Publishing business
The business of being published. These guides are general-information only — not legal or tax advice — and always, for anything consequential, consult a professional.
Trad vs. self-publishing
Which path to pick, and what you're actually trading off when you pick it.
Rights and contracts, plainly
First serial, reprint, audio, film option — what rights a publishing contract typically asks for.
Advances and royalties
How advances work, how they earn out, and what royalty rates are typical.
Pen names — when and how
Legal vs. pseudonym, tax implications, and the practical reasons writers use a second name.
Author platform, minus the hype
What "platform" really means for fiction vs. nonfiction, and what agents actually care about.
Taxes for writers
Self-employment status, deductible expenses, and why keeping receipts beats keeping folders.