A 90% great book will get rejections 100% of the time. How do you make up the difference?

Whether it's a 40% gap you need to close or a 5% gap, Mary shares her recommendations.

If you’re querying agents for your novel or memoir and finding yourself stuck in a cycle of rejection, you’re not alone. In this article, I’ll explain why even a strong book might get rejected and how you can turn rejection into a positive.

No. Not everyone can write a book. Sorry. But can you write a book? Probably. I’d call it a really good bet—if I had money to throw at bets, I’d throw money at the likelihood that you, person reading this, can write a book.
Writing a book comes down to 3 things:

What if there was a way to skip months of waiting, rejection, and uncertainty in the traditional publishing process? The Black List, a game-changing platform that’s revolutionized Hollywood, is now open to novelists—and it could be your publishing shortcut.

Discover how hosting your manuscript and receiving professional feedback can fast-track your journey to landing an agent or publisher. Ready to learn more? Dive into the full article for everything you need to know about this exciting opportunity.

Dreaming of publishing your first book? Becoming a debut author is an incredible milestone, but it often comes with questions about what to expect, how to prepare, and how to navigate the journey. This guide offers insights into the debut process, from traditional and self-publishing routes to overcoming common challenges like imposter syndrome and learning the business side of writing—helping you set yourself up for success as you share your story with the world.

Today I'm sharing three things that no one tells you about getting a literary agent. First, I'll cut to the chase. Yes, you need a literary agent, probably.

There are two exceptions. One, if you're self-publishing, you don't need a literary agent. And two, if you're only pursuing small publishers that accept submissions directly from writers. And these smaller publishers will say on their website if they accept what they will call unrepresented submissions, or they'll just say, we accept submissions directly from authors, but there aren't too many of these and you're going to need to seek them out.

Writing a book can range from completely free to a significant financial investment, depending on your goals and approach. While the act of writing requires only time, imagination, and basic tools, producing a polished, publication-ready manuscript often involves costs for editing, research, software, and other professional services. This post breaks down the potential expenses, offers tips for managing costs, and highlights the differences between self-publishing and traditional publishing to help you plan your writing journey.

Here’s a confession: until I became one, I didn’t know what a book writing coach does.

I had even hired one by that point. But because she didn’t refer to herself that way, I didn't know that “coaching” was what she was doing.

I get this question all the time from people who want to write and publish books, and it’s a fair question. The problem is that the publishing industry is often extremely opaque when it comes to money, and the amount of money you can make varies tremendously: are you writing a novel or memoir? Are you a first-time author? What genre is your book?

But good news: I’ve got the data! Yep, I’ve got numbers. Today, I’m going to break down how much you can make as a writer so you know what to expect. Let’s go.