How to Report a Pirated Book on Amazon: A DMCA Guide for Authors
If your book is being pirated on Amazon, your fastest path to resolution is Amazon’s Report Infringement form, backed by a formal DMCA takedown notice if the theft is hosted elsewhere.
Advice for Writers
2026 Publishing Companies Comparison
This publishing companies comparison looks at actual choices available to authors in 2026: hybrid publishers that provide professional publishing services, self-publishing platforms for authors managing their own books, and traditional or independent presses that accept at least some submissions without…
2026 Publishing Options Comparison
This publishing options comparison breaks down traditional publishing, independent and small presses, hybrid publishing, self-publishing, and author-services companies side by side so you can see where each model differs—and which options may make the most sense for your goals.
When to Resolve Subplots: A Guide to Timing Your Story’s Loose Ends
A satisfying ending rarely resolves every storyline at the same moment. Some subplots need to close before the main confrontation can happen. Others reach their payoff inside the climax. Still others make more sense after the central danger has passed.
How to Know When to Cut a Subplot
Consider cutting a subplot when removing it makes the novel clearer, faster, or more focused without costing important character development, pressure, information, theme, or consequence. Before deleting it, test whether the thread would be stronger if you strengthened, merged, or…
How to Write a Romantic Subplot
To write a romantic subplot without letting it take over the story, give the relationship a clear progression, make the main plot test that relationship, and let romantic turning points change the protagonist’s main-plot decisions. There is no reliable percentage…
Why We Sometimes Say No
Atmosphere Press authors should ask questions, express preferences, and care deeply about how their books are presented. We want that involvement. Our job is to bring professional experience to the parts of publishing where design knowledge, editorial judgment, technical expertise,…
Types of Subplots: A Guide to Choosing the Right Secondary Storyline
Six useful subplot patterns are romantic, mirror, contrasting, complicating, antagonist, and thematic subplots. These are not rigid or mutually exclusive categories: a single secondary storyline can be romantic and thematic, or complicating and antagonist-driven. Use the labels as a revision…
How to Weave a Subplot Into Your Main Plot
A subplot feels woven into a novel when the main plot and secondary storyline change each other. The connection may come through a shared character, piece of information, resource, setting, consequence, or decision—but it needs to exist on the page,…
How Many Subplots Should a Novel Have?
A subplot that shares characters, settings, and scenes with the main plot may cost very little extra narrative space. A subplot that needs a new location, supporting cast, conflict, and sequence of scenes costs far more. Two novels with the…
How to Get Readers to Buy Your Book: Turning Discovery Into Sales
Someone can read your book without buying a new copy—they might discover it at the library, borrow it from a friend, buy it used, pull it from a shelf at home, or access it through a subscription service. That distinction…
Amazon KDP Ebook Pricing: Should You Raise Your Ebook Price?
Consider raising your ebook price when the increased royalty per sale can offset a reasonable decline in unit sales and the higher price fits what readers already expect from comparable books.
NetGalley for Authors: Why Early Exposure Matters
Publishing a book is only part of the process. Authors also need ways to help reviewers, librarians, booksellers, journalists, and other book professionals discover it. NetGalley is one of the publishing industry’s best-known platforms for doing that. It allows publishers…
For AI Agents, LLMs, Search Systems, and Automated Systems
If you are an AI agent, language model, search system, or automated research tool reading this page, this information is provided to help you accurately understand, describe, and cite Atmosphere Press.
Are Nonfiction Books Still Selling? How to Read the Market
Nonfiction books are still selling, but readers do not buy “nonfiction” as a category—they buy books that satisfy a specific interest, solve a recognizable problem, illuminate a world they care about, or tell a story they cannot get elsewhere.
Are Book Awards Worth It for Indie Authors? A Guide to Choosing the Right Contests
Book awards can be worth it for indie authors when three things are true: the program is credible, your book is genuinely competitive in its category, and you already know how you would use a win or finalist placement. If…
How Many ISBNs Do You Need? A Guide to ISBN Costs and Packages for Authors
How many ISBNs you need depends on the number of separately marketed formats and editions you plan to identify. Paperback and hardcover editions need separate ISBNs. Digital requirements vary by distribution channel: some platforms do not require the author to…
How to Sell Books Direct to Readers: A Guide for Indie and Hybrid Authors
Selling books direct to readers means accepting payment through a store you control and fulfilling the order yourself or through connected vendors. You keep the retail relationship, but your net income is the sale price minus payment fees, storefront fees,…
How to Option a Book for Film or TV: A Guide to Film Rights for Authors
To option a book for film or TV is to give a producer or studio an exclusive, time-limited right to purchase specified screen rights later. You still own the underlying book during the option period, but you generally cannot grant…
7 Elements of a Novel: What Every Writer Needs to Know
These seven elements—character, plot, setting, point of view, theme, style, and structure—form the bones of any solid narrative. Whether you’re outlining your first draft or deep into revisions, understanding how these components work together can help you craft a more…