Traditional publishing is an exciting place with a plethora of talented industry folks. But how do you get one of them to take notice of your book? The answer is to have a killer query letter. A query letter is a one-page document that shares about your book and introduces you as the author. Let’s start with breaking the query into its parts so we can analyze each piece. I’ll be using a real query letter submitted to me that … Read More »

Illustrators have beautiful, creative minds that can enhance your story exponentially. As with any working relationship, you want to have a good, productive one. The better you both work together, the better the book will turn out. If you are looking for an illustrator, check out this blog post: Where Can I Find an Illustrator? Once you’ve narrowed it down to one or more you’d like to reach out to, it’s important to follow the etiquette to get off on … Read More »

Book covers are one of your most important marketing tools. People will judge your book by its cover. Is it fair? No. Is it reality? Yes. So let’s help you get the best cover you can possibly have, whether you are creating it yourself or hiring a designer. Start with Research The great news is that we live in a time when looking at masses of book covers is quick and easy. No more venturing to the library and making … Read More »

We’re excited to welcome NRK Designs as a sponsor of Florida WritersCon 2025 held on October 17–19, 2025 in Orlando, FL. For more than 20 years, founder Nancy R Koucky has been helping authors and small businesses transform their manuscripts and ideas into beautifully designed books, magazines, and marketing materials. About NRK Designs NRK Designs provides complete professional book design and formatting services using the latest publishing software.  Services include interior formatting and design, book covers, digital books, and marketing … Read More »

We’re delighted to welcome Newhouse Creative Group (NCG) as a sponsor of Florida WritersCon 2025 held on October 17–19, 2025 in Orlando, FL. Founded in 2017 by Keith Newhouse and his father, Mark Newhouse, NCG was built on the principle that every story has a purpose. Today, they inspire the readers and writers of both today and tomorrow. About Newhouse Creative Group Author Services NCGAuthorServices.com is the tool to easy publishing and marketing: Full services (let us do the work) … Read More »

My work is primarily traditionally published, and I’ve worked with a number of editors at several small, medium-sized and large publishing houses (think Random House, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Each editor has his/her/their way of working with an author. Over the years I’ve learned that if I can meet their needs a good portion of the time the whole process moves along pretty smoothly. Of course, there may be the unexpected catastrophe—an imprint folds, and editor leaves and your manuscript is … Read More »