Most Recent Live Trainings
Looking Forward: Conversations from Author Nation 2025
Posted onWe take a slightly different approach than usual in this live training, where Blaine provides a comprehensive update on recent developments in the world of… Continue ReadingTraining #608 – Ask us Anything about Bookstore Distribution
Posted onWe are back to our normal schedule, with a brand-new ask us anything session focused mostly on a two-part question from an author struggling with… Continue ReadingCookbook Design Lab 2.5 – Launching Your Cookbook
Posted onIn this final module, you’ll determine the best publication and launch strategy based on the goals you set for this cookbook. We’ll go through many… Continue ReadingCookbook Design Lab 2.4 – Producing & Distributing Your Cookbook
Posted onIn this fourth module, you’ll take your finished pages to market: building a clear, realistic plan to fund, price, and distribute your cookbook. We’ll demystify… Continue ReadingCookbook Design Lab 2.3 – Creating Your Book's Interior
Posted onIn this third module, you’ll bring your cookbook to life on the page: shaping a clear, cook‑friendly interior with smart structure, readable typography, and layouts… Continue ReadingTraining #604 – Ask us Anything
Posted onIn this bonus Ask us Anything session for our Cookbook Design Lab, we covered the latest news in publishing and showed off a new tool… Continue Reading
Most Recent Articles
Your (Cook)Bookshelf Tells a Story
Recently, we rebooted our Cookbook Design Lab with a session meant to inspire you to find a niche and an audience for your cookbook projects, whether those projects… Continue ReadingTurning Your Manuscript into an Ebook
So, you've poured your heart and soul into writing your book. You've crafted compelling characters, built intricate plots, and now you're ready to share your… Continue ReadingWriting Conferences 201: Sophomore Year
“When last we left our heroes…”, we had discussed how to make the most out of your first writing conference. It’s good advice, but just… Continue ReadingThe Anatomy of a Fiction Book
Embarking on the journey of writing, publishing, and marketing a book is a thrilling, albeit demanding, endeavor. One crucial aspect of this process is understanding… Continue ReadingBuild a Better Author Bio: Proven Patterns & Practical Examples
An author bio is a tiny but mighty asset. It frames how readers, editors, retailers, reviewers, and event organizers see you. It supplies authority and… Continue ReadingWeb Words for Writers: A Practical Glossary
Your website and email are the backbone of your author platform: they’re how readers find you, how media contacts reach you, and how you announce… Continue Reading
Recommended Places For Getting Started
The Fiction in 30 Self-Study Challenge
Miss out or want to take part in Fiction-in-30 again? Now you can go through the challenge at your own pace!Advertising for Authors: Before Your First Ad
As time goes by and the independent publishing market matures, it becomes more and more necessary to spend money on advertising in order to get… Continue ReadingAudiobooks for Fun and Profit – Part 1: Yes or No
Welcome to our series on Audiobooks For Fun and Profit! An audiobook version of your work can add profit potential to your writing empire, but… Continue ReadingShould Authors Worry About AI Replacing Us?
Will Authors Be Replaced by AI? A few weeks ago, a friend of mine asked if we were worried about AI-generated content taking over for… Continue Reading10 Ways to Start Writing When Your Muse Isn’t Speaking to You
What’s the difference between a professional and an amateur? A professional can do great work even when they don’t feel like it. It feels like… Continue ReadingIntroduction to Amazon's Author Central
Author Central is a hub that allows you to reach more readers and sell more books to the readers that have enjoyed your books. Amazon… Continue ReadingThe Real Deal About Book Copyright
Our Lawyers Made Us Say This: What you’re about to read is a well-researched, honest attempt at explaining copyright law for authors, with a specific… Continue ReadingHow Long Should Your Book Be?
The first rule of book length is to stop thinking about it in terms of pages. Every professional in the field considers a book’s length… Continue Reading

















