What tasks should authors outsource?
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What tasks should authors outsource?

Authors can’t do everything. What should they hire others to do for them? Assuming you’re working with a publisher rather than self-publishing, here’s a list, ranging from tasks you really shouldn’t outsource to those you probably ought to. Do this yourself. Here’s what you can’t or shouldn’t delegate. You could outsource these tasks, but don’t…

The 15 biggest regrets that authors have — and how to avoid them

The 15 biggest regrets that authors have — and how to avoid them

I work with dozens of authors. A lot of them end up surprised, regretful, or sad about what happened in the process of creating and promoting their books. “If I’d only known,” they say. Unfortunately, everyone in the publishing process has an incentive to hide, or at least ignore, some fundamental challenges. Publishers want you…

What the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster merger means to authors

What the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster merger means to authors

The biggest publishing house, Penguin Random House, is merging with the number three publisher, Simon & Schuster. Here’s what that means for you as an author: lower advances, less service, more publisher nickel-and-diming, and still more of the responsibility for success landing on you. Publishing houses struggle to maintain profits and market power in a…

Therapy questions for prospective nonfiction authors

Therapy questions for prospective nonfiction authors

I help authors. They’re all over the map. Some are experiencing the earliest glimmerings of author ambitions, while others have written hundreds of pages (possibly in a productive way, possibly not). By the time they get to me, I become their therapist. It’s my job to figure out their problems and recommend the best course…