STAGE 05

Publishing & Sharing

Bring your book to readers

Traditional or self-published, your manuscript needs to reach readers. Navigate the publishing landscape with confidence.

ARTICLES IN THIS STAGE
Traditional vs. Self-Publishing: Choosing Your Path

An honest comparison of traditional and self-publishing for fiction writers. Learn how each path works, what the numbers actually look like, and a framework for deciding which is right for your book and career.

12 min read Read article →
KEY CONCEPTS

Glossary terms for this stage

Advance

Money a publisher pays you upfront before your book is published, drawn against the royalt...

Advance Reader Copy

A pre-publication copy of your book sent to reviewers, bloggers, and booksellers to genera...

Anthology

A curated collection of works by multiple authors, usually organized around a shared theme...

ARC

An advance reader copy sent to reviewers, bloggers, and influencers before a book's offici...

Audiobook

An audio recording of a book, narrated by a professional voice actor or the author, that l...

Author Newsletter

A regular email sent by an author to subscribers, used to build a direct relationship with...

Author Platform

Your visibility, reach, and ability to connect with readers and sell books through your au...

Back Matter

The pages at the end of a book after the main text, including acknowledgments, about the a...

Backlist

Books that have been out for a while but are still in print and generating sales, often fo...

Backlist Discovery

When readers find and champion books that were published months or years ago, giving older...

Big Five Publishers

The five largest publishing conglomerates that dominate the traditional book industry: Pen...

Blurb

The short, punchy description on the back of a book designed to hook readers, or a praise ...

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