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What Is a Sensitivity Read? What It Covers, What It Costs, and When Your Manuscript Needs One
A sensitivity read checks your manuscript for stereotypes and false notes. Here’s what it is, who does it, what it costs, and whether your book needs one.
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Catherine Forrest
2 days ago8 min read


4 Steps to Accepting Criticism Without Getting Defensive (A Writer’s Guide)
Accepting criticism is hard, and defensiveness is normal. Here are 4 steps for telling criticism from attack and using feedback to improve your writing.
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Catherine Forrest
2 days ago10 min read


Readers’ Advisory for Writers: 3 Things Librarians Can Teach You About Your Own Writing
Readers’ advisory is how librarians match books to readers. Here’s how writers can use it to figure out why they love a book and write more of it.
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Catherine Forrest
2 days ago8 min read


3 Types of Sneaky Writing Feedback (and What Your Reader Is Really Telling You)
Not every critique sounds like one. Here are 3 sneaky types of writing feedback, from “I didn’t finish it” to “No notes!”, and how to act on each.
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Catherine Forrest
2 days ago8 min read


How Book Pricing Works: Why Books Cost What They Do (and How to Price Yours)
Book pricing is part art, part science. Here’s why books cost what they cost, why e-books aren’t cheaper, and how to price your own self-published book.
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Catherine Forrest
2 days ago9 min read


4 Reasons Your Manuscript Gets Rejected (And What to Do About Each One)
Manuscript rejection is rarely personal — but it’s rarely random either. Here are the 4 most common reasons agents and editors pass, and what each one actually tells you about your next move.
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Catherine Forrest
Oct 2310 min read


Book Copyright Registration: 3 Things You Need and the Law Most Indie Authors Don’t Know About
You already own the copyright to your book the moment you write it. So why register? Here’s what copyright registration actually requires, when it matters, and the mandatory deposit law that applies to every US publication.
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Catherine Forrest
Oct 239 min read


What Traditional Publishing Actually Offers That You Can’t Buy Anywhere Else
Self-publishing is faster and cheaper than ever. So what does traditional publishing still offer that authors can’t replicate on their own? The answer isn’t editing or marketing—it’s something more fundamental.
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Catherine Forrest
Oct 239 min read


The Reader Is Always Right: How to Think About Your Book Audience (and Stop Arguing With Taste)
“The customer is always right” doesn’t mean what most people think—and for authors, understanding what it actually means changes how you write, market, and respond to feedback about your book audience.
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Catherine Forrest
Oct 97 min read


How to Ethically Consume Content From Problematic Authors (Without Giving Up Books You Love)
What do you do when a book you love was written by a problematic author? Here are six concrete strategies for reading ethically without burning your whole TBR to the ground.
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Catherine Forrest
Oct 99 min read


Which Style Manual Do You Actually Need? A Plain-English Guide for Writers and Editors
CMS, APA, AP, AMA, MLA — choosing the right style manual depends entirely on what you’re writing and who you’re writing it for. Here’s how to find yours.
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Catherine Forrest
Oct 98 min read


Creative Commons Licenses Explained: A Writer's Guide to Open Access Publishing
What is a Creative Commons license—and should you use one for your writing? Learn the difference between open access and free access, all 6 CC license types, and what open access means for federally funded research.
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Catherine Forrest
Sep 186 min read


Book Returns Explained: What Self-Publishing Authors Need to Know Before Going Wide
Book returns can cost self-publishing authors real money—but most don't know how the system works until it's too late. Learn how returns work with IngramSpark, KDP, and brick-and-mortar bookstores before you decide how to publish.
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Catherine Forrest
Sep 189 min read


Book Cover Design Explained: What Authors Need to Know About C1, C4, Blurbs, and More
What goes on a book cover—and why? Learn the anatomy of professional book cover design, from front cover to spine to back cover blurbs, with insider tips for both traditionally published and self-publishing authors.
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Catherine Forrest
Sep 188 min read


How to Create an Author Website: A Beginner's Guide for Writers
An author website helps readers find you, showcases your bibliography, and gives journalists and event organizers a place to pull your bio and press photo. Here's how to build one from scratch — what pages to create, what to put on them, and which platforms make it easy even if you're not a web designer.
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Catherine Forrest
Aug 277 min read
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