I’ve recently gotten a slew of reports of emails purporting to be from editors at Big 5 and other large publishers, in which the supposed editor expresses interest in the writer’s work and asks whether they have a literary agent. I’ve posted a number of examples below. Apologies for so many images, but I wantedRead More

Alt: Happy 4th of July Butterfly

Impersonation scams in publishing tend to be variations on a theme, since the goal is always the same: to sell you something. In that sense, the scams below, which are aimed at tricking writers into paying for editing, don’t break new ground. Still, the approaches are distinctive, and I’ve seen enough examples at this pointRead More

Drowning is not the violent, splashing, call for help that most people expect. In this article, Mario explains what drowning really looks like and how to recognize it when its happening.

The Authors Guild has published an updated version of its AI best practices for writers, clarifying and refining its guidance in response to questions from authors navigating an evolving and often…

When starting a business so you can self-publish a book, you’ll likely need to purchase materials so you can write. These start-up costs are the expenses you incur before you actually begin busines…

A lot of writers find their writing is quite disorderly where these two similar-sounding words are concerned.Tousle means to rumple or mess up, such as your hair or bed sheets. To wit, Auntie Jane …

• How to use Track Changes on your manuscriptMost editors who review a manuscript that is in a Microsoft Word file will use the Track Changes function to correct an author’s work. As an a…

Every independent bookstore that has signed up to participate in Bookstore Romance Day 2026 thus far. If you don’t see your favorite, encourage them to join us! A link to the registration for…

In a perfect world, your book baby would be in the hands of a publishing team who would love it as much as you do and use their passion and resources to...