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Editing Your Draft

Start with your own pass

Before spending money on a professional, do at least one full self-edit. Let the draft rest for a few weeks after finishing it, then read it start to finish without stopping to fix small things. Note big-picture problems (pacing, plot holes, characters who disappear) first, then go back for a line-by-line pass.

The four kinds of professional editing

These are usually done in this order, and most authors don't need all four. Pick based on budget and how confident you feel in each area.

• Developmental edit: big-picture feedback on plot, structure, pacing, and character. Done first, before the prose itself is polished, since it can mean rewriting whole sections.
• Line edit: sentence-level feedback on voice, flow, clarity, and word choice.
• Copyedit: grammar, punctuation, consistency (names, timeline, spelling), and adherence to a style guide.
• Proofread: the final pass before publishing, catching typos and formatting errors after everything else is locked in.

Finding an editor

Freelance marketplaces like Reedsy and the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) let you browse editors by genre and see their rates. Before committing to a full manuscript, send the same short chapter to two or three editors as a paid sample; comparing how each one handles identical material makes it much easier to judge quality and communication style than comparing quotes alone. Rates vary widely by genre, manuscript length, and the editor's experience, so there's no single "normal" price to expect.

Querying Agents & Publishers

This section is for the traditional-publishing path. If you're self-publishing, you can skip it, there's no agent or publisher to query.

What a query letter is

A one-page pitch email sent to a literary agent (or, less commonly, directly to a publisher that accepts unsolicited submissions). It typically has three parts: a hook that sums up your book in a few sentences, a short paragraph with your title, word count, genre, and a couple of comparable published titles ("comp titles"), and a brief bio (a sentence or two is normal, especially for a first book).

A template to adapt

There's no single required format, but this covers what most agents expect. Adjust the tone to fit your genre and always follow the specific agent's stated preferences over this.

Before you send anything

• Research agents who specifically represent your genre. Querying broadly without checking fit wastes both your time and theirs.
• Manuscript Wish List (#MSWL) and Publishers Marketplace are common places to find out what agents are actively looking for.
• QueryTracker is a widely used tool for organizing who you’ve queried and tracking responses.
• Follow each agent’s submission guidelines exactly; they vary (some want the first 10 pages pasted in, some want none), and not following them is one of the most common reasons a query gets an automatic pass.

Expect rejection, it's normal

Most queries, even good ones, get passed on; agents are judging fit with their own list and market conditions as much as quality. Querying widely (dozens of agents, sent in batches so you can adjust your letter based on early responses) is standard practice, not a sign something is wrong with your book.

Understanding Deals & Royalties

This is general orientation only. Before you sign anything, have a literary agent or a publishing/entertainment attorney review the actual contract; terms vary by publisher and by book, and a generic guide like this one can't tell you whether a specific offer is fair.

Two different shapes of deal

Self-publishing: you set your own price and keep the majority of each sale, with the exact percentage depending on the platform and price point you choose; check the current terms on whichever platform you publish through, since these can change.

Traditional publishing: the publisher typically pays an advance (money paid upfront against future royalties), and then a royalty percentage on sales after that advance "earns out." Advances and royalty rates vary enormously by publisher size, genre, and your track record, so there's no standard number to compare an offer against without professional context.

Terms worth understanding before you negotiate

• Rights granted: which formats and markets you’re licensing (print, ebook, audio, foreign languages, film/TV) and whether it’s all of them or a subset.
• Royalty rate: whether it’s based on cover price or net receipts, which can mean very different actual payouts.
• Reversion clause: the conditions under which rights come back to you if the book goes out of print or sales fall below a threshold.
• Non-compete clause: restrictions on what else you can publish while under contract.

Red flags worth pausing on

None of these automatically mean walk away, but each is worth specifically asking a professional about before you sign.

