Before and After the Book Deal. Courtney Maum

Using sensitivity readers

Am I wasting my time and money in this MFA program?

Is there a world in which I can teach without an MFA?

Creating (and maintaining) a literary community without an MFA

Am I writing the wrong book?

      II. Getting it out there

The logline and the project summary as (potential) writing tools

Why you should keep submitting work, regardless of rejection

So where should I submit?

How should I submit?

Can I send multiple submissions?

Following up with editors

Submitting to contests

Applying for awards and fellowships as an emerging writer

Is my rejection a rejection?

Book reviewing and author interviews

How to pitch

What to expect when you’re not expecting virality

Dealing with trolls and negative comments

To self-publish or not

      III. Getting paid

How to financially plan

How will I get health insurance as a writer?

Should I write for free?

Can I call myself a writer if I’m not making money from my writing yet?

Supplementing your income, a.k.a. the side hustle

To teach or not to teach

       Hey, Mister, where’s my money?

       Can I stay in my corporate job without losing my creative edge?

       If I have children, will I ever write again?

      IV. Getting it represented

       If I want to get my book published, I absolutely, positively need to have an agent, right?

       I’m a poet. Should I be looking for an agent?

       I’m ready for an agent. Is my manuscript?

       How to find the right agent for your work

       The agent query process

       How to stay sane while you’re waiting for an agent’s response

       Holy crap! An actual human agent has replied!

       Preparing to submit to editors

       Can we sell my first book on a proposal?

       We’ve got nibbles! (a.k.a. setting up editorial phone calls)

       How do I know which editor to choose?

       What if the offer sucks?

       Should I take a two-book deal?

       What if everyone says no?

      V. Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about advances, but were too afraid to ask

       How do I know whether or not I got a good advance?

       What is everyone else getting?

       Merits of small advances

       The pros and cons of big ones

       Do you have to earn out to be successful?

       Budgeting your advance

       Book Two: After the Book Deal

      I. Prepublication

       Reining in your ego

       The social media announcement about your big book deal

       The publishing contract

       Surviving the editorial letter

       How to set—and meet—your book deadline

       Developmental edits

       Meeting your book’s team

       You drive me crazy: the things authors do that drive publishing professionals nuts

       When your title’s not your title

       Manuscript acceptance

       Setting a launch date

       The blurb discussion starts

       Gulp! Your cover concept is revealed

       You get assigned a publicist. Or you don’t.

       Little orphan writer

       Internal presentations and book conferences

       First-, second-, and third-pass edits (a.k.a. the last time you can change something)

       On acknowledgments

       The author photo

       Writing your author bio

       Creating an author website

       The marketing brainstorm

       Understanding