Articles
The Anatomy Of A Compelling Book Proposal
Whatever the premise, you’re writing a book. You want to share something with the world. An idea. A story. You’ve outlined the concept, or written the entire thing, beginning to end—either way, what now? Creating a compelling book proposal is your first step to getting your book to the right publisher.
What Kind Of Advance Should I Expect?
I meet with and talk to first-time authors regularly and many of them often eventually work their way around to some version of this question over the course of our conversation:
So… like… what kind of advance should I expect?
Royalties: How Do Publishers Pay Authors?
Writers and authors hoping to make publishing a part of their life’s work must know about royalties and how they work. Yes, maybe you have a literary agent, or a spouse who is an accountant, but still, it's important to know what you're getting into. So I’m going to share a brief overview of royalties, what they are, and some of what you might expect to see in a variety of book deals today.
Let’s begin with the basics: What are royalties?
Ten Marks Of A Poor Query Letter
Every writer faces the climb that is writing his or her book. However, once that hard work is done, there are other steep mountains on the horizon. Those might include: finding a literary agent, signing with a reputable publisher, building an online presence, marketing your book, doing interviews about the book, creating a social media following, and much more.
If you’ve just finished your great American novel, your manifesto about business negotiation, or your nonfiction self-help book about improving self-esteem—and if you have a manuscript sitting on your hard drive ready for the world to read—it's probably time to master the art of the query letter.
Writing A Compelling Author Bio
If you are ready to present yourself to the world as an author, one of the first things you will have to do is write an Author Biography or author bio. Oftentimes, this is the first part of your proposal or pitch that an editor reads, so it must be gripping and cover the most important aspects of your credentials, writing experience, and platform.
The 10 Best Books For Writers
Many of us will be spending a lot more time at home over the next several weeks, if not months. The upside is that we’ll likely have more time for reading and writing! So, here is a list of our favorite books about writing and publishing. We encourage you to take advantage of this unprecedented season to enhance your knowledge of the craft of writing and learn more about the publishing process.
5 Ways To Cultivate Perseverance As A Writer
February can be a dismal month. Winter maintains its icy grip while summer seems like a distant dream. You may be questioning whether you're on the right path or wondering if you'll ever make progress toward your writing goals, here are 5 ways to cultivate perseverance a a writer.
4 Ways To Achieve Your Writing Goals
It seems that whenever a new year or a new season begins, we immediately start thinking about self-improvement, whether that means forming new habits or curbing bad ones. So, whether you’re reading this at the beginning of a new year or simply looking to focus more intently on your writing goals, here are four simple ways you can successfully achieve your goal to write more.
How To Hook Your Future Readers
So, you’re a writer and you’re writing a book. No matter what kind of manuscript you’re working on, you should be asking yourself this question: How can I hook my future readers? Keep in mind that your future readers also include … your future book editor.
What Does An Editor Do?
Today The Bindery is pleased to welcome writer and editor Meredith Hinds, who has written a guest post about the art and craft of editing. We hope you find it helpful!
Publishing Pros And Cons: Traditional Vs. Self Vs. Hybrid
If you’re an aspiring author, you’ve probably done a lot of research on how to get published. This can be paralyzing because there are seemingly endless options these days, ranging from self-publishing to traditional publishing. And what about hybrid publishing and co-publishing? How are you supposed to know which one is right for you?
Here I’ll review some of the pros and cons of each potential option—for you, and for your book.
The Editor Behind The Curtain
I recently penned an article for Writer’s Digest about what the publishing industry is really like for the editors and publishers on the inside.
Why You Can't Manufacture A Bestseller
It happens every year in one category or another. A seemingly obscure book starts to catch fire and becomes an unlikely phenomenon, selling hundreds of thousands or even millions of copies. In this article, I want to address bestsellers and explain what, if anything, publishers and agents and authors do to try and make them happen. I will also share some simple things you can do as an author to help launch your own book successfully.
How To Frame Your Book: Demystifying Front And Back Matter
Did you know that there are specific terms for the content included at the front and back of your book? Although this is not an exhaustive list, I’ll briefly describe the most commonly used elements in front and back matter, including the pros and cons of each element, as well as when you might want to include them.