• Rights granted "in perpetuity" with no reversion clause at all, even if the book goes permanently out of print.
• Royalties based on "net receipts" without the contract defining what counts as a deduction before that number is calculated.
• A non-compete broad enough to block you from writing anything in the same genre, not just a directly competing book.
• An option clause on your next book with no time limit, or one that lets the publisher sit on it indefinitely before deciding.
• Subsidiary rights (audio, foreign language, film/TV) bundled in automatically instead of negotiated separately, especially at a low split.
• A "reserve against returns" (money withheld against future returned copies) with no cap and no schedule for when it gets paid out.

How to open a negotiation

You're allowed to ask. Almost every term in a first offer is a starting point, not a final answer. A few phrases that work:

• "Before I sign, I’d like to talk through [specific clause]. Can you walk me through the reasoning behind it?"
• "Is there flexibility on [royalty rate / advance / rights term]? I’d like to understand what’s actually negotiable here."
• "I’d like my agent or attorney to review this before we finalize anything."
• "Could we add a reversion clause tied to [a specific sales threshold or time period]?"

Where to get real help

A literary agent (who negotiates on your behalf, typically for a commission on what they sell) is the most common path to a fair deal in traditional publishing. The Authors Guild offers contract review as a member benefit, and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) is a good source for self-publishing-specific guidance. Treat any of these as a better source than a generic app or a forum post; publishing contracts are negotiable, and knowing what to push back on is exactly what professionals in this space do for a living.

Business & Tax Basics

This is general orientation for self-publishing in the US, not legal or tax advice. Rules vary by state, and a local accountant can answer your specific situation in one short call.

Do you need an LLC to self-publish?

No. In the US you can self-publish as an individual, under your own name or a pen name, without forming any business entity. KDP and most other retailers just ask for your tax information (a Social Security number or an EIN) when you set up the account. Without forming anything, you're treated as a sole proprietor, and your book earnings count as self-employment income.

What you don't need an LLC for

• Opening a KDP or Draft2Digital account.
• Buying your own ISBN. Individuals can buy them directly through Bowker.
• Owning your copyright. You own it automatically as the author; registering it with the Copyright Office is optional.
• Publishing under a pen name. The pen name goes on the cover and the listing, while your legal name stays on the account's tax information.

Why some authors form one anyway

• Some personal liability protection. It has limits, and it only holds up if you keep business and personal money separate.
• A business address on your copyright page and listings instead of your home address.
• A cleaner way to separate book income and expenses, though a separate bank account does most of that job without an LLC.
• Publishing under an imprint name. You can use an imprint name without an LLC, but some states want an assumed-name (DBA) registration for it.
• Tax planning later. Once a book earns real money, an accountant may suggest a different structure for tax reasons.

What it costs

State filing fees run from tens of dollars to a few hundred, and some states also charge annual fees, which can be much larger (California's minimum is $800 a year, for example). A registered agent service, if you use one, costs extra. Check your own state's Secretary of State website for current fees before deciding.

Taxes: track this from day one, with or without an LLC

• Book earnings are self-employment income. Once your net earnings pass a small threshold, you generally owe self-employment tax on top of regular income tax.
• Business expenses like editing, cover design, ISBNs, ads, and software may be deductible against your book income. Keep every receipt.
• If you expect to owe a meaningful amount, you may need to pay estimated taxes quarterly instead of one lump sum at filing time.
• Use a separate bank account or card for book income and expenses. It isn't legally required, but it makes everything else easier.
• Major retailers like Amazon collect and remit sales tax on their own sales. If you sell directly (your own site, conventions), state sales-tax rules apply and vary.

Where to get real help

A local CPA or enrolled agent is the right person for tax questions. Your state's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers free or low-cost advising for new businesses. For anything about liability or contracts, a short consult with an attorney is worth it before you sign something.

ISBNs & Distribution

You don't have to buy an ISBN

KDP assigns a free ISBN automatically when you publish, so this isn't a required cost. The tradeoff: a free KDP ISBN lists Amazon as the publisher of record, and it's tied to Amazon specifically, you can't use it to distribute the same edition through other retailers or IngramSpark.

