For independent and hybrid authors, understanding book returns is especially important because publishing arrangements differ in who controls returnability and who absorbs the costs. Fortunately, you don’t need to become a distribution expert to make an informed decision. You just…
If you’re wondering how to choose a book trim size, the best place to start is with your genre, manuscript length, and intended reading experience. You don’t need an unusual size to make your book distinctive. In fact, familiar dimensions…
For a debut novelist, the decision involves more than choosing how many books to write. It affects how you develop your first manuscript, approach potential publishers, and spend your time as a writer. A series can offer the satisfaction of…
If you’re sharing your novel chapter by chapter on Substack, Wattpad, Royal Road, or your own website, you may be wondering: Can you publish a book after serializing it? The answer is yes, but posting your manuscript online can affect…
“Bestseller” gets printed on more book covers than most readers realize, and that’s because the word means something different depending on which list put it there. Some lists count every sale, everywhere. Others rely on an editorial process you can’t…
If your memoir gets you sued, you—the author—are usually the one financially liable, not the publisher, because most publishing contracts include a warranty and indemnification clause that makes you responsible for the accuracy of your own story.
Print-on-demand pricing is built from three stacked costs—a flat production charge per copy, a distribution or “market access” fee taken as a percentage of your list price, and the trade discount wholesalers and bookstores require—and your royalty is whatever remains…
Why Most Books Belong on Screens and Shelves There’s nothing quite like holding a printed copy of your book. But many of your potential readers will never pick up a print book at all. They read on Kindles, phones, tablets,…
Accept, Adapt, Discuss, or Decline: A Guide to Editorial Notes You’ve spent months, maybe years, on your manuscript. Then the edit letter arrives: pages of notes, questions, and suggestions. Some feel exactly right. Some sting. A few make you wonder…
Merch and Swag Ideas to Help You Sell Books A bookmark tucked into a signed copy. A sticker on a reader’s laptop. A poster drawing people to your table at a book festival. Book merchandise turns your book’s cover and…
Give Your Book a Pitch Readers Can’t Resist A reader picks up your book, glances at the cover, and flips it over. Or they click your Amazon listing and scroll to the description. In the next few seconds, a short…
Professional vs. DIY vs. AI illustration In a picture book, the illustrations aren’t decoration. They’re half the story. Children “read” the pictures long before they can read the words, and parents, teachers, librarians, and booksellers decide whether to pick up…
Should You Make an Audiobook? Costs, Benefits, and When It’s Worth It Audiobooks have become one of the most important ways readers find and enjoy books. Millions of people now “read” during commutes, workouts, chores, and walks, and many of…
Advice for First-Time Authors Writing and publishing a first book is a big undertaking, and much of the learning happens along the way. Most first-time authors run into the same questions: When is the manuscript ready? How much editing does…
Author Website Tips: What to Include on Your Author Website Readers who hear about your book, whether from a podcast, a review, a friend, or a bookstore event, will often search for your name next. What they find shapes whether…
What to Do When You Get a Bad Review Every author gets them eventually: the one-star review, the reader who “just didn’t connect,” the stinging line that runs through your head at 2 a.m. Negative reviews hurt, especially when they’re…
Navigating Alternatives: Rethinking Traditional Publishing Routes For many writers, landing a literary agent feels like the first big milestone on the road to publication. Agents can be powerful advocates. They open doors to major publishers, negotiate better deals, and guide…
As a writer, knowing your audience is crucial. Writing without knowing who you’re writing for is like trying to hit a target blindfolded—you’re bound to miss if you don’t know where you’re aiming. But what does it really mean to…
Paid Editorial Reviews: Are They Worth It for Your Book? Professional reviews, whether paid editorial reviews or otherwise, carry weight. A strong line from a respected outlet can go on your cover, sit at the top of your Amazon page,…
Revising & Publishing a New Edition of Your Book Your book is out in the world, but maybe it isn’t quite the book you’d write today. The statistics are out of date. The cover looks like it came from a…
Atmosphere Press is reading for potential publication in all genres, with no restrictive submission guidelines. You’ll be invited to schedule your pitch call with an Acquisitions Editor right away.