There’s no one answer to the question of how long a book should be, because books come in at different lengths depending on their category and intended audience. Longer isn’t necessarily better – in fact, a short book is sometimes exactly what’s wanted to achieve the...
Research, whether for a non-fiction book or a novel, is an important aspect of writing a book. Ideally, research will provide you with the depth and detail a really good book requires, and at the very least, it will help you avoid the kind of howler that undermines...
Audience Competition Marketing Your book just doesn’t look good The price isn’t right Unrealistic expectations The way forward Self-publishing a book has become so easy to do that sometimes it seems everyone is doing it, and that might not be far from the truth:...
Before a book is ready to submit to a literary agent or publisher, or to be self-published, it is usually edited to a high standard. Unedited or poorly edited books won’t get book deals. Readers avoid low-quality self-published books. Increasingly, editors at...
By Nicole Johnston The short answer is no: you need neither a writing coach nor a ghostwriter. Why? Because ‘need’ is a loaded word. You can do it without any help. You can learn what you need to know to become a writer, and even a good one, without them. Writers are...
You made it! You got a book deal and now here are the terms – the publishing contract. The publisher is asking you to read it, sign it and send it back. Some of it is a bit confusing, but … I mean, they know what they’re doing, so it’ll be fine to just sign it,...
When should I hire an editor? What training and experience do you have? Which categories of books do you work with? What services do you offer? How much will an editing service cost? Do you do sample edits? Can I have a reference from other authors you have worked...
Literary agents are not created equal, and a bad or incompetent agent is worse than no agent at all. A literary agent needs to be a) legitimate b) have a suitable track record and c) be a match for you, your work, and your career. Finding the right literary agent to...
The most common reason authors cite for not wanting to hire an editor is that it is expensive. I want to explain why, while editing by a trained and experienced editor is one of publishing’s larger expenses, it is also value for money. Editing is a lengthy and...
What is your book’s category? How long is your book? Have you had any kind of editing or editorial input on this book? What kind of editing do you think you need? Have you written a book before? What are your goals and your timeframe for this book? How did you find...