When buying your own makes sense

Buying your own ISBN (through Bowker in the US) lists you as the publisher and lets the same edition go wide, other retailers, libraries, IngramSpark. Bowker sells them in blocks: roughly $125 for one, $295 for a block of 10, and $575 for a block of 100. A single title usually only needs one ISBN per format (ebook, paperback, hardback each need their own), so a block of 10 covers most authors for several formats or a small series without paying the per-book rate of buying one at a time.

Going beyond Amazon

KDP alone only reaches Amazon. Draft2Digital and IngramSpark are the two most commonly used routes to "go wide", ebook and print distribution to other retailers and libraries. Draft2Digital tends to be simpler to start with; IngramSpark has wider library and bookstore reach but a rougher upload process.

KDP allows ebook preorders (up to a year out) but not paperback preorders, the paperback only goes live once you publish it for real.

Kindle Unlimited or wide?

Enrolling in KDP Select puts your ebook exclusively on Amazon for a 90-day term that renews automatically until you opt out, in exchange for two things going wide doesn't give you: Kindle Unlimited page-read royalties, and access to Amazon's own promotional tools (Free Book Promotion days, Countdown Deals). Going wide is the opposite trade, no exclusivity requirement, but no page reads and no KU-specific promos either.

KU tends to work better for a debut author without an existing audience, or in a genre where readers read primarily through Kindle Unlimited (romance, fantasy, and thriller lean heavily KU). Going wide tends to work better once you have your own list or following that can drive direct sales elsewhere, or if reaching readers outside Amazon's markets and libraries matters for your specific book.

Neither choice is permanent. Enrollment renews every 90 days, not forever, so this is something you can revisit each term rather than a one-way door.

Categories & Keywords

This is general orientation on how the system works, not a live search tool. For actual keyword search volume and category-saturation numbers, a paid tool like Publisher Rocket does that job properly, this is meant to get the basics right first.

What categories actually do

KDP lets you pick 2 browse categories from the dropdown when you publish, but you can request up to 10 total by contacting KDP support after publishing, most authors never do this and leave real, free visibility on the table. Categories are also how a book earns an orange "Best Seller" badge, ranking #1 in a big, broad category is essentially impossible, ranking #1 in a small, specific, well-matched one is realistic and the badge itself drives clicks regardless of which category earned it.

Choosing categories well

• Specific beats broad. "Fantasy > Coming of Age" tells Amazon (and a browsing reader) far more than "Fiction > Fantasy," and it's a realistic category to actually rank in.
• Browse the category on Amazon itself before picking it. If every book on the first page has thousands of reviews, that's the actual competition you'd be ranking against, not a number a picker tool shows you.
• Request the extra backend categories KDP doesn't expose in the dropdown by contacting KDP support directly after publishing and naming the exact category paths you want, both fiction and nonfiction have categories only reachable this way.
• Revisit categories after launch. They're not locked in, if one isn't working, ask support to change it.

Your 7 keyword slots

KDP gives you 7 keyword fields, each can hold a short phrase, not just a single word. The most common mistakes: repeating words already in your title or subtitle (those are already indexed, a keyword slot doing the same job is wasted), using a single broad word like "fantasy" instead of a specific phrase a reader would actually type, and using another author's name or a trademarked term, which violates KDP's content guidelines and risks the listing itself, not just that keyword.

A good keyword phrase describes what a reader is looking for, not what your book is about in the abstract. "enemies to lovers fantasy romance" will do more work than "epic adventure."

Recruiting ARC Readers

Where to actually find readers

• Your own audience first: newsletter subscribers, social followers, or a Discord/Facebook group you're already part of tend to convert best, since there's an existing relationship.
• Other publishing professionals you already work with: an editor, cover designer, or formatter who doesn't have the time or budget fit for their usual service will sometimes read and review instead, in exchange for a smaller thank-you like a gift card. They're already invested in your book, which makes them a genuinely motivated reader, not just a favor.
• ARC-request services like BookSirens or Booksprout let readers browse and request books in genres they already read.
• Genre-specific Facebook groups and subreddits (e.g. r/selfpublish) often allow ARC requests if you read the group's rules first; most restrict how often you can post.
• NetGalley is the industry-standard option for wider reach, though it typically costs money to list a title.

