All the things publishing neglected to mention…
The complete collection: what is happening in publishing now, what went wrong behind the scenes, and what thirty years of doing the work taught us to try next.
Publishing Now…
General news from the publishing world.
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She Built the Readership Herself. Now Penguin Wants 13 Books.
Read the Article: She Built the Readership Herself. Now Penguin Wants 13 Books.Beth Brower’s 13-book Penguin deal follows a readership she built through independent publishing. Behind the envy-inducing announcement is a more useful story about proven…
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Sixty Million Copies. HarperCollins Is Still Walking Away from David Walliams.
Read the Article: Sixty Million Copies. HarperCollins Is Still Walking Away from David Walliams.HarperCollins is reportedly withdrawing David Walliams’s existing catalogue, despite a worldwide sales record exceeding 60 million copies. The separation raises a pointed publishing question:…
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Digital Audio Is Up 12.6%. Ebooks Are Down 3%. Read the Signal, Not the Hype.
Read the Article: Digital Audio Is Up 12.6%. Ebooks Are Down 3%. Read the Signal, Not the Hype.Audio revenue is rising while ebooks slip. What the latest AAP figures mean for an independent author—and why a growing market still needs a…
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A Seven-Figure Book Deal Collapsed Over AI Claims. Keep Your Drafts.
Read the Article: A Seven-Figure Book Deal Collapsed Over AI Claims. Keep Your Drafts.Jerry Falade’s book was withdrawn in July amid disputed AI allegations. The case leaves authors with an uncomfortable practical question: what evidence of your…
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Indie Authors Are Earning Serious Money. Prestige Can Pay Its Own Bills.
Read the Article: Indie Authors Are Earning Serious Money. Prestige Can Pay Its Own Bills.ALLi puts median indie author income at $13,500. That challenges publishing’s old hierarchy—but the figures need a closer look before anyone declares a universal…
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Amazon Gave Your Next Book Six More Months. Don’t Waste Them.
Read the Article: Amazon Gave Your Next Book Six More Months. Don’t Waste Them.Amazon has extended Kindle ebook pre-orders from 12 to 18 months. That is six extra months to build a proper launch—or six extra months…
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Meta Is Taking Away Your Ad ‘Off’ Switch
Read the Article: Meta Is Taking Away Your Ad ‘Off’ SwitchMeta is narrowing the places where advertisers can simply say no. A −90% placement bid adjustment can discourage delivery, but it cannot turn a…
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Amazon Ads Ignored Indie Audiobooks for 15 Years. Not Anymore.
Read the Article: Amazon Ads Ignored Indie Audiobooks for 15 Years. Not Anymore.Amazon has finally opened Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands for Audible titles to authors in the US. Here is what changed, what remains US-only,…
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They Hid a Tracker in a Rare Book. It Led Straight to Amazon.
Read the Article: They Hid a Tracker in a Rare Book. It Led Straight to Amazon.A tracker hidden in a rare-book shipment led to an Amazon facility where workers reportedly cut bindings and scan books for AI training. Here…
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Kindle Just Got Competition — From Your Local Bookshop
Read the Article: Kindle Just Got Competition — From Your Local BookshopLibro.fm, the audiobook platform supporting more than 5,000 independent bookshops, is adding ebooks. Here is what is confirmed, what remains unknown and why KDP…
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Self-Publishing Company Collapses. Books Keep Selling. Authors Still Haven’t Been Paid.
Read the Article: Self-Publishing Company Collapses. Books Keep Selling. Authors Still Haven’t Been Paid.A UK self-publishing services company stopped trading while authors were still owed royalties and their books remained on sale. Here is what happened -…
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Can Spotify Turn Your Manuscript Into an Audiobook?
Read the Article: Can Spotify Turn Your Manuscript Into an Audiobook?Spotify is testing an ElevenLabs-powered audiobook creation tool inside Spotify for Authors. The promise is simple; getting access is currently less so.
The Bit Nobody Warns You About…
Practical investigations, awkward exceptions and lessons earned in real production.
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How Do You Write a Blurb Without Retelling the Bloody Book?
Read the Article: How Do You Write a Blurb Without Retelling the Bloody Book?A blurb should make the right reader want the story. Find the central human problem, establish voice, cut the plot recital and give curiosity somewhere to go.
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Why Your Book Cover Is Marketing, Not Decoration
Read the Article: Why Your Book Cover Is Marketing, Not DecorationA book cover has seconds to signal genre, mood and professionalism. A veteran author-publisher explains thumbnail tests, typography, series branding and why access to design tools is not the same…
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How Do You Know a Novel Is Finished?
Read the Article: How Do You Know a Novel Is Finished?How do you know when a novel is finished rather than merely abandoned for the evening? A veteran author-publisher explains the difference between a finished story, a ready manuscript and…
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The Vanity Press Trap: When “We Want to Publish Your Book” Really Means “We Want Your Money”
Read the Article: The Vanity Press Trap: When “We Want to Publish Your Book” Really Means “We Want Your Money”How to spot a vanity-publishing pitch, interrogate distribution claims and protect your book before paying for a publishing package.
