Demystifying Publishing

The following articles are the work of Anna Genoese, and are free for personal use. Please do not reproduce or distribute these articles without permission from the author. These articles are all available in HTML and PDF. Click here to download a zip file of all the PDF articles.

Follow the Rules (download PDF)
If you don't follow the rules of the playground, we won't let you play in our sandbox. (February 2006)


Genre as a Marketing Category (download PDF)
Publishers and editors do not think about genre the same way authors do. Here's an explanation. (March 2006)


How to do a Castoff (download PDF)
A step-by-step guide to getting an accurate character count -- and how to estimate how long your manuscript will be as a bound book! (March 2006)


How to Find an Agent (download PDF)
The basic steps to take to find an agent to represent your work. (April 2010)


Manuscript Formatting: Beyond 101 (download PDF)
What to do after you've put your manuscript in 12 point Courier New, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. (April 2010)


On Unsolicited Submissions (download PDF)
Unsolicited submissions are not junk mail. (March 2010)


Pitch Sessions: What they are & how to do it (download PDF)
Everythiing you need to know about pitching your book to an editor, and more! (February 2006)


Profit & Loss/Profitability & Liability : How Books Make (or Don't Make) Money (download PDF)
A basic outline of what happens when an editor buys a book and wants to publish it. This is very much a basic look at publishing and publishing finance, with some explanation of terms commonly used by the marketing and sales departments. (April 2006)


Publishing is Hard (download PDF)
Writing is an art, but publishing is a business -- and here are a few basic suggestions on how to navigate that business. Complete with explanations of various departments within a publishing company, and how they all work together to make your book. (March 2006)


Rejection Letters (download PDF)
Can't interpret your rejection letter? Here's a walkthrough of a real rejection letter, and what it probably means. (August 2006)


Selling Books with GLBTQ Characters (download PDF)
Having trouble selling your "gay" book to mainstream publishers? Here are some thoughts on why. (June 2006)


Submission (download PDF)
A look at submission guidelines -- what they mean, how to read them, how to find them, and much encouraging to follow them. (March 2006)


Things Authors Should Do (download PDF)
A list, written by two editors who are also published authors. (March 2010)


All articles are © Anna Genoese
Please do not reproduce or distribute these texts without permission.