Problematic Publishing: Red Flags To Watch Out For

August 31st, 2026  |  Season 10  |  10 mins 54 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, publishing, writers, writing, writing tips

Most publishers are in it for the love of books. Yes, even the acquiring editors, the marketing team, and the contract specialists. It's a labor of love that hopefully breaks even. But! That doesn't mean there aren't some problematic publishing companies out there. Whether you go with traditional publishing or small press, you need to be careful.

Loglines Versus Queries

August 18th, 2025  |  Season 9  |  3 mins 11 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, publishing, query, writers, writing, writing tips

The publishing industry uses a lot of terms, and none of them can quite agree on a definition. But, if you're trying to get published, you need to know the difference between a logline and a query letter.

Querying Versus Submitting: What's the Difference

July 31st, 2023  |  Season 7  |  10 mins 32 secs

agents, beta-reading, books, critique, publishing, querying, writers, writing, writing tips

If you're trying to get an agent or publisher, you've probably heard these terms. While even many industry professionals can be found using the terms interchangeably, they do actually have different meanings!

Getting -- and Staying (Traditionally) Published

October 17th, 2022  |  Season 5  |  19 mins 19 secs

beta-reading, books, critique, publishing, writers, writing, writing tips

All writers who want to share their work with the world want to be published. Some want to self-publish while others would prefer to have the backing — and distribution — of a publishing house.

At the titular panel at WorldCon 2019, George Sandison, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Rachel Winterbottom, E.C. Ambrose, and Michelle Sagara talked about the realities of traditional publishing — when you’re not an A-list author.