Janey Burton

PUBLISHING CONSULTANT

Editor & Contracts Negotiator

Is an NDA With Your Editor Necessary?

Is an NDA With Your Editor Necessary?

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...
5 Reasons To Hire An Editor Before Self-Publishing

5 Reasons To Hire An Editor Before Self-Publishing

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...
Is It Essential to Get A Literary Agent?

Is It Essential to Get A Literary Agent?

  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,...
All 7 Elements of an Amazing Non-fiction Book Proposal

All 7 Elements of an Amazing Non-fiction Book Proposal

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...
10 Ways to Evaluate a Small Publisher Effectively

10 Ways to Evaluate a Small Publisher Effectively

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]

The Reversion Clause: A Brief Explainer of Out of Print [VIDEO]

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...
4 Reasons Why It’s So Expensive to Hire an Editor

4 Reasons Why It’s So Expensive to Hire an Editor

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...
10 Easy Tips for Self-Editing Your First Draft

10 Easy Tips for Self-Editing Your First Draft

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...