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When Should You Trust a Focus Group—and When Should You Ignore It?
Read the Article: When Should You Trust a Focus Group—and When Should You Ignore It?Use focus-group feedback without letting a committee rewrite your novel: identify patterns, interpret outliers and keep final creative judgement with the author.
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What Kind of Editor Does Your Book Actually Need?
Read the Article: What Kind of Editor Does Your Book Actually Need?Developmental editor, line editor, copyeditor or proofreader? Learn what each pass does, when it belongs in the workflow and how to choose the right help.
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How to Position a Book Before Launch
Read the Article: How to Position a Book Before LaunchPosition your book before launch by choosing one truthful hook, aligning the cover and blurb, testing the promise and avoiding mixed signals.
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How Do You Get Through a First Draft?
Read the Article: How Do You Get Through a First Draft?How do you finish a first draft without getting trapped in revision, self-doubt or writer’s block? A practical guide to momentum, targets and reaching the end.
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How to Build a Story World That Feels Real
Read the Article: How to Build a Story World That Feels RealBuild a believable story world without drowning the reader in lore. Practical guidance on setting, sensory detail, continuity, geography and revealing place through character.
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How to Research a Novel Without Letting Research Stop You Writing
Read the Article: How to Research a Novel Without Letting Research Stop You WritingResearch can enrich a novel—or become a very convincing way to avoid writing it. Here’s a practical method for finding trustworthy detail, verifying the facts that matter and getting back…
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Whose Story Is This Anyway?
Read the Article: Whose Story Is This Anyway?Who should tell your novel’s story? A practical guide to first person, third person, multiple viewpoints, head-hopping and choosing the character whose perspective serves the book.
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What Genre Is Your Novel—and Who Is It For?
Read the Article: What Genre Is Your Novel—and Who Is It For?How do you identify your novel’s genre and target audience without strangling the creative process? A practical guide to reader expectations, genre whiplash and commercial sense.
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When Characters Stop Sounding Like People
Read the Article: When Characters Stop Sounding Like PeopleWhy do fictional characters suddenly sound like the same author moving from chair to chair? A practical guide to natural dialogue, subtext, distinct voices and knowing when to stop explaining.
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Traditional Publishing or Independent Publishing?
Read the Article: Traditional Publishing or Independent Publishing?Traditional publishing offers structure and reach; independent publishing offers control and responsibility. Here is how a new author can decide which difficult job actually suits them.
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When Should You Show Your Novel to Other People?
Read the Article: When Should You Show Your Novel to Other People?When should you show your novel to other people? A veteran author-publisher explains when feedback helps, who to trust and why fresh eyes are limited.
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So You Finished the Book. Now What?
Read the Article: So You Finished the Book. Now What?Finishing a book is worth celebrating. It is also the moment editing, production, metadata, distribution and discoverability arrive carrying clipboards.
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How Do You Know When a Novel Isn’t Working?
Read the Article: How Do You Know When a Novel Isn’t Working?A stalled scene is not necessarily a failed novel. Here is how to separate an awkward writing day from a manuscript that genuinely needs attention.
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Before the Internet, the Postman Was the Algorithm
Read the Article: Before the Internet, the Postman Was the AlgorithmHow did authors submit manuscripts before the internet? By post, with paper, patience and return envelopes—the postman was the algorithm, and rejection arrived in handwriting.
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Must Writers Write Every Day?
Read the Article: Must Writers Write Every Day?Must writers write every day? A veteran author explains discipline, nocturnal routines, word-count targets and when a missed day is simply a missed day.
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Do Writers Need to Read Constantly?
Read the Article: Do Writers Need to Read Constantly?Must writers read constantly to write well? An experienced author explains why reading helps—but observation, practice and honest reader feedback matter too.
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How Much Research Does a Novel Need?
Read the Article: How Much Research Does a Novel Need?How much research does a novel need before preparation becomes procrastination? Research enough to begin, let the draft expose the real gaps, and fill them without allowing the filing cabinet…
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Is Your Idea Really a Novel?
Read the Article: Is Your Idea Really a Novel?How do you know whether a story idea can sustain a novel? Test for pressure, change, characters and enough unanswered questions to carry a full book.
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Do You Need to Outline a Novel?
Read the Article: Do You Need to Outline a Novel?Do you need to outline a novel before writing it? A veteran author explains discovery writing, working out of order and building a story through character.
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I’m Thinking of Writing a Book. Where Do I Start?
Read the Article: I’m Thinking of Writing a Book. Where Do I Start?Thinking of writing a book? Follow the complete journey from testing the idea and writing the novel to editing, publishing, finding readers and discovering where the money went.