Genre matters more than which platform you pick

Across every ARC platform, romance sells the most and gets recommended most easily; one comparison saw a 57% cover-click rate on a romance listing versus 16% for a literary title running at the same time. If you write in a niche genre (literary fiction, YA fantasy, hard sci-fi), expect lower signups no matter which platform you choose. That's not a sign you picked the wrong one. Leaning more on your own newsletter and social following, rather than a general platform, tends to matter more the more niche your genre is.

What ARC platforms actually cost

• BookSirens: $10 plus $2 per reader they actually find you. Good tracking and distribution tools; skews toward romance readers.
• Booksprout: around $9/month. Results vary a lot by genre; some authors get strong signups, others get very few.
• NetGalley: $575 for a standard six-month indie listing, the most expensive option. A cheaper route some authors use: a co-op listing through an editing service, around $75 for a one-month run.
• BookFunnel: delivers and watermarks ARC files, but doesn't find readers on its own; pair it with your own list or another source.
• NovelTalk: a newer platform, free for a first campaign, and specifically only accepts AI-free submissions.

Realistic numbers to aim for

Most authors target 50 to 100 ARC readers per book (some cap it around 150). Expect roughly 15–20% of your own reader list to actually leave a review, versus closer to 10% when sourcing cold through social media; ARC platforms tend to land somewhere in between. If you send out 5–10 copies and get 2–3 reviews back, that's normal, not a failure.

Don't ask friends and family to buy or review your book on Amazon unless they're genuine, regular readers of your genre. Amazon uses who buys your book to decide who else to show it to: a relative who doesn't normally read your genre quietly points your book at the wrong readers, and it can hurt discoverability more than it helps.

If you're enrolled in KDP Select (KU)

Enrolling in Kindle Unlimited locks your ebook to Amazon-only for 90 days, and authors disagree on whether sending digital ARC copies during that window is actually allowed. Treat it as a real risk, not settled. Two safe workarounds: send physical/print ARCs instead, which don't count against digital exclusivity, or publish a short prequel outside of KU and use that specifically for ARC reviews while your main title stays in Select.

Asking well

Be specific about what you're asking for: roughly how long the book is, when you need reviews by (usually tied to your launch date), and that a review is the ask, not just a free read. Most authors aim for more readers than they need, since not everyone who says yes finishes the book.

Making it easy for readers to follow through

The biggest drop-off isn't finding readers: it's readers finishing and actually posting a review. Use the ARC Readers page to track who has a copy and mark anyone who's stalled as "needs follow-up," then send a quick, friendly reminder rather than assuming they forgot on purpose. A short nudge close to your launch date works better than one sent right after you send the book. Readers sometimes send genuinely useful feedback privately instead of posting it publicly. That's worth capturing too, not just public review links.

Goodreads and Amazon are two separate asks

Goodreads is owned by Amazon, but reviews don't carry over from one to the other, so treat them as two separate requests. Readers can generally post a Goodreads review as soon as your book is listed there, so ask for those during your ARC window, before launch. Amazon reviews can only be posted once your book is live, so ask again in launch week.

Expect fewer Amazon reviews than Goodreads ones. Amazon has its own eligibility rules for reviewers, and not every ARC reader will qualify. A reader who can't post on Amazon can still leave a Goodreads review, which is why asking for both beats asking for one.

Watch for marketing scams

Be wary of any marketing service that quotes a large flat fee upfront with vague promises about results: that pattern shows up repeatedly in author scam reports. Cheaper, slower organic channels (a newsletter, TikTok, genre-specific Facebook groups) are safer places to start than paying a firm before you've seen real evidence they deliver.

