Tag: publishing
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Now booking coaching clients for July
I had a Publishing Plan coaching call with this writer who was feeling overwhelmed by their book idea and frustrated by their lack of “progress.” Here’s what they said about our session: “In our first hour of coaching, Amanda got right to the heart of the key issue that was holding me back, devised a […]
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Dear Editors: Kilometrestones
Dear Editors, Book publishing moves so slowly, doesn’t it? There’s rarely an opportunity to yell “Stop the presses!” as we have plenty of lead time to update manuscripts and check proofs. Also, with the exception of some exceptional small presses (Coach House in Toronto, I’m looking at you), most publishing houses don’t have an actual […]
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What is a book proposal, and do you need one?
When an editor “acquires” a book, that means they buy it. An acquisitions editor usually works in house, for a traditional publisher. Penguin Random House, Milkweed Editions, and Scholastic are examples of traditional publishers. Generally, but not always, when they buy your book a publisher pays an advance against royalties, in several instalments tied to […]
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Dear Editors: Big city hair
Dear Editors, I was 25 when I landed an editorial internship at Knopf Canada, an imprint of what is now Penguin Random House Canada. I had recently finished my master’s in literature, and was having the time of my life in Vancouver: working at a cafe, biking around the city at all hours, going to […]
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The long game
“I’m planning on writing a novel,” she told me. “But I have a bunch of ‘life’ things to sort out at the moment. I’ll be in touch in September about working together in the fall.” “You can absolutely take your time,” I said. “But in my experience, booking an editor in September leads to pushing […]
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Editors, time to blow your own horn
There’s a tendency in writing and publishing to think of editors as “invisible.” It’s the author’s book, and the editor is working in service of the author and reader, but in some cases the editor is co-creating the idea and the words with the author. I’ve long advocated for editors to speak up about the […]
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So, you want to be a writer?
Too often, writing posts focus on the toil of being a writer. The rejections. The late nights and early mornings. The bleary eyes and sore shoulders. Writing on your lunch break, or while your kids nap. Stealing time away from life to write as if writing weren’t life itself. What these posts miss: The look of happiness […]
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Is this a book?
I live in a log house that was built in the 1970s. What I love about my house is that it’s so easy to see the bones of its construction. The contractors established a foundation, and then they started stacking logs. They followed a plan, and knew exactly which logs to place where—the slightly larger […]
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Editorial case study: Big Enough
When leading entrepreneur Lee LeFever set out to write his second book, it made sense to appeal to the business readership he had captured with his first book, The Art of Explanation. Lee and his wife and business partner, Sachi LeFever, are best known for their business Common Craft, one of the earliest e-commerce companies. […]
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How to pick your editor
Choosing your substantive editor may be one of the most important decisions you make in your publishing plan. A substantive editor is the editor who digs into the manuscript with you, shaping your idea, suggesting changes to tone or content, and asking questions on behalf of the eventual reader. Stereotypically, they’re the editor you see […]
Amanda Lewis 