Am I wasting my time and money in this MFA program?
Is there a world in which I can teach without an MFA?
Creating (and maintaining) a literary community without an MFA
II. Getting it out there
The logline and the project summary as (potential) writing tools
Why you should keep submitting work, regardless of rejection
Can I send multiple submissions?
Applying for awards and fellowships as an emerging writer
Book reviewing and author interviews
What to expect when you’re not expecting virality
Dealing with trolls and negative comments
III. Getting paid
How will I get health insurance as a writer?
Can I call myself a writer if I’m not making money from my writing yet?
Supplementing your income, a.k.a. the side hustle
Hey, Mister, where’s my money?
Can I stay in my corporate job without losing my creative edge?
If I have children, will I ever write again?
IV. Getting it represented
If I want to get my book published, I absolutely, positively need to have an agent, right?
I’m a poet. Should I be looking for an agent?
I’m ready for an agent. Is my manuscript?
How to find the right agent for your work
The agent query process
How to stay sane while you’re waiting for an agent’s response
Holy crap! An actual human agent has replied!
Preparing to submit to editors
Can we sell my first book on a proposal?
We’ve got nibbles! (a.k.a. setting up editorial phone calls)
How do I know which editor to choose?
What if the offer sucks?
Should I take a two-book deal?
What if everyone says no?
V. Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about advances, but were too afraid to ask
How do I know whether or not I got a good advance?
What is everyone else getting?
Merits of small advances
The pros and cons of big ones
Do you have to earn out to be successful?
Budgeting your advance
I. Prepublication
Reining in your ego
The social media announcement about your big book deal
The publishing contract
Surviving the editorial letter
How to set—and meet—your book deadline
Developmental edits
Meeting your book’s team
You drive me crazy: the things authors do that drive publishing professionals nuts
When your title’s not your title
Manuscript acceptance
Setting a launch date
The blurb discussion starts
Gulp! Your cover concept is revealed
You get assigned a publicist. Or you don’t.
Little orphan writer
Internal presentations and book conferences
First-, second-, and third-pass edits (a.k.a. the last time you can change something)
On acknowledgments
The author photo
Writing your author bio
Creating an author website
The marketing brainstorm
Understanding