Submissions

Choosing the right comp titles can make or break your query letter. Learn how to find realistic, well-performing comparison titles for your book using Goodreads, Amazon, and a simple spreadsheet method — from a publishing professional with 21+ years of experience.

There's no single best publisher — but there is a best publisher for your book. Here's how to use your comp titles to build a smart, targeted query list.

Your manuscript has bugs. Beta readers are how you find them before your readers do. Here's how to build the beta reading team that will actually make your book better—and who to use with caution.

Traditional publishers pay you. Vanity publishers charge you. Hybrid publishers do both. Know which one you're dealing with before you sign anything — because most of them will lie about it.

The slush pile: where manuscripts go to be ignored by everyone except the lowest-paid person in the building. If you're querying, here's what's actually happening to your submission—and five ways to make sure it never hits slush in the first place.