From time to time, I’m asked to sign an NDA before an author will tell me anything about their book. I never agree, and in fact, this request makes me and many of my colleagues go sharply into reverse, because of what it tells us about the author. The request never...
Self-publishing seems like a great way to make some money from your writing: you keep creative control of your book, you receive a higher share of the royalties, and it doesn’t have to be expensive, and so lots of people are doing it. But let’s be clear: there’s...
What does a literary agent do? How does a literary agent get paid? Who needs a literary agent? What’s the alternative? This is such a common question, it’s really worth spending some time trying to get clear. First, let’s establish what a literary agent does,...
The Pen to Published Podcast interview with Janey Burton [VIDEO] I was thrilled to be asked to appear on season 6 of the Pen to Published podcast, which tackles everything authors need to know on their journey from writing their book to getting it published. Two of my...
Contents of a non-fiction book proposal Overview of the proposed book Target audience Market analysis Author qualifications Table of contents Sample chapter Marketing and promotion Concluding the book proposal Next steps Unlike fiction, non-fiction can often be sold...
I have had many conversations with beginner writers about how they should seek to publish their writing. They often tell me they started this, their first project, with the express aim of publishing it, or decided early on that publishing was the goal. They also tell...
Publishing has always been a relatively small industry, in which narrow margins make it tremendously difficult to stay afloat, but you wouldn’t know it from the sheer number of small publishers that exist these days. When you come across a small publisher to whom you...
The Reversion Clause: A Brief Explainer of Out of Print [VIDEO] Sign Up to The Inbox Edition Transcript: Speaker: Hello everyone, and thank you for joining me today. My name is Janey Burton, and I’m thrilled to dive into a topic that is vital for every author...
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...
There’s a major difference between a first draft and a self-edited draft. The more self-editing you do, the closer you’ll get to a final draft. When a manuscript is in good shape because the author has done plenty of self-editing, it’s easier to communicate its value...