ARCHIVE FOR Behind the Launch Lab: Craft & Commerce

Sometimes, as writers, we have to shake up our routines and our expectations. Katrin Schumann explores what makes writers productive and happy, and determines that change can be good.

I recently packed up the office where I'd been working for the past four and a half years

Asking for endorsements from established writers for your upcoming book can be a cringe-worthy endeavor. Katrin Schumann looks at how to do it right.

Does it influence you when a writer you admire endorses a book you're considering buying? For most readers, seeing killer blurbs from known names can make the difference. 

The traditional publishing process can be full of surprises for a first-time author. Here's what a few writers publishing in 2019 have learned since signing on the dotted line.

We make all sorts of assumptions about what it will be like to actually become published authors for the first time

The final stages before book publication involve copyediting (and then proofreading). It's your last chance to make changes before your writing goes public. What can you do at this stage to assure your book stays true to your unique vision and style?

Every soon-to-be published writer is nervous and excited about copyedits. Will they require rewriting of beloved text

Book covers are supposed to draw readers in and convey the gist of a book. Bottom line: they're important. But how much say do traditionally published authors actually have in their book's cover design? 

We famously judge a book by its cover. Nabokov's dark and controversial book Lolita is a great example of how covers can mislead readers (see this New Yorker article)