Dear Karin, I’m an assistant to the author AUTHOR NAME, and we are seeking representation for his children’s picture book intended for middle grade audiences. BOOK TITLE is complete at 570 words and features a heartwarming tale of wisdom passed on from the older generation, and relatable and educational reasons as to why children need […]
Writing in Small Steps to Reach Big Mile...
As I started working on this article, I realized it would be my 100th blog post. I’ve been writing for my business blog for over four years, so 100 posts may not seem like a huge number to you. I know some people who blog weekly, producing 100 blog posts in two years; Seth Godin […]
How to Begin Writing a Nonfiction Book
On a recent call with my mastermind group, we were talking about the value of writing a book to support your business, and one member said, “Writing a book seems like a good idea, but I have absolutely no idea where to start!” I hear this a lot. How to begin writing a nonfiction book? […]
Match Your Nonfiction Writing Approach t...
Originally posted on the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) blog. “I know it’s messy, but you know me—I’m a pantser.” My editing client knew his topic inside and out, but his book manuscript read like it was the first time he’d ever touched the topic. We had to do a lot of rewriting and revision […]
A Comprehensive Guide to ISBNs
Originally published May 25, 2020; most recently updated March 1, 2022. When I presented “Self-publishing 101” at a conference, one of the biggest topics during the Q&A was ISBNs. Lots of questions and lots of confusion surfaced. ISBNs are one of the elements of indie publishing that took me a long time to figure out, […]
Reader Personas: Know Your Audience
Pre-social distancing, I had dinner with Hilary Davidson, author of Dress in the Age of Jane Austen, before she spoke to the North Carolina Region of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA). Her book is a beautiful work, replete with full-color illustrations of Regency Era dress and robust descriptions of the clothes and […]
How Readers Choose Books: Lessons from J...
I can be a little judgy sometimes… Literally. I judge things. Essay contests. Grant applications. Poetry submissions. I recently judged twenty self-published books for a national writing magazine’s contest. While I’d hoped to judge nonfiction so I could share with you what I was seeing in the indie nonfiction space, I ended up judging children’s picture […]
Should you update your book? Maybe, mayb...
A past client contacted me to ask if I would make a few minor changes to his book, which we’d published three years earlier. I decided that if we were updating his book anyway, I should reread the whole thing for other needed editorial adjustments. As I read, I flagged items for consideration. I was […]
How Short Can Your Book Be?
The most popular article on my website—by far—is How Long Should Your Nonfiction Book Be?. My writerly answer: “Use as many words as you need and no more.” My strategic answer: “Match your book length to your readers’ needs and your brand promise—while paying attention to genre norms.” My practical answer: “Probably 30,000 words for […]
KDP vs. IngramSpark: Which Publishing Pl...
Originally published February 18, 2019; most recently updated November 22, 2021. To keep things simple for first-time authors, I often suggest they stick with Amazon’s ecosystem, using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) for both ebooks and print books. However, there is another major player in the print-on-demand (POD) space: IngramSpark (IS), which is the POD service from […]
Position Your Book for Top Billing on th...
This two-part series looks at how to position your book for top billing online. In Part 1, we looked at front-of-house elements that make your book appealing to your audience: cover design, title, description. In Part 2, we cover the behind-the-scenes elements that make your book findable: metadata. You’re at a Broadway show. In the […]
Position Your Book for Top Billing on th...
You’ve written your book; it’s been edited by a professional. Your beta readers loved it. It’s finally time to send your baby out into the world. Whether you’re publishing in the Amazon ecosystem or going broader, make sure you’ve considered both front-of-house and behind-the-scenes essentials of indie publishing. In this two-part series we will look […]