Blog
Do You Need to Include a Table of Contents or Index?
One of the questions our authors frequently ask us is whether or not they need a table of contents, and index, both, or neither. This is a big question because while it doesn't mean much to the author's main content, it can mean a lot to the reader. So here's our...
6 Tips For A Better Book Cover
I have some bad news. People do judge your book by its cover. Your cover is actually one of the most crucial pieces of your published book. After all, what does it matter if you wrote a revolutionary life-changing guide or the most gripping mystery if nobody opens the...
Choosing the Right Font For Your Book
How a book reads is an important detail that can be easily overlooked in the publishing process. But if your book's text isn't attractive and easy to read, then readers will be turned off before they even get into your message or story. Too much text, small margins,...
Page Elements Explained
As an author, you've probably spent more time worrying about what goes on the page than what goes around it. But as a reader, you've likely relied on the little print around the margins--you know, the stuff that tells you the author's name, what chapter you're...
Choosing the Right Trim Size For Your Book
When it comes to publishing a book, there are many details that authors often don't think of until the time comes to make a decision. The size of the book is one such detail. For example, you might think you want a "small" book, but what exactly does that mean? There...
Ask the Author: Reflections of a Narrator & Author on Producing an Audiobook
How are audiobooks changing the publishing industry? What is involved in the production of an audiobook? What is it like for an author to have her book narrated by someone other than herself? This month we interview author Kate Rademacher and audiobook narrator Becket...
Your Book is Published! Time to Relax?
Think Again! By Nancy Panko, Author of Guiding Missal After ten years of researching, writing, resting, and repeating the process over and over, my book Guiding Missal was published. One of my crowning achievements as a human being and a writer was also one of the...
Industry Standards Checklist Raises the Bar
To give both authors and book industry professionals an at-a-glance method by which to gauge the professional presentation of a book, the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) – ibpa-online.org – has released a 2-page Industry Standards Checklist for a...
Stop the Presses—DON’T Publish that Book
By Elizabeth Turnbull As the Senior Editor for a small publishing company, I see a lot of potential books pass through my hands. To be honest, most of the manuscript submissions we receive have great potential. The themes are creative and timely, the information is...
Authors – Do Not Read This At Home
As an author, you've probably been told time and time again that great authors read great books. You can't write if you don't read. And as an author, you probably always have a book by your bed, one on the kitchen table and another in the living room. Books lined up...
How Do You Know You Are Ready To Publish?
Sometimes, knowing when you're ready to publish is as hard as writing the manuscript. There are always final edits, and you could have a thousand final drafts. (FinalDraft.doc, ReallyFinalDraft.doc, ReallyReallyFinalDraft.doc, OkThisOneIsItFinalDraft.doc.) Sound...
How to Build an Author Platform Without a Book
It’s no secret that your author career benefits from having an active online presence. It’s also well known that there’s no fast way to build a platform that will last long into your career and bring the results you’re hoping for time and time again.
How to Get a Book Published – Exploring the Paths to Publication
Most authors, after typing “The End” for the first time on their manuscript, very quickly learn there’s a lot more to the publishing industry than meets the eye. After all, their cousin is making decent income from the book they published on Amazon, and authors like Steven King and J.K. Rowling have brought publishing into the public eye. Why shouldn’t they have that same type of success?
But the deeper they dig, the more there is to learn about the publishing industry, and it turns out there are a lot of ways to get a book published.
What to Prepare Before You Create Your Author Website
You’ve decided you’re ready to pursue publication. Whether you’re going to self publish, hybrid publish, or go a more traditional route, it’s likely you’ll eventually need to put together a website. You have a few options for how you can go about this, but no matter which way you choose, you’ll need to be prepared with material to populate your website.
As you gather this material, think about the experience you want your site visitors to have. This is your first impression. What impression do you want them to have?
How to Use TikTok as an Author
Over the last few years, and especially over the Covid-19 pandemic, TikTok has become one of the most powerful social media platforms available to authors and influencers.
TikTok has a proven track record of taking someone who is relatively unknown and giving them a seemingly unlimited stage. As one of the top ten most used social media platforms, TikTok is becoming the space to be.
Resources and Discussion Questions for Book Clubs
You gather your friends and the snacks. We have the books and the discussion covered.
How to Answer “What’s Your Book About?” and Other Terrifying Questions
There is one question most authors dread more than any other question in the world. Your friends ask it, your family asks it, your followers ask it. And someday, your readers will ask it, too.
“What’s your book about?”
No matter what stage of the writing process you’re in—whether you’re just beginning the first draft or you’re sitting at a table in a bookstore for an author signing, this question (or some variation on it) will crop up.
3 Ways a Book Could Support Your Business
Whether you live on the road, spend most of your days teaching students, clients, or customers, or you manage your own trade business and sell handmade products, a book could help your business reach new markets and your advice reach new customers.
Not convinced yet? Here are three ways a book may support your business.
5 Email Marketing Tips for New Authors
It’s no secret that email lists are one of the best marketing tools to have in your belt. They allow you to reach your followers in one of the most intimate ways any person or brand can—their inbox.
Should you Blog as an Author?
Whether you’re beginning your author platform or multiple years in and looking for the next right addition, you’ve probably thought about starting a blog. Your options are endless, beginning can be daunting, and it can be hard to narrow down your niche so your blog can be as effective as possible.