this amazing resource!