Marketing & Selling Your Book

Every way to reach readers falls into one of four buckets. None of them are optional forever, most authors eventually use all four, but which one to start with depends on your budget and whether you already have an audience.

Cold outreach: reaching people who don't know you yet

Free, and the lowest response rate of the four. Worth doing, but expect most attempts to go nowhere, that's normal, not a sign you're doing it wrong.

• Book bloggers and reviewers who cover your genre: most post submission guidelines on their own site, follow them exactly, and a pitch that mentions why your book fits their site specifically beats a form template.
• Bookstagram and BookTok creators who review your genre: a short, specific DM converts better than a generic "check out my book" message sent to a long list.
• Reader-facing Facebook groups and subreddits, not just author groups: read the rules before posting, most restrict or outright ban self-promotion, and a removed post (or a banned account) is the real cost of skipping this step.
• Podcasts that interview indie authors in your genre: smaller, newer shows say yes far more often than established ones.

Don't send the same pitch to many people or post it across many groups in one sitting. Similarly-worded messages posted in a short window read as spam to both moderators and automated spam detection, even when the intent behind each one is genuine. Space it out, and reword it each time.

Warm outreach: reaching people who already have a reason to listen

The highest response rate of the four, since trust already exists. Start here if you're not sure where to start.

• Your mailing list: the audience that's specifically opted in to hear from you. Track growth on the Mailing List page.
• Your personal network: friends, family, coworkers, alumni groups. Genuine asks work, but see Recruiting ARC Readers above on why family shouldn't be the ones leaving your Amazon reviews.
• Past readers: anyone who read an earlier book, or was an ARC reader on a previous launch, has already said yes once.
• Newsletter swaps with other authors in a similar genre: you mention their book to your list, they mention yours to theirs. Works best matched by genre, not by list size.
• Communities you're already a genuine member of, not one you joined solely to post in once.

Paid ads: spending money to reach readers

Ads amplify what's already working, they don't fix a book page that isn't converting. Buying traffic before you have any reviews or organic sales is a common way to spend money without learning anything.

• Amazon Ads (Sponsored Products): pay per click, target keywords or comparable authors' book pages directly. The most common paid channel for self-published authors, since it puts your book where people are already buying.
• Facebook and Instagram Ads: more setup and targeting work, and generally a weaker return for books than Amazon Ads unless you already have real creative (video, reviews) to run.
• A BookBub Featured Deal: a paid placement in BookBub's genre newsletters. Real reach if you're accepted, but it's competitive and selective, and usually paired with a deep discount or a free price.

A page with zero reviews and no organic traffic converts poorly no matter how much traffic you buy it. Get some organic sales or reviews first, then use ads to send more people to something that's already proven to work.

Free content: building an audience without spending money

Slower than the other three, but it compounds and doesn't disappear the moment you stop paying for it.

• Short-form video (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts): the hook has to land in the first couple seconds. Average watch time on a new account is short, so open with the point, not a windup.
• A newsletter or blog with real content, not just launch announcements: give something useful first, the book mention becomes a natural aside rather than the whole pitch.
• Goodreads: a free author profile, and Goodreads giveaways (free to list a limited number of copies) can generate real early reviews.
• A permafree or discounted first book in a series, or a prequel novella: a common way to get new readers into a series without asking them to pay upfront. Only works if the next book is actually ready to sell them into.
• Genre-specific Facebook groups and subreddits again, framed as content instead of a pitch: answering other people's questions builds visibility without breaking self-promo rules.

If you're writing a series

A series changes the math in both directions. Readers who finish book one often go on to buy the rest, which makes ads and promotions pay back better. But recruiting ARC readers for book two or three gets harder, because new readers usually need the earlier books first.

• Put a signup link in the back of book one, so readers who finish it end up on your list for the next release.
• Run ads and promotions on book one, since that's where new readers enter the series.
• For later books, recruit ARC readers from people who already finished the earlier ones, not from cold audiences.
• A free or discounted first book (see above) works best when book two is ready to sell them.