If you value professional quality and creative autonomy, paying to publish can be a smart investment. A reputable hybrid publisher helps your book reach the market with polish and purpose—without the years of waiting or gatekeeping that often come with traditional publishing.
Nan Evenson has published three books. The first two in the Not Really series, Good Night (Not Really): Let’s Count Forward AND Backward and It’s a Terrible Day (Not Really): Let’s Count by Twos, are unusual counting picture books that have won several awards, making her Ukrainian illustrator and herself quite proud. The third book, Walk On, is a middle-grade/young adult historical fiction, Western-type adventure novel published by Atmosphere Press in 2025. She has also published and won awards for several short stories. Her love for young people, cultures, history, and the less well-known inspires her writing.
Christina Owens is a seeker of life’s many discoveries. With Oklahoma in her heart and Virginia beneath her feet, she carries both places as home. One grounds her beginnings, the other shapes her becoming.
Teresa Torba Stepp is an author and visionary storyteller whose work invites readers to step into the timeless journey of the soul. Blending faith, spiritual wisdom, and the profound lessons carried across lifetimes, she writes with the intention of healing hearts and helping souls rediscover their voice.
David Andrew Tittle is a multicultural poet and writer, born and raised on the US/Mexico border in Calexico, California. His work blends sharp social commentary with wit and moments of raw tenderness, exploring identity, resistance, love, grief, and moral clarity.
I am in my late forties. A dad, a husband. A concerned citizen. I have always enjoyed being creative, and story writing has gripped me more than I ever thought it would. I hope my works are enjoyed by many.
I’m Desmond Knipe, author of the NAMUH Trilogy—metaphysical science fiction about awakening, choice, and what we might become when we grow kinder and braver. NAMUH Book 1: The Awakening launched on August 8 and blends big-idea sci-fi with spiritual curiosity. I’m building a connected reader world—books, audio, community, and more—at namuhtrilogy.com.
Madison lives on the east coast of North Carolina, where she embraces the roles of full-time mother, wife, and educator. When she isn’t writing or teaching, she can often be found outdoors—whether walking beneath coastal pines, tending a garden, or chasing the salty air of the shoreline. She has a deep love for homemade meals shared around the table, especially when paired with a glass of cabernet. Her writing is rooted in both family and imagination, weaving together the beauty of daily life with the wonder of storytelling.
Zach Adams has had a passion for writing and storytelling their entire life. However, they didn’t decide to pursue it as a profession until they realised that working in retail was completely draining their remaining life force. And so, Adams set out to create a fascinating and captivating universe, which they achieved in their debut novel and album, Dead Man Walking.
A voracious reader since preschool, Ekta was one of those ‘nerdy’ kids who competed in spelling bees. If her parents wanted to punish her, they would take away her books, so Ekta made sure to behave. She got her start in niche publishing in 2005 and has written about and edited everything from healthcare to home improvement to Hindi films.
Annabel Youens originally studied creative writing at the University of Victoria before falling into ‘her own alternate dimension’—the world of tech. As employee number eleven at Abebooks.com and co-founder of two global startups, she spent twenty years building companies in New Zealand, California, and her home base of Victoria, BC, before returning to her first love: storytelling. At age forty-six, she resigned her chief marketing officer position to pursue her authorial dreams, founding Salt Line Press and completing her debut novel. Thread Traveller explores themes close to her heart: the possibility of reinvention at any age, the cost of putting everyone else first, and the radical act of choosing yourself.
Tom’s debut novel, Moving in Stereo, about a troubled tennis professional from the nineties, won an American Writing Award. He received an MFA in creative writing from Hamline University, where he’s also taught creative writing, and his work has been published in Glimmer Train, The Under Review, and elsewhere. With his latest work, one reviewer wrote, “a novel steeped in a vivid sense of place and culture…women confront men, men confront themselves and each other, and life goes on.” He calls Minneapolis his home.
In this article, you’ll learn what a foreword is and who should write it, how to craft a compelling preface, what makes a strong introduction, and why an afterword can leave a lasting impression. By the end, you’ll have clear guidance on how to approach the parts of a book so your work feels polished, professional, and reader-ready!
This guide will show you how to punctuate dialogue clearly and confidently. We’ll cover the essential rules, common mistakes to avoid, and advanced scenarios. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to make your dialogue read smoothly and professionally!
AI training and author rights have become one of the most urgent issues in modern publishing. As artificial intelligence systems become increasingly capable of writing, summarizing, and even mimicking human style, authors are asking: Where did these models get their data — and was it used with permission? The recent Anthropic settlement highlighted that copyrighted books have sometimes been used to train large language models (LLMs) without the authors’ consent.
Horror novels have a way of ensnaring readers, eliciting spine-tingling chills, and leaving them sleepless long after the final page. But how do you go about writing a horror novel that does justice to the genre? In this guide, I’ll walk you through the essential steps and key elements that will help you craft a gripping horror masterpiece.
Mystery novels have a unique allure, drawing readers into a web of intrigue, suspense, and thrilling surprises. As a writer who has ventured into the realm of mystery fiction, I understand the art of crafting a compelling mystery that keeps readers eagerly turning the pages. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share the essential steps, techniques, and insights you need to write a gripping mystery novel that will leave your audience craving for more. Let’s dive into the intricate world of mystery writing, starting with the foundations:
Meeting one-on-one with an Acquisitions Editor (AE) is an exciting opportunity for you to learn about the publishing process and to ask whatever questions you have. Publication is a long-term partnership, and this call is how we determine whether teaming up on your book is the right fit for both sides. It’s the final step of our acceptance process.
Authors around the world are facing an alarming rise in scams designed to exploit their passion for writing. From vanity presses demanding upfront fees to fraudulent literary agents and fake review services, unscrupulous actors are constantly finding new ways to target writers. Recent waves even include AI-generated emails that mimic personalized pitches based on your book’s description, making author scams harder to spot.
Writing a book is rarely a straight path. Even the most dedicated authors encounter moments of doubt, distraction, and frustration. Perhaps the story refuses to flow, or the outline feels tangled, or motivation simply wanes mid-project… These writing challenges are not signs of failure—they are part of the writing process itself!