The TGEP Publishing Encyclopaedia

Every writing and publishing question deserves a clear answer.

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Writing

I am writing a book

Find guidance on ideas, structure, characters, research, drafting and finishing a manuscript.

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Publishing

I want to publish

Understand submissions, publishers, contracts, editing, ISBNs, production and publication models.

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Author Career

My book is published

Learn about book marketing, distribution, reviews, visibility, sales and long-term growth.

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Writing and publishing questions

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Writing a Book
How do I start writing a book? How do I find a strong book idea? Should I plan my book before writing? How long does it take to write a book? How many words should a book have? How many chapters should a book have? How long should a chapter be? How do I finish writing a book? How do I overcome writer’s block? Should an author write every day?
Storytelling and Fiction
How do I create a strong plot? What is story structure? How do I write believable characters? How many characters should a novel have? How do I write natural dialogue? Which point of view should I use? Should I write in first person or third person? How should a novel end? What does “show, don’t tell” mean? How do writers create suspense?
Nonfiction, Memoir and Research
How do I write a nonfiction book? How should a nonfiction book be structured? How do I write a memoir? What is the difference between memoir and autobiography? Can I write about real people? How should an author fact-check a book? How should sources be cited in a book? Do I need permission to quote another work?
Manuscript Preparation
How should a manuscript be formatted? Which font should I use for a manuscript? Should a manuscript be double-spaced? What belongs on a manuscript title page? How do I write a book synopsis? How long should a synopsis be? How do I write an author biography? How do I write a query letter?
Editing and Proofreading
Do publishers edit books? Does my book need professional editing? What are the different types of book editing? What is developmental editing? What is line editing? What is copyediting? What is proofreading? What is the difference between editing and proofreading? How many rounds of editing does a book need? Can I edit my own book?
Manuscript Submission
How do I submit a manuscript to a publisher? What happens after manuscript submission? Can I submit to multiple publishers? Should I submit the full manuscript or sample chapters? How long do publishers take to reply? Why do publishers reject manuscripts? How many rejection letters do authors receive? Can publishers steal my manuscript?
Publishing Models
What is traditional publishing? What is self-publishing? What is hybrid publishing? Is traditional publishing better than self-publishing? Do authors pay publishers? How do publishers make money? What does a book publisher actually do? How do I choose the right publisher?
Publishing Contracts and Rights
What is a publishing contract? Which rights does an author give a publisher? Does the author keep copyright? Should I copyright my manuscript before submitting it? Can a publisher change my book title? Can a publisher change my manuscript? Can I leave a publishing contract? What is rights reversion?
ISBN, Copyright and Book Metadata
What is an ISBN? Does every book need an ISBN? Can one ISBN be used twice? Does an ebook need a different ISBN? Who owns a book’s ISBN? What is book metadata? Why is book metadata important? What is a book barcode?
Book Design and Production
What is book typesetting? What is interior book design? How is a book cover designed? Who chooses the final book cover? What is a print-ready PDF? What is a book proof copy? How long does book production take? Should a book be paperback or hardcover?
Book Printing
How are books printed? What is the difference between digital and offset printing? What is print on demand? How much does it cost to print a book? How many copies should an author print? Which paper is best for books? What is a book trim size? How is book spine width calculated?
Royalties, Advances and Book Pricing
How do book royalties work? What is a publishing advance? Do all authors receive an advance? Are royalties paid on cover price or net receipts? How often are authors paid royalties? How is a book’s price decided? How much money do authors earn? What is a royalty statement?
Book Marketing and Publicity
How do I market a book? Do publishers market every book? What should a book marketing plan include? How do I launch a book? How do authors get book reviews? Do authors need social media? How do I write a book press release? How long should a book be marketed?
Book Sales and Distribution
What is book distribution? How do books reach bookstores? How are books sold on Amazon? Can self-published books enter bookstores? What does a book distributor do? What are book returns? How can authors sell books to libraries? Why do some published books not sell?
Author Career
How do I build a long-term author career? Does an author need a website? What is an author platform? How do I build an author identity? How often should an author publish a book? Should an author use a pen name? How do authors find literary opportunities? Can writing become a full-time career?

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